YAMASAN KYOTO UJI

What YAMASAN KYOTO UJI does

YAMASAN KYOTO UJI (Yamasan Co., Ltd.) is a privately-held Japanese tea producer and distributor headquartered in Uji, Kyoto — a region historically associated with premium green tea production. The company has operated across three generations and is one of Japan's early entrants in organic green tea, a category that represents roughly 3.4% of Japanese green tea distribution. Yamasan produces and sells organic ceremonial-grade matcha (under the KIWAMI brand), sencha, hojicha, culinary matcha and hojicha powders, plus adjacent food products including miso paste, soy sauce, and soup stock. The assortment is supported by JAS, USDA, and Canada Organic certifications and a traceability system that discloses batch-level chemical, microbial, and radiation testing.

The product portfolio is monetized through four mechanisms: (1) direct-to-consumer retail, including a $39 bimonthly Yamasan Tea Subscription Box; (2) wholesale and OEM supply of matcha, loose-leaf tea, and culinary powders for resale or as ingredients; (3) a physical café in Uji, Kyoto; and (4) marketplace and DTC e-commerce storefronts. Distribution spans Amazon storefronts in the US, UK, Canada, and Germany; Shopee in Singapore and Thailand; Alibaba Trust Pass for wholesale; and a localization footprint that includes French, Spanish, and Arabic sites. Technical capabilities include a proprietary far-infrared roasting method used in sencha production and a Wakocha-derived matcha SKU.

Customer segments consist of individual health-conscious tea buyers across North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, alongside B2B buyers such as restaurants, cafés, and food manufacturers sourcing matcha, sencha, hojicha, and tea-based ingredients. The company is independently and family-owned with no disclosed external funding, acquisitions, or parent entity, and operates with a five-person team.

Name

YAMASAN KYOTO UJI

Legal name

Yamasan Co., Ltd.

Website

https://kyotoyamasan.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

YAMASAN KYOTO UJI is a three-generation, family-owned organic Japanese tea producer in Uji, Kyoto, supplying ceremonial matcha, sencha, hojicha, culinary powders, and adjacent ingredients to retail consumers, B2B wholesale buyers, and subscription subscribers across North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Japanese Green Tea

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE), Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD), Instant Tea, Tea Extracts & Concentrates Manufacturing (AFAFADAH), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Japanese green tea
• Organic matcha powder
• Green tea wholesale
• Tea subscription box
• Matcha hojicha sencha

Headquarters

HQ city

Uji

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Direct sales of organic Japanese teas including matcha, sencha, hojicha through e-commerce platforms and online store. One-time purchase model for individual consumers.
2. Subscription Box: Bimonthly subscription box at $39 providing curated premium Japanese teas. Recurring revenue model delivering two bags of tea per delivery.
3. Wholesale and OEM: B2B wholesale of matcha, loose leaf tea, culinary food powder, miso powder, and hojicha powder. OEM one-stop services and export solutions for business customers.
4. Marketplace Sales: Sales through Amazon stores in multiple countries, Alibaba, and Shopee platforms. Commission-based sales through third-party marketplaces.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

YAMASAN KYOTO UJI produces and sells organic-certified Japanese green tea — including ceremonial-grade matcha such as Organic Matcha KIWAMI, sencha, and hojicha — from its base in Uji, Kyoto. Offerings are distributed through direct e-commerce, international marketplaces (Amazon in four countries, Alibaba, Shopee), a bimonthly subscription box, B2B wholesale/OEM channels, and a physical tea cafe, alongside complementary tea accessories and Japanese seasonings.

