What Fukujuen does

Fukujuen is a 235-year-old Japanese tea company founded in 1790 (Kansei 2) in Yamashiro Province (present-day Kizugawa City, Kyoto Prefecture) by Fukui Iuemon. It cultivates, produces, and sells premium Uji tea, with a core product range spanning matcha, gyokuro, kabusecha, sencha, hojicha, and Japanese black tea (wakocha). The portfolio extends beyond tea leaves to tea confectionery, tea utensils, bottled tea, instant tea sticks, and functional food items (including a Foods with Function Claims instant green tea targeting blood sugar management). A multi-tier sub-brand structure covers the premium Fukujuen Series (Shikunshi, Syugyoku, Kozan, Hachi Ju Hachi, Kyorakuchaza), the founder-named Iemon collaboration brand launched in 2004, the casual Natsume line, and the wholesale-oriented Uji no Tsuyu brand operated by subsidiary Uji no Tsuyu Seicha.

The company operates a vertically integrated stack: tea cultivation expertise, two manufacturing facilities in Kizugawa City (Yamashiro Factory and Yamashiro East Factory), a wholly-owned subsidiary for mass-market and overseas production (Uji no Tsuyu Seicha, established 1980), and a distribution network spanning company-owned retail stores, department store counters, e-commerce, airport retail, and an international flagship in Singapore. Production combines traditional artisanal methods — hand-rolling (temomi), stone-mill grinding (ishiusu), and shade-growing (kabuse) — with modern automated lines; quality is anchored by ISO 14001, ISO 22000, and FSSC 22000 certifications.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time tea product sales (loose-leaf, tea bags, bottled, instant), tea confectionery, tea accessories, and experience-based tourism at facilities such as the CHA遊学パーク (CHA Experience Park, opened 2014) and the recently opened Fukujuen Yamashiro Kan (2025). The customer base consists of individual tea consumers, gift buyers for seasonal occasions (Ochugen/Oseibo), inbound and domestic tourists, and international consumers via the Singapore store and global e-commerce. The company is privately held and family-controlled, with the seventh-generation Fukui family in leadership (chairman Fukui Masahiro, president Fukui Muneoki) and no history of external equity investment or public listing.

Name

Fukujuen

Legal name

株式会社福寿園

Website

https://fukujuen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1790

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fukujuen is a 235-year-old Japanese tea company founded in 1790, producing premium Uji tea (matcha, gyokuro, sencha, hojicha) and related confectionery, accessories, and experiences. It operates vertically integrated cultivation, manufacturing, retail, and experience facilities, serving individual consumers and gift buyers across Japan and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Traditional Japanese Tea (Uji Tea)

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI), Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Tea (CRADAHAD), Specialty Tea Shops (Loose-Leaf, Tea Bars) (THAFAKAD), Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Tea Manufacturing (AFAFADAI), Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG)

Keywords

• Japanese green tea
• Uji tea production
• Matcha manufacturing
• Tea confectionery retail
• Tea experience tourism

Headquarters

HQ city

Kizugawa City (山城)

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tea Product Sales: Direct sales of Uji tea products including matcha, gyokuro, sencha, hojicha, and Japanese black tea through company stores and e-commerce
2. Tea Confectionery & Foods: Sales of tea-flavored sweets, wagashi, and tea-related food products
3. Experience-based Tourism: Revenue from tea-making experiences, workshops, and facility tours at CHA遊学パーク
4. Tea Accessories & Utensils: Sales of tea utensils, yunomi, chakin, and related accessories

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fukujuen manufactures and retails premium Japanese green tea (Uji tea) including matcha, gyokuro, kabusecha, sencha, hojicha, and Japanese black tea, complemented by tea confectionery, tea utensils, gift sets, and ready-to-drink/instant tea products. The company also operates tea culture experience facilities such as CHA遊学パーク, the Fukujuen Museum, and tea-making workshops, distributing through company stores, e-commerce, department stores, and airport retail.

