Recommendations for the Best Food And Matcha in Uji, Japan

I went to Uji, Japan with two goals in mind: To eat the best matcha based dishes and to load up on as much matcha as I could. Here are the shops and restaurants I recommend in Uji, Japan. 

A Day Trip to Uji, Japan

The last time I was in Japan, I took a day trip to Kyoto. My husband was at conference so I went by myself. While in Kyoto, I knew I could not miss out on visiting Uji, which is located in the Kyoto prefecture.

Uji is also known as “the matcha capital of the world”. With such a title as that, how could I not stop by when the opportunity presented itself?

Because I was only spending a day in Kyoto, I had a few hours in Uji. Those few hours were the highlight of my trip to Kyoto. I am really glad I took the time to visit Uji. 

I got off the shinkansen (high speed train) from Tokyo around 9 am and made a quick stop at the Fushimi Inari Shrine. From there I took an easy 30 minute JR train ride the rest of the way to Uji.  

My experience in Uji

Uji was where matcha first started and it is also the region famous for producing some of the best matcha in the world. You often see companies advertising their matcha as “Uji Matcha” and that is because it indicates its good quality for being produced there.

Besides the Uji shopping district where all the shops tend to be, the town itself is quiet and picturesque. The buildings are mostly built in the traditional Japanese style. Kids were going about their day walking to school.

There is the beautiful and calm Uji River that flows through with the famous Uji bridge above it. The bridge dates back to the 7th century. I saw many people down by the river bank sitting with their feet in the water or enjoying a picnic nearby. 

There were quite a few tourists there but nothing compared to Tokyo or Kyoto. It doesn’t feel too crowded when walking about the streets. The more popular places to eat just have very long wait times or can be quite crowded inside.

The town itself is very walkable. Everything was within a 20 minute walk of each other. The station leads you right to the area where all the main shops are. Most of the streets you will walk on are quiet and less busy with cars. I’ve included a map below to show you how close everything is to one another and where they are relatively.

A Matcha Lover’s Dream

Because I only had a few hours to spend in Uji, I had two goals in mind. I was going to try their specialty dishes and stock up on a ton of matcha. Here in the United States, getting good quality matcha can be quite expensive.

The first time I was in Tokyo, I stocked up on a Japanese matcha brand that I usually buy in the United States for three times the price. In Uji, you have so many options of matcha to choose from and you can find it in any price range.

They also have a lot of great teaware if you are in need of any to complete your tea or matcha making kit. As always with Japanese items, the great quality of the teas and teaware are unmatched. 

So far every matcha I’ve tried from Uji has been delicious. If you’ve ever tried matcha before and didn’t like it, I highly encourage you to try a higher grade quality matcha from Japan.

There is a huge difference between the matcha you get from grocery store chains versus more specialty shops. The same applies for the big coffee chains that serve matcha drinks. They do no justice to matcha. 

Let’s also not forget the many health benefits of matcha! It seems almost endless how many proven benefits there are. It is high in antioxidants, helps the gut, helps the brain, helps manage stress, helps manage weight… The list goes on and on. I won’t mention it all here but a quick google search will tell you all about its benefits better than me. 

If you’re looking for other great Japanese souvenirs or recommendations, you can find it here.

Shop & Restaurant Recommendations in Uji, Japan

I wish I could have tried every shop but I only had time to stop by all the major shops while there. Here are the ones I went to and my experience there. Below, I’ve underlined the names of each matcha shop followed by a breakdown of their branches to help you decide which one to go to.

Itoh Kyuemon

This was the first matcha chain I went to when I arrived. They are famous for their matcha based dishes. In Uji, they have three different branches.

There is the Main Store, the Byodo-in Branch, as well as the JR Uji Station/Sabo Branch. I’ve broken it down by each branch below.

For Itoh Kyuemon, I recommend you hold off on buying any products until after you’ve dined at their restaurant. As I was leaving after dining, I was handed a coupon for ¥300 off each item that I bought from them. 

The nice thing about Itoh Kyuemon is that they have English descriptions for the flavor profile of their matcha. They have a scale showing all their matcha ranking them from bitter to less bitter, which was very helpful. You can find more information about the company here.

Itoh Kyuemon – Main Store

This was the first branch I went to. It is located about a 15 minute walk from the JR Uji Station. It was the quietest location with the least amount of people. I attribute it to being so far out from the rest of the stores but maybe it was also because I arrived when it opened.

The shop is split in two with a store and restaurant portion. I arrived there at around 10 am when it opened and was seated immediately in their restaurant portion.

It was here where I ordered the Matcha Curry Udon. It was such a delicious meal. When it arrives, you’re presented with a piping hot vivid green noodle soup.

It’s appearance is quite stark and different from anything we’re used to. However, it was such an amazing dish. The matcha was not overpowering at all, which I was afraid it might be. The soup base was either a seafood or hondashi one with a dash of curry.

I was also thankful the curry wasn’t overpowering. The toppings included fish cake, tofu, and my favorite part, the mochi rice cakes. This is a dish I highly recommend if you come to Uji. 

Itoh Kyuemon – Byodo-in Temple Branch

This location gets its name because it is close to the Byodo-in Temple. It sold all the same goodies as the other two stores and had a dining area also. I didn’t spend too much time here since I already had my meal and because I wanted to get the matcha from the last store on the list. 

