Ippodo Tea　[Kyoto]

Three Hundred Years on One Street

Ippodo Tea has stood on Teramachi Street in Kyoto since 1717, dedicated to Japanese tea and nothing else. The business began as a shop run by a merchant from Ōmi Province (modern day Shiga Prefecture) during the Edo period, and was later honored with the name "Ippodo" by Japanese imperial royalty. That name has held ever since.

Today, the current owner, Masakazu Watanabe, carries the tradition forward with the same focus, on the same street, three centuries later.

The Art of the Blend

What sets Ippodo apart is not just where the tea comes from, but the craft of blending.

Each harvest brings its own character: shifts in sweetness, astringency, aroma, and finish. Ippodo's tea masters read those variables every year and build a blend that delivers a consistent, balanced cup regardless of season or crop. The goal is not a fixed recipe, but the same feeling in every cup, year after year.

Ippodo's lineup covers the full range of Japanese tea: sencha, gyokuro, matcha, and hojicha, each suited to a different moment in the day. There is also a philosophy worth knowing: at Ippodo, the tea leaf is considered a semi-finished product. The person brewing it completes the work. How you steep it, at what temperature, for how long, all of it matters. It is a small ritual that is easy to make your own.

From Kyoto to Your Door

Ippodo has been sharing Japanese tea with international audiences for decades, long before matcha became a household word. They now have a presence in New York, bringing not just the teas but the context around them, the history, the craft, and the culture.

Matcha gets most of the attention these days, but Ippodo is just as focused on making the case for sencha and hojicha, teas with real depth that most people here are only beginning to discover.

In Japan, saying "ocha shiyou." or "Let's have tea.", is a casual invitation that somehow always feels like the best idea. That is what Ippodo is offering. Kyoto, in a cup, delivered to your door.