About Us
When one thinks of Uji, one thinks of tea, and when one thinks of tea, one thinks of Uji.
Today, Uji tea is almost synonymous with Japanese tea. However, throughout its long history since the 12th century, Uji tea has faced crises of survival. Our company’s history began during such times, and our journey is also a history of the revival of Uji tea.
Our company was founded in 1860, at the end of the Edo period. At that time, Uji tea masters, who had been under the generous protection of the Tokugawa shogunate for hundreds of years, lost this protection amidst the turmoil, their sales channels were cut off, and their tea gardens fell into ruin.
Seeing this, our founder, Riemon Tsuji, invested his own funds to improve the tea industry, perfected the production method of Gyokuro tea, and developed tea boxes to expand sales channels, striving to revive Uji tea. His achievements were widely recognized, and he was honored with a bronze statue erected beside the main gate of Byodo-in Temple.
The business was then passed down to the second-generation Toyojiro and the third-generation Riichi, expanding the operations. By the early Showa period, Uji tea was being sold nationwide, starting with branches in Kyushu. Additionally, there were branches in Dalian and Busan in China, and Taipei in Taiwan. After the war, branches were established in Kyoto (Gion) and Hiroshima, and the staff from various branches in mainland China and Taiwan who had returned were asked to manage retail stores.
Today, the Tsuji-named brands existing in various parts of Japan can be categorized into four types: goodwill brands, branch family brands, licensed brands, and joint venture brands.
Through this process, we currently operate as a Japanese tea manufacturer, focusing on wholesale transactions with tea specialty shops, confectionery manufacturers, trading companies, and others nationwide.
As the head family of the the Tsuji-named brands, we will continue to maintain the spirit of our founder, Riemon Tsuji, and sell high-quality tea.
