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Sazen Tea: Kyoto Curator of Uji Matcha Since 2014

Sazen Tea curates Japanese-made Uji matcha for koicha, usucha, daily tea, and culinary use, bridging Kyoto tea culture with modern needs.
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Who is Sazen Tea?

Sazen Tea is a Kyoto-founded matcha company curating Japanese-made teas from Uji, Japan. Its range spans ceremonial, standard, and culinary grades for koicha, usucha, daily drinking, cooking, and lattes.

Founded in 2014 by tea instructor and historian Motonari Jotatsu with graphic artist Agnes Balogh, Sazen Tea connects tea-ceremony heritage with global use. Suppliers prioritize first-harvest shincha, shade plants before harvest, and steam, dry, then stone-grind leaves into powder.

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Sazen Tea in details

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.

Where Heritage Meets Modern Standards

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.

Sourcing Philosophy: Uji First

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.

Curated Selection for Every Purpose

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.

What Sets Them Apart

  • Direct relationships with Uji region producers using traditional cultivation methods
  • Transparent sourcing focused on first harvest, shade-grown leaves
  • Products spanning ceremonial to culinary applications without compromising quality standards
  • Educational approach that helps customers understand cultivars, processing, and preparation techniques

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.

About the Sazen Tea Matcha

Sazen Tea offers a curated selection of Uji matcha, produced exclusively in Japan, spanning ceremonial, standard, and culinary grades for traditional ceremonies and modern uses.

Ceremonial grades

Koicha Hatsumukashi is the top tier for koicha, or thick tea, drawn from the youngest first-harvest leaves with a rich, complex profile, balanced sweetness and umami, and minimal astringency. Usucha Ryo no Kage is an entry-level usucha option with a smooth, slightly sweet taste, while Usucha Biwa no Shiro offers a balanced profile suited to both ceremony and matcha lattes.

Standard and culinary

The Standard Tea Ceremony Matcha gives high-quality, everyday matcha with a harmonious profile, often from the first harvest with less rigorous selection. Food-Grade Matcha carries a robust flavor that holds up to high cooking temperatures, keeping its vibrant green color in baking and smoothies.

Harvest location

Sazen Tea sources exclusively from the renowned Uji region of Japan, where geography, tradition, and meticulous cultivation converge. The company partners with trusted suppliers who follow stringent traditional harvesting methods refined over centuries.

Cultivation methods

  • Shading: plants are covered for about three weeks before harvest to raise chlorophyll and L-theanine, deepening colour and developing smooth, sweet umami.
  • First harvest priority: Sazen emphasises shincha, the first harvest, whose young, nutrient-rich leaves underpin its highest grades.
  • Hand-picking: for ceremonial grade, suppliers favour hand-picking over machines so only the youngest, most tender leaves are chosen.

Processing

After careful steaming and drying, leaves are stone-ground into fine powder, a method that preserves the delicate flavours and aromas of authentic Japanese matcha.

Sazen Tea History

Sazen Tea was founded in 2014 in Kyoto through a partnership between Motonari Jotatsu, a historian and Japanese tea instructor, and Agnes Balogh, a graphic artist. Their aim was to bridge the heritage of the Japanese tea ceremony with the needs of global tea enthusiasts. That same year the company joined the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce and Industry, reinforcing its commitment to local traditions.

January 1, 2014

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.

January 1, 2014

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.

Frequently asked questions

Here are some frequently asked questions and answers.

What's the difference between Sazen Tea's Usucha Ryo no Kage and Usucha Biwa no Shiro matcha varieties?

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.

How do Motonari Jotatsu's credentials as a historian and Japanese tea instructor influence Sazen Tea's matcha selection?

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.

Why does Sazen Tea offer Koicha Hatsumukashi as their top-grade matcha?

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.

  • Rich and complex flavor profile that can stand up to thick tea preparation
  • Reserved for special occasions and formal tea ceremonies
  • Top-grade quality that meets the demanding standards of traditional koicha service

Unlike their usucha varieties, Hatsumukashi delivers the concentrated, profound taste experience that koicha ceremonies demand.

What makes Sazen Tea's approach different from other online matcha retailers?

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.

Should I choose Sazen Tea's Standard Tea Ceremony matcha for daily matcha lattes?

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.