Product overview

Fukujuen is a traditional Japanese tea company offering a comprehensive tea portfolio centered around premium Uji teas from Kyoto Yamashiro region. The core product line includes traditional teas (matcha, gyokuro, sencha, hojicha, kabusecha, black tea) alongside a diverse sub-brand portfolio including the premium 福寿園シリーズ (Fukujuen Series with Syugyoku, Kozan, Hachi Ju Hachi, Shikunshi, Kyorakuchazi), the founder-named 伊右衛門 (Iemon) collaboration brand for modern consumption, and the casual なつめ (Natsume) line. The company also offers tea confectionery and utensils, cold brew products, stone-mill ground matcha, instant tea products including functional foods, and operates tea experience facilities like the CHA遊学パーク. Products span from premium loose-leaf teas in traditional packaging to convenient tea bags, instant sticks, and ready-to-drink bottled teas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 珠玉: 最高峰の宇治茶シリーズ
• 高山
• 八十八
• 四君子
• 京洛茶座
• 伊右衛門
• なつめ
• Needle to Leaf
• 宇治の露

Products and services

• Traditional Japanese Green Tea (Matcha, Gyokuro, Kabusecha, Sencha, Hojicha) Core Uji tea product line including matcha (抹茶), gyokuro (玉露), kabusecha (かぶせ茶), sencha (煎茶), and hojicha (ほうじ茶) from Kyoto Yamashiro region, sold in loose-leaf and packaged formats.
• Japanese Black Tea (和紅茶) Japanese domestic black tea (wakocha) produced in Kyoto from Japanese-grown tea leaves with a smooth, sweet flavor profile.
• New Tea (Shincha - 新茶) Seasonal spring new tea products (shincha) harvested in the first flush with maximum aroma, released annually.
• Cold Brew Tea (冷茶) Cold-brewed tea products designed for cold water extraction, including sencha, gyokuro, and black tea varieties, plus seasonal water-dripped new tea tea packs.
• Stone Mill Ground Matcha (石臼挽き抹茶) Stone-mill ground matcha products in white, red, and black varieties for traditional tea ceremony and culinary use.
• Confectionery and Tea Food (お菓子・茶食品) Confectionery and tea-based food products including matcha waffles, warabi mochi, puddings, and other tea-themed sweets.
• Tea Ware and Goods (茶器・雑貨) Tea utensils and miscellaneous goods including tea bowls (chawan), Kyusu teapots, and tea accessories.
• Gift Sets (贈リ物ギフト) Gift and premium packaging options for tea products, including seasonal gift sets for summer (Ochugen) and other occasions.
• Syugyoku (珠玉) Premium Tea Series Premium line under Fukujuen Series featuring the highest quality teas including gyokuro varieties from Kyoto Yamashiro region.
• Kozan (高山) Traditional Tea Series Traditional tea brand named after Takayama Temple, representing the essence of Uji tea tradition dating back to the tea's origins.
• Hachi Ju Hachi (八十八) Tea Series Tea series named after 'Hachi Ju Hachi' (88th night), representing the optimal tea picking time when tea leaf flavor balance is considered best.
• Shikunshi (四君子) Premium Tea Series Tea series inspired by the Four Gentlemen (Plum, Bamboo, Orchid, Chrysanthemum) - classical Chinese virtues represented in tea culture; four new blended teas added in November 2025.
• Kyorakuchaza (京洛茶座) Tea Series Uji tea specialty line under the Fukujuen Series, offering teas from the historic tea region.
• Natsume (なつめ) Casual Tea Brand Sub-brand under Fukujuen offering a range of everyday teas including cold brew, sencha, black tea, and flavored teas with a focus on casual enjoyment.
• Iemon (伊右衛門) Collaboration Brand Collaboration brand named after the founder Fukui Iuemon, offering teas that combine traditional techniques with modern consumption styles, including matcha lattes, instant teas, and stick-format convenience products.
• Iemon Functional Food Instant Green Tea (伊右衛門 機能性表示食品 インスタント緑茶) Functional food designation instant green tea products targeting blood sugar management.
• Iemon Thick Matcha Latte (伊右衛門 お濃茶 抹茶ラテ) Matcha latte products combining rich Uji matcha with milk for easy preparation.
• Iemon Instant Green Tea Sticks (伊右衛門 インスタント緑茶スティック) Instant tea products in stick format for convenient on-the-go consumption, available in green tea and genmaicha varieties.
• Fukujuen CHA Experience Park (CHA遊学パーク) Tea life creation facility research center focusing on Culture, Health, and Amenity - offering tea-making experiences, tea garden tours, and educational programs at the Kansai Science City site.
• Tea Experience Workshops (抹茶一服体験, 石臼体験, CHA機械製茶体験) Tea-making experiences including matcha serving experience (¥2,600-3,300), stone mill experience, and CHA mechanical tea-making experience (¥32,000) at the CHA Experience Park.
• metaCHA Experience (VR Tea Experience) Metaverse/virtual reality tea experience using VR goggles launched in April 2026.
• Summer Tea Picking Experience (夏の茶摘み体験) Limited-time summer tea picking experience starting June 27, 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pioneered canned green tea in 1983 - first in the world
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• JR West Kyoto SC Development Co., Ltd. (JR西日本京都SC開発株式会社)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026Partnership for hosting seasonal Japanese tea events at Kyoto Porta commercial facility. Fukujuen organizes experience-based events featuring tea tastings, brewing demonstrations, and product sales to promote Japanese tea culture to Kyoto Station visitors.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves22 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• T2 Tea: Australian specialty tea retailer selling loose-leaf teas, tea accessories, and gift sets through branded stores and e-commerce. Comparable to Fukujuen in retail-store-driven premium tea brand strategy, though focused on Western markets and broader tea categories.
• Harney & Sons: US-based specialty tea company offering premium loose-leaf teas, sachets, and iced teas through retail and hospitality channels. Comparable to Fukujuen in premium-positioned specialty tea retail, though focused on Western markets rather than authentic Japanese single-origin teas.

