Marukyu Koyamaen has been making Matcha in Uji, Kyoto since around 1704 — one of the oldest continuously operating tea houses in Japan. This is the part of their range you can actually buy in Europe.
Why only Soju, Meiju and Oju?
Marukyu Koyamaen's full catalogue runs to roughly a dozen grades, but only three are blended for the European market and cleared against EU pesticide-residue limits. On the house's own paperwork they are labelled eu抹茶 — the EU Matcha line. Soju (蒼寿), Meiju (明寿) and Oju (欧寿) are those three, and as an authorised reseller they are the ones we carry. The familiar Japanese-market grades such as Wako or Aoarashi are not EU-compliant, which is why you will not find them here.
Choosing between the three
- Soju — the daily cup. A light, creamy Usucha with no bitterness, and forgiving if your water runs hot. The one to learn technique on, and it holds up in a latte.
- Meiju — more depth. Richer and bolder, with a hint of astringency and a longer, sweeter finish.
- Oju — the top of the EU line. A buttery texture and concentrated umami, clean enough to whisk as Koicha. The 欧 in its name is the character for Europe.
For a thick micro-foam, whisk any of the three at 1:20 (or 1:25) at 80 °C.
Milling
All Marukyu Koyamaen Matcha is stone-milled in-house on granite mills (ishi-usu) — a single mill yields only around 40 g per hour. In our experience, their milling quality and consistency are among the best on the market — built on long experience, technology leadership, and in-house resources few other producers can match.
Freshness
All our Matcha is milled to order and held at 2 °C from the moment it lands in Germany. The sealed tins are nitrogen-flushed before shipping, so the Matcha stays extremely fresh until the tin is opened. We ship from our gallery in Munich across the EU.
Authenticity
UNEARTHED is an "Authorized Wholesale Retailer of Marukyu Koyamaen". If you ever want to verify the authenticity of Marukyu Koyamaen products, you can contact Marukyu Koyamaen directly at info@marukyu-koyamaen.co.jp.
Not sure where to start? Our full Marukyu Koyamaen grade guide compares every grade in the range — including the ones we cannot sell here.