Name

Ippodo

Legal name

株式会社一保堂茶舖

Website

https://ippodo-tea.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1717

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Japanese Green Tea

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI), Tea Rooms & Tea Cafes (THAFADAF)

Keywords

• Japanese green tea
• Matcha products
• Gyokuro sencha retail
• Tea accessories
• Tea brewing workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Tea Sales: Direct retail sales of Japanese green teas including matcha, gyokuro, sencha, bancha, and mugicha through company-owned stores, department store counters, and e-commerce platforms. Products sold in various formats including loose leaf, tea bags, and gift sets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ippodo manufactures and sells approximately 30 varieties of premium Japanese green teas across four core categories — matcha (抹茶), gyokuro (玉露), sencha (煎茶), and bancha/hojicha (番茶類・ほうじ茶) — sourced from Uji-region tea gardens and blended using the proprietary house blending technique (合組). The company also sells tea bags, tea utensils and accessories, gift sets, books, and Uji Shimizu sweetened matcha drink mix, and offers ticketed tea brewing workshops at its Kyoto main store, Tokyo Aoyama, Tokyo Shin-Marunouchi, and Room Ippodo in Kojimachi locations.

Product overview

Ippodo (一保堂茶舖) is a traditional Japanese tea company founded in 1717, specializing in premium Kyoto-style teas. The company operates a multi-format retail business offering approximately 30 tea varieties across four core tea categories: matcha (抹茶), gyokuro (玉露), sencha (煎茶), and bancha/hojicha (番茶類・ほうじ茶). The product portfolio includes loose-leaf teas in various package sizes, multiple tea bag formats (1-cup, large-capacity, drip-style), tea accessories (kyusu teapots, tea bowls, whisks), gift sets, and publications. The company also operates in-store tea brewing workshops (抹茶の会) and café services. Tea Utensils category includes travel bottles (Tea to go Bottle series), traditional kyusu teapots, and brewing accessories. Gift category offers occasions, price ranges, and product types including seasonal collections. Workshops provide tea brewing education at multiple retail locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 宇治清水 (Uji Shimizu): A sweetened matcha product combining matcha flavor with granulated sugar, developed in 1935 by employee Sado Yojiro.

