--- title: "KIMIKURA Tea: Kakegawa Tea Merchant Since 1933" description: "KIMIKURA Tea draws on a Kakegawa tea business founded in 1933, offering matcha from Kyoto and Kagoshima alongside deep-steamed Shizuoka tea." image: "https://best-matcha.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/kimikura-tea_logo.webp" --- # KIMIKURA Tea: Kakegawa Tea Merchant Since 1933 > KIMIKURA Tea draws on a Kakegawa tea business founded in 1933, offering matcha from Kyoto and Kagoshima alongside deep-steamed Shizuoka tea. Source: https://best-matcha.com/shop/kimikura Created: 2025-06-23T19:50:06+00:00 Modified: 2026-08-05T13:43:04+00:00 Author: Emilie Schol **KIMIKURA Tea** brings nine decades of Japanese tea expertise from Kakegawa, Shizuoka—the birthplace of *fukamushicha* (deep-steamed tea). Founded in 1933 as Maruyama Tea Products Co., this family-owned operation has spent over 90 years perfecting the art of tea cultivation and refinement in one of Japan’s most celebrated tea regions. ### Rooted in Kakegawa’s Tea Heritage The story begins with founder Tsujimatsu Maruyama, who established the company during Japan’s tea export boom. Today, **KIMIKURA Tea** operates from the same location where their founder’s house once stood, maintaining deep connections with local farmers across Kakegawa’s 2,300 hectares of tea plantations. This region accounts for 10% of all Shizuoka tea production and has won the National Tea Competition’s Area Award an unprecedented 23 times for *fukamushicha* excellence. ### The Chashi Difference: Masters Behind Every Batch What sets **KIMIKURA** apart is their team of certified *chashi* (tea masters) who use all five senses to craft exceptional matcha and green tea. Their master blenders have earned gold prizes in Shizuoka’s prestigious Tea Refining Competitions, bringing decades of specialized knowledge to every product. Each tea undergoes meticulous selection, roasting, and blending to highlight the unique characteristics of different harvests and regions. The brand name itself—meaning “a storehouse where precious, beautiful things gather”—reflects their philosophy of combining nature’s gifts with inherited artisan skills. ### From Ceremonial Matcha to Signature Fukamushicha **KIMIKURA’s** product range spans premium ceremonial-grade matcha sourced from renowned regions like Uji, Nishio, and Kagoshima, alongside their specialty *deep-steamed sencha* from Kakegawa. Their organic offerings meet strict JAS certification standards, while their signature IORI blend showcases the rich, sweet flavor profile that made Kakegawa famous. #### Sustainable Excellence The company practices the traditional *Chagusa-nouhou* tea-grass integration system, recognized by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. This method naturally enriches soil while protecting local ecosystems—proof that **KIMIKURA** honors both tradition and environmental stewardship. With multiple tea houses and cafés across Shizuoka, factory-direct pricing, and worldwide shipping, *KIMIKURA Tea* makes authentic Japanese tea mastery accessible to matcha enthusiasts everywhere. --- ## Site identity - Organization: Best Matcha (Emilie Schol) - Description: Best Matcha is a specialized marketplace and educational platform for comparing Japanese matcha brands, products, grades, prices, and preparation guidance. It connects tea enthusiasts with producers and provides source-conscious guides for making informed choices. - Website: https://best-matcha.com ```json [{"@type":"WebPage","url":"https:\/\/best-matcha.com\/shop\/kimikura","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/best-matcha.com#website"},"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/best-matcha.com#organization"},"inLanguage":"en-US","datePublished":"2025-06-23T19:50:06+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-05T13:43:04+00:00","primaryImageOfPage":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/best-matcha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/kimikura-tea_logo.webp","width":744,"height":363,"caption":"Logo of the matcha brand Kimikura tea"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/best-matcha.com\/shop\/kimikura#breadcrumb"},"mainEntity":{"@id":"https:\/\/best-matcha.com\/shop\/kimikura#brand"},"hasPart":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Where does KIMIKURA Tea source its matcha?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"KIMIKURA Tea sources matcha from Kyoto and Kagoshima while remaining rooted in Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture. This multi-regional approach brings different growing-area characteristics into its matcha range. The company also specializes in deep-steamed Shizuoka tea, connecting its broader selection to the tea cultivation and processing heritage of Kakegawa."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What matcha grades does KIMIKURA Tea offer?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"KIMIKURA Tea offers multiple matcha grades, including ceremonial matcha for traditional tea preparation and culinary matcha for cooking and beverages. The range draws powder from Kyoto and Kagoshima. Its flagship Matcha Kyoto is described as having pronounced umami, rich sweetness, and a lingering aftertaste, reflecting the company\u2019s multi-regional approach to Japanese matcha."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How do KIMIKURA Tea Masters control quality?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"KIMIKURA\u2019s award-winning Tea Masters vet every tea and act as guardians of the company\u2019s quality standard. They approve only matcha considered suitable for the range. Their work also includes refining Aracha through controlled roasting and blending, as well as overseeing steaming and drying adjustments based on weather and individual field characteristics."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"When did the tea business behind KIMIKURA begin?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"KIMIKURA\u2019s tea-business heritage formally began in 1933, when Tsujimatsu Maruyama established Maruyama Tea Products Co. in Kakegawa. The company\u2019s historical roots also connect to an agricultural cooperative established in 1891. 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