Rare ceremonial matcha by Tsujirihei Honten, available outside Japan for the first time. Named after Japan's oldest poetry anthology. Competition-grade Samidori, silken texture, and a slow-building umami that lingers long after the last sip.
Tsujirihei Honten Β· Est. 1860 Β· Competition Grade Samidori Β· Silken & Serene Β· Maison Koko Exclusive Β· First Release Outside Japan
Description
Manyo no Mukashi. Man'yΕ (δΈθ) is the name of Japan's oldest and most celebrated poetry anthology, the Man'yΕshΕ«, compiled in the 8th century, a collection of verses devoted to nature, seasons, and the quiet beauty of the world. Mukashi is a traditional designation in tea naming, marking this as made the old way, by methods unchanged for generations. Together, the name evokes a matcha rooted in ancient beauty, made exactly as it always has been.
Where other matchas in the Tsujirihei Honten collection announce themselves boldly, Manyo no Mukashi arrives quietly, and that is its gift. Crafted from Asahi, Ujihikari, and competition-grade Samidori, it leads with silken softness rather than intensity. The texture glides.
The umami builds slowly, rising from subtle to rich over the course of the cup. The finish is long and elegant, unhurried, serene, and deeply satisfying in the way that only restraint can be.
This is a matcha for those who appreciate the poetry of the understated. Steeped in centuries of Uji tradition and brought to life by 160 years of Tsujirihei Honten mastery, Manyo no Mukashi is as much an experience as it is a cup of tea.
Producer Tsujirihei Honten Est. 1860, Uji, Kyoto
Cultivars Asahi, Ujihikari & Samidori Competition grade Samidori
Availability Rare & limited First release outside Japan
The elegant Tsujirihei Honten tin is part of what makes this matcha a gift in itself, a piece of Uji craftsmanship to keep long after the last spoonful.
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Origin:Β Uji, Kyoto, Japan
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Cultivars: Asahi, Ujihikari & Samidori (competition grade)
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Shading: Honzu (ζ¬η°) β traditional reed and straw canopy
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Net: weight: 20g β presented in an elegant Tsujirihei Honten tin
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Style: Silken, serene, gently umami-rich
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Finish: Long, elegant, and quietly enduring
*Tasting notes and colour descriptions reflect general sensory perception and data provided by our supplier, and may vary by individual preference, preparation method, and seasonal batch. We do our best to describe each product as accurately as possible.
Why This Matcha?
Manyo no Mukashi takes its name from the Man'yΕshΕ«, Japan's oldest poetry anthology, compiled in the 8th century and devoted to the beauty of nature, the turning of seasons, and the quiet emotional world of ancient Japan. It is a name that carries 1,300 years of cultural reverence, and a matcha that honours it.
THE THREE CULTIVARS AND WHAT THEY BRING
Samidori (competition grade) for silken texture and refinement
Competition-grade Samidori is the defining cultivar of this blend, selected to the standard used in Japan's most demanding tea competitions. It delivers exceptional silken texture, natural sweetness, and a refined softness that gives Manyo no Mukashi its distinctive character. This is not everyday Samidori. It is Samidori at its most precise and considered.
Asahi for depth and aromatic presence
Asahi brings the slow-building umami depth that underpins this matcha, the quality that reveals itself gradually over the course of the cup. It provides structure without weight, presence without dominance.
Ujihikari for floral character and elegance
Ujihikari, developed in Uji itself, contributes the refined floral character and structural elegance that lifts this blend above the merely excellent. It is the cultivar that keeps this matcha serene rather than heavy.
Strictly limited availability
Tsujirihei Honten produces in small quantities by design. Once this allocation is sold, availability cannot be guaranteed.
Tsujirihei Honten
Tsujirihei Honten was founded in 1860 in Uji, Kyoto, the region that has defined Japanese matcha for over six centuries. For more than 160 years, the house has dedicated itself exclusively to authentic Uji tea, sold only at their own boutiques in Japan until now.
Their tea gardens use honzu (ζ¬η°) shading, the oldest, most labour-intensive method in Japanese cultivation, used by fewer than ten farms today, and their tencha is stone-milled in a century-old factory to preserve colour, aroma, and flavour. This exclusive release through Maison Koko marks the first time their range has reached an international audience, in strictly limited quantities.
Ingredients
Ceremonial-grade green tea fine powder (Asahi, Ujihikari & Samidori cultivars, Uji, Kyoto)
Character
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Thickness: Silken and smooth, effortlessly light on the palate
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Sweetness: Refined and natural, present from the first sip
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Umami: Deep and slow-building; rises gradually, lingers long
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Aroma: Subtle and floral, serene, composed, unmistakably Uji
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Finish: Long, elegant, and quietly enduring
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Astringency: Minimal, serene and smooth throughout
Origin
Uji, Kyoto, Japan