Products and services

• Matcha (抹茶) / Uji Shimizu Stone-ground green tea powder available in ceremonial and culinary grades, including premium varieties such as 閑坐 (Kanza), 久遠 (Kuon), 雲門の昔 (Unmon no Mukashi), 松蔭の昔 (Shoin no Mukashi), 朧月夜 (Sayaka no Mukashi), 関の白 (Kanno Shiro), 幾世の昔 (Ikuyo no Mukashi), 若き白 (Wakaki Shiro), and 初昔 (Hatsumukashi), plus organic matcha and Uji Shimizu (宇治清水) sweetened matcha drink mix developed in 1935. Priced from ¥648 to ¥10,800.
• Gyokuro (玉露) Premium shade-grown green tea with rich umami flavor. Varieties include 天下一 (Tenkaichi), 一保園 (Ippouen), 甘露 (Kanro), 麟鳳 (Rinpo), 鶴齢 (Kakurei), 滴露 (Tekiro), and 万徳 (Mantoku), available in loose leaf, stem tea, powdered, and tea bag formats. Priced from ¥972 to ¥21,600.
• Sencha (煎茶) Regular green tea with balanced sweetness and astringency. Varieties include 嘉木 (Kakubu/Kakoku), 薫風 (Kumpu), 芳泉 (Hōsen), 正池の尾 (Shoike no O), 日月 (Nichigetsu), 雲露 (Unro), and 松の緑 (Matsu no Midori), available in multiple package sizes and formats. Priced from ¥864 to ¥2,700.
• Bancha / Hojicha / Genmaicha (番茶類・ほうじ茶・玄米茶) Light roasted teas including premium hojicha (極上ほうじ茶), stem hojicha (くきほうじ茶), premium genmaicha (極上玄米茶), wakeryu (若柳), and iri bancha (いり番茶) — a Kyoto-style smoked bancha with a distinctive smoky aroma.
• Mugicha / Barley Tea (むぎ茶) Roasted barley tea available in loose 400g bags and 18-bag tri-pack tea bag format. Known for its gentle, sweet flavor and roasted aroma.
• Tea Bags (ティーバッグ) Multiple tea bag formats including 1-cup size (1カップ用), large-capacity/pot size (大容量), and drip tea bags (ドリップ用). Available in single-variety and assorted gift sets, including gyokuro, sencha, bancha, and mugicha options.
• Tea Utensils (茶器類) Tea brewing accessories including kyusu (teapots) in various styles (white porcelain, black tokoname ware, yakishime), tea bowls, tea scoops (茶杓), tea whisks (茶筅), tea filters (茶漉し), and travel bottles. Includes the Tea to go Bottle series (S/M/L/XL sizes) for on-the-go tea consumption.
• Gift Sets (贈りもの) Gift packaging and sets organized by occasion (celebrations, business, private), price range, and package type (cans, bags, tea + utensils combinations). Includes seasonal collections like summer gifts (夏の贈りもの).
• Books & Others (書籍・そのほか) Tea-related publications including the periodical 'Tsuru to Hana' (つると はな) and essay collections. Also includes limited-quantity items like the Torabag (保冷バッグ) and special event merchandise.
• Tea Brewing Workshops (教室・淹れ方教室) In-store and location-based tea brewing classes teaching proper preparation of matcha, gyokuro, sencha, and other teas. Classes held at Kyoto Main Store (喫茶室嘉木), Aoyama Store, and Room Ippodo in Kojimachi. Ticketed events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 retail locations across Japan
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Department store partners (Takashimaya, Isetan, Daimaru, Hankyu, Seibu)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIppodo products are sold through major Japanese department store chains including Takashimaya, Isetan, Daimaru Kyoto, Hankyu, and Seibu. These partnerships provide significant retail presence across Japan's major metropolitan areas with dedicated counter spaces in premium locations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Adagio Teas: Online specialty tea retailer with a wide loose-leaf assortment and direct-to-consumer model. Comparable on premium loose-leaf assortment and online-first retail, though broader and less heritage-anchored than Ippodo.
• Jade Leaf Matcha: U.S. DTC matcha brand also sourced from Uji-region growers. Identified alongside Ippodo as a key Germany matcha market player; competes in the same online matcha category for North American and European consumers.
• Encha: U.S.-based DTC matcha brand shipping organic ceremonial-grade matcha to North American consumers. Direct crossover with Ippodo's USA & Canada online shop on product and customer base, but positioned at lower price points and broader wellness consumer.

Direct peers

• Harney & Sons: Family-owned U.S. specialty tea retailer selling premium loose-leaf and packaged teas via DTC e-commerce and wholesale. Comparable business model — heritage family ownership, premium positioning, broad assortment, multi-channel retail — and a natural peer for the USA & Canada operation.
• Aiya: Major Uji-based matcha producer focused on food-service and ingredient supply as well as consumer matcha. Comparable on Uji matcha heritage and B2B tea program sales, and named alongside Ippodo in the Germany matcha market.
• Marukyu Koyamaen: Long-established Uji-based Japanese green tea company producing matcha, gyokuro, and sencha. Directly comparable to Ippodo on origin (Uji), product range (matcha, gyokuro, sencha), and traditional wholesale and DTC channel mix.
• Nakamura Tokichi (Honten): Kyoto-based Japanese tea purveyor with comparable heritage (founded 1854), Uji sourcing, and a tea room / café / retail store model. Closest head-to-head competitor in the Kyoto premium tea retail category.
• Yamamotoyama: One of Japan's oldest tea brands (founded 1690) producing nori and Japanese green teas including sencha, gyokuro, and matcha. Comparable on heritage scale and product overlap, though distribution is more mass-market than Ippodo's premium positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Ito En: Japan's largest tea company, producing RTD green tea, matcha, and packaged loose-leaf teas for mass-market and convenience-store channels. Overlaps on product category but operates at a much larger scale and lower price point than Ippodo's premium niche.

Others

• Ippodo NY (UMI Tea Set / NYC): Listed here as the company's own U.S. retail arm / online shop rather than a true peer. Included to flag the USA & Canada e-commerce channel as the most relevant comparable unit for evaluating Ippodo's U.S. opportunity vs. other Japanese tea importers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ippodo_tea_jp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCs_fJuXFjSM_UAvxfMRqd1g
• Facebookfacebook.com/IPPODOTEA
• Instagraminstagram.com/ippodotea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ippodo