Tsuen Tea
Japan's oldest tea house, founded in 1160.
via Wikipedia: Tsuen Tea · see source
Tsuen Tea, founded in 1160 in Uji city, Kyoto Prefecture, is the oldest tea house in Japan. It also ranks as the 13th oldest company in Japan and the 30th oldest in the world, appearing on the List of oldest companies. Located across from Uji Station on the Keihan Uji line, just east of Uji Bridge (originally built in 646), the shop has been operated by the 24th generation of the Tsuen family. Successive generations served tea to travelers as "bridge guardians." The shop is the subject of a Kyōgen farce called "Tsuen" and appears in Eiji Yoshikawa's epic novel Musashi.
Quick Facts
- Founded
- 1160
- Location
- Uji city, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
- Founder
- Furukawa Unai (later Tsuen Masahisa)
- Current generation operating
- 24th
Facts from the source article.
History
Furukawa Unai, a samurai who served Minamoto no Yorimasa, founded Tsuen. After retiring, he took the last character of his lord’s name, becoming Tsuen Masahisa, and lived as a monk at the east end of Uji Bridge. His family, adopting the Tsuen name, acted as bridge guardians, praying for the structure’s strength and for travelers’ wellbeing while offering them tea. Notable shoguns such as Ashikaga Yoshimasa, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu are recorded as having visited for tea.
Building
The current building incorporates the remains of a merchant residence built in 1672. Viewed from the front, it has overhanging eaves with a wide frontage and few support pillars. This construction method, from the early Edo period, makes it easy for people to come and go from the shop. Inside the entrance, there is a display of ceramic tea jars that are several hundred years old, along with a small wooden statue of the Tsuen founder presented by Ikkyū Oshō. A wooden well bucket reputed to have been made by Sen no Rikyū is also on display.
Main products
Today, the shop sells tea products including matcha (ground green tea), gyokuro (shaded green tea), sencha (whole tea leaves infused in hot water), karigane (contains also twigs of the tea tree), hōjicha (roasted green tea), and genmaicha (mixed low-level green tea and roasted brown rice).
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