Photo by sentidos humanos on UnsplashGion matcha tour
A guide to traditional tea houses in Kyoto serving Uji matcha, curated from publicly available sources.
A culture born from Kyoto's matcha
Uji matcha has a thousand-year history in Kyoto. The Gion area has several tea houses and wagashi shops built around matcha. This article introduces two shops serving Uji matcha.
A matcha parfait specialist
Saryo Tsujiri is a tea house run by Gion Tsujiri. According to their official website, the signature matcha parfait is built around matcha jelly, matcha ice cream, shiratama and azuki.
A Uji matcha shop in Gion
Itohkyuemon is based in Uji and operates a Gion-Shijo branch a one-minute walk from the station. According to their official website, the shop serves Uji matcha sweets and tea-room menus.
Seasonal menus
Both shops rotate seasonal parfaits, so the offering changes through the year.
- Spring: cherry blossom, strawberry
- Summer: matcha kakigori
- Autumn: chestnut, mont blanc
- Winter: warm matcha zenzai
When to visit
To avoid crowds, weekday mornings are best. Both shops open at 10:30 — arriving before lunchtime makes seating easier.