Guided by the principles of harmony, respect, purity and tranquillity, the Ura Senke Foundation and Tea School is dedicated to the cultural preservation of matcha tea.
Established in the 1500’s by the first generation grand tea master (Sen Rikyu), the Ura Senke is the inheritor of the great tea tradition and provides an unbroken link to history. This spirit was passed on to the 15th generation grand tea master Houun Sai, who blessed this premium matcha with the Japanese name, ‘hoko no mukashi’. This was a great and rare honor, as most matcha teas in Japan are not blessed with names.
Such honors should not come as a complete surprise as the farmer, Tomihiro Inagaki, has won innumerable awards, ranging from being the four-time winner of the number one matcha in the Japan National Matcha Competition to being voted the nine-time winner of the number one matcha in Nishio, Japan.
Tomihiro can be found in the fertile Nishio region, one of the oldest and finest matcha tea growing areas in the world. A true artisan, and heir to over 800 years of expert tea cultivation, he harvests only the most noble premium matcha tea. Steered by a respectful nod to his ancestors, his approach to cultivation, harvesting, and tasting ensures that only the most tender flesh on the top tea leaves are used. Such fastidiousness results in his tea varieties being consistently voted the best of the best. We are glad that the Ura Senke agree.
Now, for the first time we have the great privilege to make his premium matcha tea variety available to us here in North America.
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