Our story 物語
The door you step through.
A shōji — 障子 — is the sliding paper door of a Japanese home. It doesn't wall the world off; it invites you through, into a quieter, more deliberate room. That is exactly what we are for matcha: the door in.
Why "Shōji"? 名前の由来
A door, not a barrier.
Between Japan's tea fields and the world's cafés stands a chaotic market: brokers, blenders, and matcha that has never seen Uji. We chose to be the door itself — the single, deliberate threshold between Uji's fields and your business, the one only authentic matcha passes through.
Every lot we ship is traceable to the farm, the harvest, and the mill. When it carries our red seal, it has passed through our door.
Uji, Kyoto 宇治・京都
Eight centuries of tea, one river valley.
Since the 12th century, the misty hills south of Kyoto have grown Japan's most prized tea. Uji's morning fog, mineral soil and gentle river climate created the techniques the whole matcha world now imitates — shading, hand-picking, stone-milling.
Our partner farmers are the inheritors of that lineage. Some of their families have worked the same slopes for generations. We don't buy on the open market — we walk the fields, taste at the source, and commit to farmers season after season.
What we stand for 信念
Three principles guide every shipment.
Authenticity — Shin
Single-origin Uji, always. No blending with lesser regions, no cutting with culinary powder sold as ceremonial. Every lot is traceable from seed to shipment, and we tell you exactly which farm and harvest your matcha came from.
Respect — Kei
Respect for the farmers who shade their fields for 40 days when 20 would be cheaper. Respect for the craft that grinds 40 grams an hour when machines could do a hundred times more. And respect for our partners, who deserve honesty about grades, harvests and pricing.
Continuity — Kei
Lasting partnerships over quick sales. We commit to farmers for seasons, not spot buys — and we build with importers and cafés the same way. When quality and integrity come first, lasting partnerships naturally follow.
"A door does not keep the world out. It opens onto a quieter one."— The idea behind our name
Step through the door.
If you import, distribute or serve matcha and share our standard, we would love to hear from you.
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