Horii Shichimeien - Matcha Okunoyama (own garden, single origin)

Horii Shichimeien, founded in 1879 in Uji, Kyoto, is one of Japan’s most prestigious tea producers, famous for cultivating the last of Uji’s original seven tea gardens, Oku no Yama, tended for over 600 years. Today, under sixth-generation owner Chotaro Horii, it remains a guardian of Uji’s tea heritage, blending history, innovation, and craftsmanship.

This exceptionally rare matcha is crafted exclusively from leaves grown in Horii Shichimeien’s 600-year-old Okunoyama tea garden. Among more than 2,000 tea cultivars, 5th generation master Horii Nobuo devoted over two decades to selecting and refining a single outstanding variety. His work was formally recognized in 2002, when Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries registered it as an official cultivar.

A sip of this single origin Okunoyama matcha reveals its singular character. Its vivid green hue, remarkable clarity, and soft, rounded umami create a smooth, balanced taste with no bitterness, just a refined and lingering harmony.