Written by Jane Pipkin
Situated down a quiet residential street, Ryuoen Tea Store is a Kyoto matcha specialty store loved by locals and travelers. Its matcha is officially recognized by three established schools of tea ceremony, including Urasenke — so you know it’s the real deal.
Stocking a range of daily and high-grade tea for special occasions, Ryuoen Tea Store specializes in freshly ground and hand-packed matcha (ground in a stone mill in-house), but also sells gyokuro, sencha, and bancha.
What makes the matcha special is that it uses carefully selected tea leaves grown in tea gardens along the Uji River in Kyoto.
Being a small store means that the staff are always on hand to help you discover new teas. You can even sit down and sample some yourself. From more affordable daily teas to higher-grade premium ones, you can easily find the perfect authentic Kyoto tea souvenir here.
Note: Due to the ongoing matcha shortage, you can only purchase a maximum of three items.
How to get there
It’s a 9-minute walk from Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae (Kyoto City Hall) Bus Stop to Ryuoen Tea Store. Alternatively, it’s a 12-minute walk from Marutamachi Station (on the Karasuma Line).
- 377 m from Kyōto Shiyakusho-ma Station Tōzai Line (T12)
- 0.7 km from Marutamachi Station Karasuma Line (K7)
- 0.7 km from Karasuma Oike Station Karasuma Line (K8)Tōzai Line (T13)
