Tsuen (Uji tea house)

photo by Miya.m · CC BY-SA 4.0

photo by Ctny · CC BY-SA 4.0

Opened in 1160 next to Uji Bridge: Hideyoshi and Ieyasu stopped here too.

The shop was opened in 1160 by a retired samurai, Furukawa Uchi, who had been given the task of guarding Uji Bridge: from there he served tea and water to travellers between Kyoto and Nara, and the same family has run the place ever since, without interruption. It is considered one of the ten oldest companies still operating in Japan. Its historical visitors are recorded as including the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (the same one who had the Ginkaku-ji built), Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

The present building, an Edo-period townhouse (machiya), dates from 1672; it stands at the eastern end of Uji Bridge, on the river that gives its name to the local tea: uji-cha is, together with Shizuoka tea, one of the two best-known green tea brands in Japan.

ℹ️ Open 9:30–17:30, all year round with no weekly closing day. It sells loose tea to take away and serves a menu of dishes and sweets made with green tea in the inner room.

🚉 Uji · 4 min walk

Sources: tsuentea.com · hotpepper.jp

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