Product overview

YAMASAN KYOTO UJI is a Japanese tea company based in Uji, Kyoto with three generations of experience in the tea trade. The company operates as a vertically integrated business offering: (1) retail products including organic matcha (KIWAMI ceremonial grade, culinary grade, BI), organic sencha green tea, hojicha roasted green tea, yuzu and sakura flavored teas, wagashi sweets (kuzu mochi, anko, matcha mont blanc), Japanese seasonings (miso paste, dashi, soy sauce), and tea accessories; (2) subscription service (Yamasan Tea Subscription at $39 bimonthly) delivering curated Japanese tea selections; (3) wholesale/OEM services for matcha, loose leaf tea, culinary powders, miso powder, and hojicha powder; and (4) a physical cafe in Uji. The company emphasizes organic certification (JAS, USDA, Canada Organic) and data-driven quality analysis including radiation testing and traceability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organic Matcha KIWAMI Ceremonial-grade organic matcha produced from Uji, Kyoto tea leaves, positioned as the premium-tier matcha SKU for retail and gifting.
• Japanese Matcha Powder Retail-grade matcha powder sold directly to consumers for kitchen and beverage preparation, distinct from the premium KIWAMI line.
• Organic Sencha Green Tea Loose-leaf organic sencha green tea from Uji, sold through retail e-commerce channels to consumers seeking everyday Japanese green tea.
• Organic Hojicha Roasted Green Tea Roasted organic hojicha green tea produced using a proprietary Far-Infrared Roasting method, sold loose-leaf to consumers.
• Loose Leaf Tea Broader retail assortment of loose-leaf Japanese green teas for daily consumption by consumers.
• Tea Accessories and Japanese Seasonings Adjacent tea-related consumer goods including teaware/accessories, Japanese seasonings (such as miso, soy sauce, and dashi powders), and wagashi confections sold alongside the tea portfolio.
• Yamasan Tea Subscription Box Bimonthly subscription service delivering a curated selection of Yamasan teas directly to consumers for recurring at-home enjoyment.
• Wholesale Matcha Wholesale and OEM matcha powder supplied to cafes, restaurants, beverage brands, and food manufacturers for ingredient or menu use.
• Wholesale Loose Leaf Tea Bulk loose-leaf Japanese green tea sold to wholesale and OEM business customers for repackaging, foodservice, or further processing.
• Wholesale Culinary Food Powder Culinary powders (matcha, hojicha, miso, soy sauce, and dashi/soup stock powders) offered in bulk to food manufacturers and HoReCa businesses.
• Yamasan Cafe Brick-and-mortar tea cafe providing in-person tea preparation and tasting experiences to consumers and visitors at the Uji, Kyoto location.

Quantifiable outcome

• 230+ satisfied customers cited on website

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Amazon JapancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYamasan operates Amazon stores across multiple countries (USA, UK, Canada, Germany) through Amazon Japan. Received Overseas Sales Award at Amazon EC Summit 2022, demonstrating strong partnership performance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DoMatcha: A Japanese-owned matcha brand operating internationally with retail and wholesale distribution. They directly compete in the global organic matcha retail and foodservice ingredient markets served by Yamasan.
• Naoki Matcha: A premium Japanese matcha brand with wholesale and retail channels targeting cafes and consumers. They overlap with Yamasan's OEM/wholesale business and premium ceremonial matcha retail positioning.
• Encha: A US-based direct-to-consumer organic matcha brand sourcing from Uji, Japan. They operate through e-commerce and subscription channels, directly competing with Yamasan's organic matcha and subscription offerings to health-conscious Western consumers.
• Aiya Company: One of Japan's largest matcha producers with vertically integrated production. They supply both retail and bulk B2B channels in North America and Europe, competing with Yamasan in wholesale culinary and retail matcha markets.
• Ippodo Tea: Marukyu Co., Ltd. (Ippodo) is a multi-generational Uji, Kyoto-based tea producer specializing in premium matcha, sencha, and gyokuro. They sell directly to global consumers via their own e-commerce and wholesale channels, with comparable brand positioning rooted in Uji heritage.
• Mizuba Tea Co. A US-based specialty tea company focused on single-origin Japanese matcha and loose-leaf tea. They compete with Yamasan in the premium organic matcha segment targeting health-conscious consumers through e-commerce.
• Jade Leaf Matcha: A US-based matcha brand sourcing Japanese green tea with strong Amazon marketplace presence. They directly compete with Yamasan on Amazon storefronts and in the premium organic matcha retail category.
• Marukyu Koyamaen: A long-established Uji-based matcha and Japanese tea manufacturer with over 300 years of history. They produce ceremonial and culinary grade matcha and serve both domestic and international wholesale and retail channels, directly competing in the premium matcha segment.
• Yunomi Tea: An online Japanese tea retailer sourcing from multiple Japanese producers including Uji-based farmers. They overlap with Yamasan in retail Japanese green tea sales to international consumers via e-commerce.

Emerging players

• Kenko Tea Company: A US-based matcha and Japanese tea brand focused on organic, health-oriented positioning. They represent an emerging direct competitor in the North American organic matcha segment where Yamasan also competes through Amazon and DTC channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ujichaganjucafe
• Instagraminstagram.com/yamasan_oversea_division
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yamasankyotouji

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 YAMASAN KYOTO UJI