Had an amazing matcha experience at Mitsuboshien Kanbayashi Sannyu in Uji, Kyoto! The 17th-generation owner warmly welcomed us and shared fascinating stories about the shop’s long history. He kept proudly saying “my matcha,” which was unforgettable and showed how proud he is of his family’s matcha tradition. His son, the 18th generation, guided us through the hands-on matcha grinding and tea ceremony experience—teaching us how to grind, brew, and whisk matcha properly, paired with snacks. He speaks Japanese, Mandarin/Chinese, and English, which made the experience fun, relaxed, and easy to follow. We even received a tea ceremony certificate and shopped for matcha and souvenirs to bring back home. Great value, full of laughter, and a must-visit if you’re in Uji for an authentic Japanese matcha and tea ceremony experience. I recommend booking in advance.

+2

Here is way less pack compare to those famous matcha cafe. Their matcha are smooth but make sure to ty their signature one. We try the second expensive one, turns out bitter and not to our liking. Their dessert is not as fancy as other famous cafe but it is definitely worth the try except the red bean soup is a bit too sweet , maybe to compliment the matcha. Also their matcha warabi mochi is damn good! Out of this three , I would recommend to try the one with ice cream waffle.

+1

I don’t usually give bad reviews but we booked a ¥1700 matcha class experience and were disappointed. The entire time we were VERY rushed by the instructor. She sat us in a room and awkwardly let us grind leaves into matcha powder for 2 minutes and then let that powder go to waste. It’s not used and probably thrown out. There was no history or explanation given, not even about the tea house itself. We were then moved to another room where we were showed how to make a cup of matcha and made one ourselves with the chasen. We would have appreciated some more words and not rushed in 15 min sitting awkwardly. ¥1700 per person is a tourist trap for this experience, would not recommend. The little certificate paper given at the end felt like a joke. You’re better off going to the Uji tea factory instead.

A great place for high quality macha. If you are looking to buy authentic premium quality macha to bring back. This is the place to be. You can choose to drink at the shop - the experience is ok. You have a shared fire place where everyone gather. There is a tea appreciation class which I think need to book in advance

+1

This place deserves to be called not just a store, but a true museum! The family that owns it delivered tea to the emperor himself! The house has a very rich history, so I recommend taking the time to ask for a tour on the second floor (the owner himself will give you a tour; he speaks fluent English, but it's enough to understand everything). You'll be completely amazed! We also booked a master class through Klook and made matcha ourselves! Afterwards, we had a short tasting and even received a local certificate. It cost about $10 per person, but the experience was unforgettable! The tea sold here comes in several grades: from regular to super premium (about ¥6,000 per package). You can also buy everything you need to make your own matcha right here! We're truly huge fans of this tea and had a hard time choosing! I recommend it to everyone! Special praise to the staff - they all try very hard, even if they speak little English, they still try to help you to the fullest, putting their whole heart to help you! And of course they make tax free!

+3