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Sazen Tea emerged from Kyoto in 2014 with a clear purpose: to bridge centuries-old tea ceremony traditions with the practical needs of today’s matcha enthusiasts. Founded by historian and Japanese tea instructor Motonari Jotatsu alongside graphic artist Agnes Balogh, the company combines deep cultural knowledge with modern design sensibilities to serve tea lovers worldwide.
As a member of the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sazen Tea maintains rigorous ethical business practices while honoring local traditions. The founders’ backgrounds—Jotatsu’s expertise as a historian and Chinese tea advisor, paired with Balogh’s artistic vision—create an approach that respects tea’s cultural significance without treating it as museum artifact. This philosophy shapes every aspect of their operation, from product selection to customer education.
Sazen Tea exclusively offers premium Uji matcha produced in Japan. They partner with trusted suppliers who follow traditional shading techniques, covering tea plants for approximately three weeks before harvest to boost chlorophyll and L-theanine levels. This process delivers the vibrant green color and smooth, sweet flavor that defines quality matcha.
The company emphasizes Shincha—first harvest leaves that are young, tender, and nutrient-rich. For ceremonial grades, suppliers employ hand-picking methods followed by careful steaming, drying, and stone-grinding. These traditional techniques preserve delicate flavors and aromas that machine processing cannot replicate.
Sazen Tea’s range spans from Koicha Hatsumukashi, their top-tier ceremonial grade designed for thick tea preparation, to versatile options like Usucha Biwa no Shiro that work equally well in traditional ceremonies and modern lattes. Their food-grade matcha maintains robust flavor and vibrant color even at high cooking temperatures, making it reliable for culinary applications.
Sazen Tea serves as more than a retailer. They function as cultural ambassadors, helping a global community appreciate matcha’s art and heritage while meeting contemporary lifestyle needs. Their commitment to quality, transparency, and education makes them a trusted source for anyone seeking authentic Japanese tea experiences.
Sazen Tea offers a carefully curated selection of Uji matcha (premium matcha from Uji region), exclusively produced in Japan. Their range caters to different preferences and applications, from traditional tea ceremonies to modern culinary uses.
Koicha Hatsumukashi represents their top-tier offering, specifically designed for koicha (thick tea) preparation. This ceremonial grade matcha is sourced from the youngest leaves of the first harvest, delivering a rich and complex flavor profile with balanced sweetness and umami. The minimal astringency makes it the connoisseur’s choice for formal tea ceremonies and special occasions.
Usucha Ryo no Kage serves as an entry-level ceremonial option, perfect for usucha (thin tea) preparation. This matcha offers a smooth and slightly sweet flavor profile, making it ideal for beginners exploring traditional matcha preparation.
Usucha Biwa no Shiro provides versatility with its balanced flavor profile, suitable for both traditional preparation and modern applications like matcha lattes. This usucha grade strikes an excellent balance between quality and affordability for daily use.
Their Standard Tea Ceremony Matcha offers high-quality matcha suitable for daily consumption, featuring a harmonious flavor profile that works well in both traditional preparations and contemporary beverages. This grade often comes from the first harvest but with less rigorous selection criteria.
Food-Grade Matcha is specifically engineered for culinary applications, featuring a robust flavor that withstands high cooking temperatures. This culinary matcha maintains its vibrant green color and distinctive taste when used in baking, smoothies, and other recipes, making it the workhorse of the matcha world.
Sazen Tea emerged in 2014 from the cultural heart of Kyoto, born from the unique partnership between Motonari Jotatsu, a historian and Japanese tea instructor, and Agnes Balogh, a graphic artist. This deliberate blend of historical knowledge and artistic vision created more than just another online retailer—it established a bridge between the heritage of the Japanese tea ceremony and the evolving needs of global tea enthusiasts.
Jotatsu’s profound cultural understanding as a historian, Japanese tea instructor, and Chinese tea advisor combines seamlessly with Balogh’s modern design sensibilities. Their combined expertise shapes Sazen Tea’s mission to foster a deeper appreciation for tea’s art and culture, extending far beyond mere commerce.
