Japan Recap: Everywhere I went for matcha!

Japan was truly matcha heaven. One of my goals in going to Japan was to learn more about matcha, try as much matcha as possible, and of course share my favorite matcha spots with those of you planning to head to Japan one day yourselves!

I spent time in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, with a few day trips to smaller cities, and was able to try matcha in each area. In total, I went to about 15 different matcha spots - I’d call that a success for having spent a little less than 2 weeks in Japan!

I already shared my 5 favorite matcha spots on my TikTok and Instagram, but honestly it was difficult to narrow it down to just 5. Especially because there was a lot of variety in the types of matcha spots I went to. While I of course visited some of the trendy social media spots, I also went to small teahouses where they focus more on traditional tea ceremonies instead of matcha lattes.

So without further ado - here is everywhere I went for matcha in Japan:

Tokyo

The Matcha Tokyo

The Matcha Tokyo has received a lot of hype on social media for their matcha lattes, so I knew I had to try it, and it ended up being the very first matcha spot I tried on my trip. I arrived right at opening and there was a line out the door already! Since it was the first matcha I had in Japan, I didn’t have much to compare it to yet, but overall it didn’t end up being one of my favorites. I found the matcha latte to be quite bitter, and the sakura latte was a bit artificial tasting. I think it’s worth going for the vibes - but I think there are better matcha lattes to be found.

What I ordered: Iced matcha latte (unsweetened), Iced sakura matcha latte (special for the spring season)

Matcha Stand Maruni

Located in the Tsukiji Fish Market, Matcha Stand Maruni is a MUST if you’re hitting up the fish market for a morning of hopping around to the various food stands. This matcha made it into my top 5 - it had a good punch of matcha flavor, and was very creamy. I also appreciate that they let you order with either a single shot or double shot of matcha, which helps customize the drink to your liking!

What I ordered: Iced matcha latte with a double shot of matcha

Nakamura Tokichi

Nakumura Tokichi is a very well-known matcha brand who sells quite popular matcha powders. They have a few cafe locations throughout Japan with an extensive food menu, and of course various teas to try. Their main location is in Uji (more on all the matcha spots I visited in Uji later!), but I went to their location in Ginza, Tokyo. It wasn’t crowded and we were easily able to get a seat around lunch time. Their matcha parfaits are very popular, so of course I had to get one and OMG - it was actually incredible. Paired with an usucha - absolute perfection.

What I ordered: Usucha (which came with hojicha jellies on the side!), Strawberry Matcha Parfait

Poss Coffee

One thing that surprised me about Japan is that a lot of coffee shops actually don’t have matcha on their menus. For some reason I had the expectation that pretty much every cafe in Japan would have matcha, and that definitely wasn’t the case! But on days where I didn’t have a specific matcha place I wanted to try, I’d look for coffee shops that also had matcha on the menu. This one ended up being solid!

What I ordered: Hot matcha latte

Hatoya

The first matcha I had in Japan that I truly truly loved. They’re a popular spot - and for good reason - so you may need to wait in line for a bit, but it was completely worth it. You can choose from their regular matcha, or “hand-picked” matcha, which is supposed to be higher quality. They have an extensive menu of drinks and sweets, and I ended up coming home with some of their matcha powder as well! If they have the strawberry matcha on the menu - I beg you DO NOT SKIP IT! I know I may sound dramatic but it was life changing, lol.

What I ordered: Hand-picked matcha latte (iced & unsweetened), Strawberry matcha latte

Ippodo

Ippodo has cafe locations all throughout Japan, and I happened to stumble across one in a mall. Tbh, this matcha was underwhelming. I mostly went to look for matcha powders, but they were all sold out, so I figured I may as well get a matcha latte while I was there.

What I ordered: Hot matcha latte

Atelier Matcha

If you watched my TikTok or IG post you already know… Atelier Matcha was my favorite I had on my entire trip to Japan. Maybe I’m biased because they use matcha from Yamamasa Koyamaen, which is my favorite matcha brand…but the matcha I had here was everything I could have ever hoped for! The latte was the perfect balance of strong matcha flavor with some sweetness. And I ordered a matcha shot of the Tennouzan, an offering from Yamamasa Koyamaen I hadn’t had the chance to try before.

