Matcha Oku no Yama

Beyond the time of 600 years.

As Ashikaga Shogunate acknowledged the good quality of Uji Tea in the Muromachi Period (1338–1573), he designated seven tea gardens in Uji which were later called Uji Shichimeien (meaning “seven distinguished tea gardens of Uji”). Most of these gardens disappeared with the urbanization and now only “Okunoyama” tea garden (owned by Horii Shichimeien) remains.

This garden used to grow more than 1500 indigenous tea plants that can be considered as the roots of Uji Tea. In 1981, however, as they did a replanting of the whole garden, they selected the tea plants that are best suited for Uji Tea to be passed down to the next generation. 53 kinds were selected first and after years of testing and research on the quality (the flavor, the fragrance, and the color of tea leaves and made tea) and the strength and the yield, they were narrowed down to 2 kinds in 1994. They then had 6 years of experimentation period in cultivation until they were sure they had the finest Uji Tea they can be proud of in the future. They applied for registration in the Registry of Plant Varieties in 2000 and Uji Tea was registered in November of 2002.

20 years after the replanting in 1981, they finally came up with the 2 kinds of tea that are truly suited for tencha. One of them was named “Oku no Yama.” It is Horii Shichimeien’s original, non-blended, single-breed matcha, which is truly rare in the market. Please give it a try and I’m sure you will enjoy it!


Oku no Yama is an even-keeled blend of tangy, sweet, and lightly bitter tastes. Taken as usucha (thin tea), it is a harmoniously refined tea devoid of extremes. Prepared as Koicha (thick tea) it presents more vigorous and distinct flavours. It opens with tart aromas but then a sly sweetness follows close behind, concluding with a tart finish. To bring out the best from this tea’s most sophisticated flavours, we must be mindful of water temperature: too low a temperature will disrupt the delicate equilibrium of the tea’s flavours, nudging them towards over-bitter accents.

The meaning of Oku no Yama "奥の山" :
This tea is named after the “Okunoyama” tea garden owned by Horii Shichimeien; “Okunoyama” can be translated as “the far mountain”, or “the mountain in the back”.
When the Ashikaga Shogunate acknowledged the good quality of Uji Tea in the Muromachi Period (1338– 1573), they designated seven tea gardens in Uji which were later called “Uji Shichimeien” (meaning “seven distinguished tea gardens of Uji”).
Most of these gardens disappeared as a result of urbanization and now only the “Okunoyama” tea garden (owned by Horii Shichimeien) remains.


Please note, that Sazen Tea does not keep this product in stock. We get all matcha and tea powder fresh from the factories only after an order is placed for it on our website, and this process can take a few days. Thank you for your patience!

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