A good friend is in Japan with his family for the first time since COVID.
He will be in Osaka for a month or two with some trips to Kyoto.
He's offered to pick me and a few others up some tea.
I requested;
Sae Midori Fukamushi Sencha
Genmai Chai with Matcha
Yame Gyokuro
Matcha
Preferably not organic and from the past 12 months.
Thinking this shouldn't be too tough.
He's got back asking for more options, brands, shops etc. I suspect he is now shopping for not just me but himself, and as gifts for a few other friends I know.
I know very little here. I just order from O-Cha, Ippodo or similar and have done since TeaChat was new and cool and have never set foot in Japan.
Are there brands or shops that are worth seeking out? Any tips on 3rd party tea shopping in Japan?
Seems like an opportunity to try stuff not easily available online....or do I just copy and paste names and brands off of Ippodo, O-Cha etc and play it safe?
Buying tea in Japan, via a friend.
Shopping for tea in Japan in person is not that easy, especially if it is not for you. Ippoddo is pretty safe – but also a little boring. But you can even find it in the shopping malls, so easy for your friend. The more interesting tea brands might not be as easy to find or access to. Does your friend speak good Japanese? Might be difficult to find out for him where to get you those teas, unless you have the names in Japanese characters as well?
You have your list and I don't want to deviate from your question, but I would suggest that if you trust your friend's taste and knowledge of quality, why not give your list as a guide and let him surprise you? You'd be getting teas that aren't exported and that numerous Japanese drink. Some might say these are expensive, poor quality gift teas (which there are) but I haven't found that to always be the case when I've bought tea in Tokyo or Kyoto.
Horaido in Kyoto is a great shop for tea.
http://www.kyoto-teramachi.or.jp/horaido/
There are other tea shops like Fukujuen Kyoto, Marukyu Koyamaen Uji.
Kyoto station has many satellite tea shops.
Horaido in Kyoto is a great shop for tea.
http://www.kyoto-teramachi.or.jp/horaido/
There are other tea shops like Fukujuen Kyoto, Marukyu Koyamaen Uji.
Kyoto station has many satellite tea shops.
Thanks,
His Japanese is not great, but his wife is Japanese and they have time for shopping.
He's been gifting me houjicha & genmai cha for a decade or so of going back and forth from Japan, this is the first time he's asked me to give him a list. I gave him the list above, and he asked for more items & specifics.
Ippodo does seems safe, why I use them, but it's not often someone messages me from Osaka asking for tea buying tips and I think it may be better to gamble than play it safe.
His Japanese is not great, but his wife is Japanese and they have time for shopping.
He's been gifting me houjicha & genmai cha for a decade or so of going back and forth from Japan, this is the first time he's asked me to give him a list. I gave him the list above, and he asked for more items & specifics.
Do you have any examples? I suspect he is up for challenge and has people willing to help.The more interesting tea brands might not be as easy to find or access to
Ippodo does seems safe, why I use them, but it's not often someone messages me from Osaka asking for tea buying tips and I think it may be better to gamble than play it safe.
Nothing wrong with playing it safe. In Kyoto both Ippodo and Thes du Japón are good bets. The best Hojicha I’ve found is from Ippodo, as well as their Tokusen Gyokuro (premium limited edition). Thes du Japón has a following on this forum, they have an extensive selection based on cultivars. They also have beautiful teaware on display.