What I Ordered: Iced matcha latte (comes with Yamamasa Koyamaen Ogurayama), Shot of Tennouzan matcha

Kamakura

Hokokuji Bamboo Forest

You read that right… you can drink matcha in a bamboo forest. Can the vibes get any better than that? Kamakura is an easy day trip from Tokyo, and tbh I had no idea this whole matcha bamboo forest situation even existed. We decided to go to Kamakura kind of last minute, ended up going to the bamboo forest, and when we were buying our tickets, there was an option “with matcha”. Say no more… I’m in! And it ended up being such a special experience. They whisk you up a fresh usucha and you get to enjoy it while staring into the bamboo!

Hakone

Chaseki

Hakone is a little spa town about 2 hours outside of Tokyo. We spent a night there after our time in Tokyo for some R&R. We had some time to kill before checking into our hotel, and I stumbled upon an absolutely gorgeous teahouse. I did a traditional tea tasting of hojicha tea, where they brew the same tea leaves 3 times so you can taste it at different strengths. I also tried their usucha, and they provided some little desserts to go with the teas as well. Highly recommend this spot for a traditional experience if you’re in Hakone!

Osaka

Wad Teahouse

I struggled to find good matcha places in Osaka, and while I didn’t love the matcha latte at Wad, I must say this teahouse was absolutely GORGEOUS and I would go again simply for the vibes. The matcha latte was unique - it was basically a milk base with a sweetened matcha shot that you pour into it. It literally tasted like ice cream lol. I did also get an usucha, which I enjoyed more.

What I ordered: Iced matcha latte, usucha

Chado

Chado is pretty much the only solid matcha place I could find in Osaka. Their thing is pairing all of their matcha drinks with oat milk, whereas most other places I found throughout Japan use standard dairy milk, and upcharge for non-dairy options. I enjoy oat milk, so I had no issue with this! While the oat flavor was slightly overpowering, I still got some decent matcha flavor. And the people working there were so nice!

What I ordered: Iced matcha latte, unsweetened

Uji

Tsujiri

Ahh Uji… aka matcha heaven. Uji is the “matcha capital of Japan” because many matcha producers are located in the area, and have tea shops where you can buy food, tea, and of course, matcha! I went to Tsujiri for their matcha desserts - they have so many to choose from - and got an usucha, hojicha tea, and gyokuro green tea as well. While there are other, more popular cafes in the Uji area (such as the Nakamura Tokichi cafe), I honestly think Tsujiri is underrated and 100% worth a visit.

What I ordered: Matcha dessert sampler, Usucha, Gyokuro, Hojicha

Other Uji Spots

While I didn’t eat at or try matcha at all of these places, I did end up buying matcha powders to take home. Uji has a great mix of well-known matcha shops, as well as smaller, independently owned shops. If you’re a matcha lover, Uji is a great place to spend half a day just popping into the different stores and basking in all the matcha glory! Here are the places I visited: Nakamura Tokichi, Kanbayashi Shunsho, Horii Schichimeien, Ho Ho Hojicha, Masuda Chaho

Kyoto

Gokago

I know most of you have probably seen this one on social media! Gokago has been viral for their huge scoops of matcha powder and super creamy, green matcha lattes. So of course, I had to try it. And I am happy to report… it lived up to the hype. As someone who loves a strong matcha latte, I appreciated the punch of matcha flavor this provided, and the creaminess was unbeatable.

What I ordered: Extra rich matcha latte (unsweetened & iced)

Le Labo Cafe

If you tell me my favorite perfume store has matcha, I’m not going to be able to resist. I already have the Matcha 26 fragrance, so I figured I had to try the matcha from the cafe! Not going to lie, I didn’t really have high hopes that this would be good, but I was pleasantly surprised! The matcha latte does come sweetened by default, so ask for unsweetened if you don’t want the sugar. And the vibes of the cafe and store are just gorgeous.

What I ordered: Iced matcha latte

Alright matcha lovers, that wraps up my Japan matcha journey! I hope this helps any of you who are planning a Japan trip yourselves.