Tsujirihei Main Store

Since Uji, Kyoto, is home to Uji tea—a specialty renowned throughout the country—it’s only natural that there are cafes serving matcha and desserts made with this tea. In the area around Uji Station, long-established tea shops—including Tsūen Main Store, founded over 800 years ago; Ito Kyuemon, founded in the Edo period; and Nakamura Tokichi—operate just a stone’s throw from one another, creating what appears to be an extremely competitive matcha hotspot.

On the other hand, on the opposite side of the station from this fiercely competitive area, you’ll find the Tsujirihei Main Store, a long-established teahouse founded in the first year of the Man’en era (1860). I happened to drop by the Tsujirihei Main Store on a recent trip to Uji, and it turned out to be a much more memorable experience than I had initially imagined…

Relaxing with a beautifully maintained Japanese garden right before your eyes… This is what Tsujirihei Main Store is like…

Tsujirihei Main Store is located in a quiet residential neighborhood, on the opposite side of the so-called “downtown area” that stretches from JR Uji Station to Byodo-in’s Phoenix Hall. As you walk through the residential area, a grand entrance with an imposing gate suddenly appears before you. Passing through that entrance and strolling through the beautifully maintained Japanese garden, you’ll find a luxurious tea lounge at the far end—a renovated tea factory and warehouse that’s over 100 years old. Even before stepping inside, I already felt completely content.

According to Tabelog, Tsujirihei Main Store has a total of 73 seats across the first and second floors. Since it’s located in a residential neighborhood and set back from the entrance, you can enjoy a very peaceful atmosphere. Particularly noteworthy are the single-seater sofa seats where you can relax while gazing out at the Japanese garden. Just imagine how happy you’d feel if you were lucky enough to snag a seat like that (unfortunately, it seems reservations aren’t accepted)…

Three Types of Uji Tea Flavors in a Shaved Ice Dessert… Tsujirihei Main Store’s “Kikicha Gori” (Taste Comparison)—What Was It Like When I Actually Tried It?

So, let me introduce the “Kikicha Gori” (Taste Comparison) that I ordered at the Tsujirihei Main Store that day. It’s a shaved ice dessert where enjoy three different flavors—matcha, sencha, and hojicha—and the price, which I was curious about, is 1,320 yen (tax included)…

About 15 minutes after ordering, the “Kikicha Gori (Taste Comparison)” was brought to my table. In the center of the image is matcha, on the left is sencha, and on the right is hojicha. The shaved ice is heaped high in small, tea-bowl-sized bowls; when combined, the three portions have a volume that rivals that of a standard serving of shaved ice.

So, let’s try them in the order of matcha, hojicha, and sencha… The matcha has a distinct bitterness—a mature flavor. A subtle sweetness follows shortly after. The hojicha stands out for its toasty aroma and has a refreshing taste. The sencha retains the flavor of sencha tea but is made quite sweet; it was the kind of shaved ice that gives you that “this is a true Japanese-style dessert” feeling—which is probably easy to imagine.

I worked my way through these three types of shaved ice, alternating between them, and finished them all over the course of about 20 minutes while enjoying the shop’s atmosphere. There were various other items on the menu, including matcha, and I was torn about what to order, but in the end, I’m glad I chose this “Uji Tea Tasting” (flavor comparison) so I could fully savor the flavors of these three types of Uji tea. And I really loved the quiet, dignified atmosphere at the Tsujirihei Main Store. If possible, next time I’d love to spend an incredibly luxurious moment on one of the sofa seats on the first floor…

Examples of Other Menu Items at Tsujirihei Main Store (Prices include tax)

• [Uji Matcha] Thick Matcha “Gokujo Tenkei” (served with fresh Japanese sweets) 2,860 yen
• Thick Matcha Parfait “Uji Homare” 1,936 yen
• [Uji Tencha] Uji (served with fresh Japanese sweets) 1,760 yen
• Matcha Warabi Mochi with Strong Matcha Sauce 1,320 yen
• [Uji Sencha] First Harvest (served with fresh Japanese sweets) 1,045 yen
• Chilled Matcha Zenzai 825 yen
• Hot Matcha Latte 583 yen

They also sell tea leaves and original sweets… Tsujirihei Main Store is a 6-minute walk from Uji Station on the JR Nara Line, which is the nearest station.

Although small, the Tsujirihei Main Store features a shop area. In addition to Uji tea leaves, of course, they also carry several sweets, such as roll cakes. They also have an online store, so you can order products to be shipped to you. If you’re a matcha lover, you definitely shouldn’t miss out on trying it!

Here are the shop details…

P.S.  If you’re looking for a cozy café in Kyoto, be sure to check out this article as well…