As a member of the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sazen Tea demonstrates unwavering commitment to local traditions and ethical business practices. The company prides itself on offering only the finest Uji matcha (premium matcha from Uji region), exclusively produced in Japan.
Sazen Tea partners with trusted suppliers who adhere to stringent harvesting methods, emphasizing Shincha (first harvest) leaves that are young, tender, and nutrient-rich. Their suppliers employ traditional shading techniques, covering tea plants for approximately three weeks before harvest to increase chlorophyll content and L-theanine, enhancing the matcha’s vibrant green color and smooth, sweet flavor.
The company’s commitment to quality extends to traditional hand-picking methods, especially for ceremonial grade matcha, followed by careful steaming, drying, and stone-grinding into fine powder. This holistic approach preserves the delicate flavors and aromas, reflecting a commitment to tradition and quality above all else.
Motonari Jotatsu, a historian and Japanese tea instructor, partnered with Agnes Balogh, a graphic artist, to establish Sazen Tea in Kyoto. Their mission was to bridge the heritage of the Japanese tea ceremony with the evolving needs of global tea enthusiasts, creating a company that would foster deeper appreciation for tea’s art and culture beyond mere commerce.
Sazen Tea joined the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, demonstrating their commitment to local traditions and ethical business practices. This membership reinforced their dedication to maintaining the cultural integrity of Japanese tea while operating as a responsible business entity within Kyoto’s traditional commercial framework.
Find below images and videos uploaded by Sazen Tea as of March 2026.
Find below some answers to the most common questions about Sazen Tea.
Usucha Ryo no Kage serves as Sazen Tea’s entry-level option, featuring a smooth and slightly sweet flavor profile that makes it perfect for beginners exploring traditional matcha preparation. In contrast, Usucha Biwa no Shiro offers a more balanced and versatile character, making it suitable for both traditional usucha (thin tea) ceremonies and modern matcha lattes.
Both are designed for thin tea preparation, but Biwa no Shiro’s versatility makes it ideal if you want one matcha for multiple uses, while Ryo no Kage focuses specifically on providing an approachable introduction to authentic matcha flavors.
Jotatsu’s unique background as both a historian and certified Japanese tea instructor ensures Sazen Tea’s matcha offerings authentically represent traditional Japanese tea culture. His expertise allows the company to source only genuine Uji matcha that meets historical ceremonial standards.
Combined with his wife Agnes Balogh’s graphic design background, this creates a bridge between traditional heritage and modern accessibility – you get historically accurate matcha presented in ways that contemporary tea enthusiasts can understand and appreciate.
Koicha Hatsumukashi represents Sazen Tea’s commitment to authentic Japanese tea ceremony traditions. This matcha is specifically formulated for koicha (thick tea) preparation, which requires the highest quality matcha available.
Unlike their usucha varieties, Hatsumukashi delivers the concentrated, profound taste experience that koicha ceremonies demand.
Sazen Tea’s foundation in Kyoto in 2014 by a historian-tea instructor partnership sets them apart from typical online retailers. As a member of the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, they maintain direct connections to Japan’s tea heritage rather than simply importing products.
Their three-tier system – Ceremonial Grade, Standard Tea Ceremony, and Food-Grade matcha – reflects deep understanding of how different applications require different matcha characteristics. This isn’t just product categorization; it’s educational guidance rooted in Jotatsu’s expertise as a Japanese tea instructor.
Yes, Sazen Tea’s Standard Tea Ceremony matcha is specifically designed for this purpose. It strikes the perfect balance between quality and affordability for daily use, while maintaining the harmonious flavor profile needed for both traditional preparation and modern latte applications.
This grade offers first harvest quality with less rigorous selection than their ceremonial grade, making it cost-effective for regular consumption while still delivering the pronounced but harmonious flavor that makes excellent matcha lattes.
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