Emerging players

• Adagio Teas: US-based online specialty tea retailer offering loose-leaf teas, samplers, and custom blending. Comparable to Fukujuen on the e-commerce and gift/entry-tier segment, though without the heritage Uji supply chain.
• Uji no Tsuyu Seicha: Wholly-owned subsidiary of Fukujuen established in 1980 for mass-market, commercial, and overseas tea distribution. Comparable as a peer given shared operations and overlapping RTD tea products, though formally within the corporate group.

Broad incumbents

• Ito En: Japan's largest tea company, offering Oi Ocha and other RTD green tea products with national and global distribution. Comparable to Fukujuen as a Japanese tea brand but materially larger and more diversified into RTD beverages.
• Lupicia: Specialty tea retailer with a wide assortment of loose-leaf teas, signature blends, and branded retail stores in Japan and internationally. Comparable to Fukujuen in retail and brand-building approach, though broader in variety and more youth-oriented.
• Mitsui Norin: One of Japan's largest tea producers and exporters, supplying ingredients and packaged teas globally. Comparable to Fukujuen at the production and export level, though significantly larger and more B2B-oriented.
• Yamamotoyama: Long-established Japanese tea and nori producer founded in 1690, with broadly distributed tea bags, loose-leaf teas, and packaged products. Comparable to Fukujuen as a heritage Japanese tea brand spanning retail and packaged goods.

Direct peers

• Ippodo Tea: Premium Kyoto-based Uji tea specialist founded in 1717, offering matcha, gyokuro, and sencha through retail stores and global e-commerce. Directly comparable to Fukujuen as a heritage Uji tea brand serving both ceremonial and daily consumption markets.
• Marukyu Koyamaen: Uji-based matcha producer founded in 1688, focused on ceremonial-grade matcha and tea supplies. Comparable to Fukujuen in heritage, Uji terroir, and premium matcha positioning, with strong café and confectionery industry customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/fukujuen.tea
• Instagraminstagram.com/fukujuen_official
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fukujuen

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Fukujuen