Itoh Kyuemon – JR Uji Station/Sabo Branch

This was the busiest of the three branches. Being located on Uji’s shopping street, it was bustling with tourists.

It was here where I bought matcha and matcha treats since it was the closest branch to the train station. That way, I didn’t have to carry around all my purchases for too far of a distance nor for too long.

Here they also have a restaurant, which I believe the wait could be very long since this is where all the tourists go. You will have to get a number to hold your place in line. 

Namakura Tokichi

This is the other major matcha chain in Uji. They have two locations with one being the Main Store in the Uji shopping district and the other being near Byodo-in Temple.

For Namakura Tokichi, I recommend you figure out which matcha you want beforehand. There are no English descriptions so you’re kind of going in blind and can only base the matcha off of its price.

They do have a great English website but it doesn’t really tell you the flavor profile of each of their matcha. I bought about 12 containers of matcha from them across all price ranges and so far, none of them have disappointed me. So I will also say that you cannot go wrong with any of their matcha. 

Namakura Tokichi – Main Store

As mentioned, the main store is located in the Uji shopping district. This is a popular shop amongst tourists.

I arrived there around 11am and got a number from a friendly staff member to go to their cafe. I had an 80 minute wait, which was better than the 100 minute wait I heard them quoting later.

The cafe’s interior was beautiful. It had a traditional Japanese atmosphere with a touch of modernity. 

The Namakura Tokichi main store is famous for their Maruto Parfait, which you can only get there. I ordered a parfait and an iced matcha latte. It was refreshing since during the wait to get in, I was shopping and walking around in the heat and humidity.

I really enjoyed the parfait. The combination of flavors and textures were unique and complex yet it worked so well together. My favorite parts were the whipped cream on top, the ice cream ball in the center, the chiffon cake as well as the mochi balls.

Overall, everything was wonderful. Every staff member was so kind too, which is always a cherry on top. 

Namakura Tokichi – Byodo-in Branch

This branch is famous for the scenery you can enjoy while eating your dessert. It has beautiful views overlooking the Uji Bridge and the Uji River.

When going there, you’re asked to grab a seat before ordering because it can be very crowded. If you ordered without grabbing a seat first, you would have nowhere to eat it.

Everything is self-serve from seating, to ordering, to picking up your order. Because of that, it felt a bit chaotic to me. It was not serene like it was intended to be.

The store has two levels but because people serve themselves the stairs had whole desserts spilled on it. My experience with this store was that it was overwhelming, unfortunately. 

Masuda Chaho

This is a smaller shop right at the entrance of Byodo-in Temple. They are famous for their green tea soft serve although I did not try any since I was saving my stomach for the parfait mentioned above. This shop is split in two with a tea house on one side where they serve dessert and a cafe and store on the other. I stopped by the cafe and store.

There, I took a break from the sweltering heat by ordering an iced matcha latte. I was served by a friendly staff, who I am quite sure is the owner. It was refreshing and light. I believe they sweeten their drink with condensed milk.

I loved this store because it had tea ware that was to my taste, which is more simple and minimalist. They do sell matcha too.

Their logo is also quite beautiful and I was tempted to buy a tote bag but was able to restrain myself.

However, I did buy a matcha whisk holder that had a unique shape, which I’ve never seen before. Overall, I think it is a great shop to get souvenirs from if you’re looking for beautiful tea ware.

You can find out more about their store here.

Tsuji Rihei Honten

Last on this list is Tsuji Rihei Honten. This is another smaller shop that I stumbled upon when looking for decaf matcha.

Decaf matcha is not easy to find but this shop sold it and it uses the same Swiss water method that decaffeinated coffee goes through.

They advertise that their decaf matcha has the same health benefits as regular matcha. It is great for people who are caffeine sensitive but want the benefits of matcha.

I bought two and the color is not as vivid green as all the other matcha I purchased in Uji but it still tastes great. It is not grassy nor bitter. It’s mild and has that usual matcha umami flavor. 

To Sum It Up

Uji was the highlight of my trip to Kyoto. I highly recommend you visit the town especially if you’re a huge fan of matcha or just want to experience matcha related items.

If I could go back I’d spend an entire day there so I could go visit the temples too and eat some more matcha dishes. For example, I’d love to try matcha soba, matcha soft serve, matcha warabi mochi, and so much more.

But as my husband always says when we don’t have time for everything, “at least we’ve left some stones unturned for next time”. That is the hope we always hold on to when it comes to places we’ve visited and loved.

Quick Tips for Your Journey to Uji, Japan

• Go try all the dishes and desserts first before shopping. The town is small enough where it’s easy to go back and pick up the items after you’ve checked out all the stores. 
• Some stores give coupons for their items after you’ve dined with them.
• Buy the souvenirs at the branches closest to the train station closer to when you’re about to leave Uji. Again, this is so you don’t have to carry it for long distances.
• Buying closer to the train station also makes it so you don’t have to lug it around with you. 

Question & Answer

• How do you store the matcha?
  • We typically put the ones we’re currently using in the fridge and store the rest in the freezer. When we’re ready for a new container, we just move one from the freezer to the fridge.
    
    Once they’ve been put in the fridge or freezer, you do not want to store them at room temperature after that in order to prevent condensation. 

Feel free to leave any comments or questions below! We’ll love to help you with your trip to Uji, Japan in anyway.

God Bless,
A & D