Our Story

Our Story

Where tradition finds
its voice

Rooted in Korean heritage. Sourced from Japan's most respected tea houses. Shaped in Australia. Inspired by French elegance. Every cup is a meeting of worlds.

The beginning

Gina Kim's journey to becoming a matcha aficionado began on an unexpectedly rainy afternoon at a chic Parisian café. As a renowned fashion designer and seasoned globetrotter, she was accustomed to embracing new experiences, but nothing could have prepared her for what arrived in that cup.

The vibrant green hue. The rich, layered flavour. The unhurried ritual of preparation. It captivated her entirely, reshaping her understanding of what green tea could be and igniting a passion she had never anticipated.

The allure of matcha, with its distinctive blend of taste and mindfulness, inspired Gina to delve deeper, and what she discovered changed everything.

But as her obsession deepened, so did her frustration. The offerings she encountered outside Japan were often dull, bitter, or lacking the true essence of the tea she had come to cherish. The finest matcha simply wasn't making it to the world.

Heritage·Provenance·Luxury·Single-Cultivar Matcha

Our belief Every cup reflects an unwavering commitment to provenance, authenticity, and timeless quality, honouring centuries of tea-making heritage while embracing a contemporary global perspective. Maison Koko — Brand Manifesto
01 The search

From fashion runways
to Japan's tea fields

Determined to bridge the gap between what was available and what was possible, Gina embarked on a journey to Japan, immersing herself in the rich traditions and meticulous practices of matcha cultivation. She walked the shaded rows of Uji's ancient tea gardens, sat with fourth-generation producers in Yame, and traced the nuanced differences in terroir across Shizuoka, Miyazaki, and the highlands beyond.

It was in Uji where Gina formed an exclusive partnership with Tsujirihei Honten, a tea house whose heritage and craft date to 1860, and whose matchas had never before been available outside Japan. The relationship was not merely commercial. It was a shared conviction: that the world deserved access to matcha of genuine provenance.

Maison Koko is more than a brand. It embodies a commitment to delivering the freshest, most vibrant matcha available, capturing the true essence of Japan's tea heritage.

From this immersion, Gina established Maison Koko with a clear and heartfelt mission: to offer the most authentic matcha experience by sourcing directly from Japan's finest boutique farms: single-cultivar, fully traceable, and crafted with the same reverence as the day she first encountered matcha in Paris.

What we stand for

The principles behind
every single cup

For Gina, matcha transcends the realm of mere beverages. It represents a ritual of mindfulness, a sanctuary of serenity, and a gateway to a more considered way of living — and these four principles underpin everything Maison Koko does.

源 Provenance

Every cultivar is single-origin, traceable to a specific farm across Uji, Yame, Shizuoka, and Miyazaki. No blending. No ambiguity.

職 Craft

Our exclusive partnership with Tsujirihei Honten — est. 1860 — brings some of Uji's most heritage-crafted teas to the world for the first time.

礼 Ritual

Matcha is not a product to be consumed. It is a practice to be observed, a daily ceremony that connects past to present.

純 Purity

No additives, no compromise. Just matcha as it was intended: vibrant, fresh, and entirely itself. The bowl never lies.

02 The meeting of cultures

Four traditions.
One expression.

Maison Koko embodies the meeting of cultures. Rooted in Korean heritage, crafted in partnership with Japan's most respected heritage tea producers, shaped in Australia, and inspired by French elegance, the brand celebrates the beauty that emerges when tradition, craftsmanship, and refinement transcend borders. No single origin could have produced what Maison Koko has become. It required all four.

韓 Korea Heritage and Soul

Rooted in Korean identity, Maison Koko carries the values of deep respect for craft, familial dedication, and a sensitivity to beauty in the everyday.

茶 Japan Craft and Provenance

In partnership with Japan's most respected heritage producers — including the 160-year-old Tsujirihei Honten — we source teas that have defined matcha for generations.

澳 Australia Spirit and Perspective

Shaped by Australia's culture of considered living, adventurous palates, and openness to the world, Maison Koko found its voice as a global specialty brand.

法 France Elegance and Refinement

The French art de vivre — the elevation of the everyday into the extraordinary — inspired the aesthetic sensibility and editorial restraint that defines the brand.

03 The founder

A designer's eye.
A connoisseur's standards.

Gina Kim, Founder of Maison Koko
Gina Kim Founder, Maison Koko

Before matcha, there was fashion. Gina Kim built her reputation as a designer who understood that true quality is never incidental; it is the product of deliberate choices, accumulated expertise, and an uncompromising eye for what is right versus merely acceptable.

She brought this same rigour to matcha. Where others accepted the limits of what was available outside Japan, Gina travelled to the source, walking the fields, meeting the farmers, and forging the relationships that would make Maison Koko possible.

"I didn't start Maison Koko to build a business. I started it because the matcha I had found deserved to exist in the world, and the people who would love it deserved to find it."

With Maison Koko, you are invited to embark on your own matcha journey. Experience the invigorating clarity it brings to a morning, the calming comfort it offers in the evening, and the pure joy of savouring something crafted with intention, heritage, and uncompromising quality.

Today, as Maison Koko expands internationally, Gina's founding conviction remains unchanged: every person who opens a tin of Maison Koko matcha should encounter something that feels genuinely, unmistakably exceptional.

Now arriving on the world stage

From Australia
to the globe

Maison Koko stands today as an upmarket specialty single-cultivar matcha brand, bringing Japan's finest heritage-crafted teas to discerning consumers worldwide. As the brand continues its international expansion, Maison Koko is proud to share its distinctive expression of matcha, uniting heritage, craftsmanship, and modern luxury on the global stage.

Home market Australia

Where Maison Koko was founded and the vision first took root.

New market Hong Kong

Where heritage tea culture meets contemporary luxury sensibility.

New market Singapore

Southeast Asia's most discerning palate for specialty food and drink.

New market United Kingdom

A nation of passionate tea drinkers, ready for matcha done properly.

New market United States

A vast market of discerning consumers seeking authentic, provenance-driven Japanese tea.

New market Canada

A market with deep multicultural roots and a growing appetite for premium Japanese tea.

Your cup is waiting

Begin your own
matcha journey

Every tin is an invitation: to slow down, to savour, to discover what matcha can truly be when nothing has been compromised.

Explore the collection

Maison Koko · Sourced from Japan · Shaped in Australia