Since 1160, Tsuen has been a caretaker of sustainable Japanese tea

Since tea was introduced to Japan from China, the city of Uji in Kyoto has been producing a wide variety of the finest teas for about 800 years. It is a historic place that has led the development and growth of Japan’s tea culture.

Tsuen Tea is said to be the oldest tea shop in Japan, founded in 1160. It is located next to the Uji Bridge over the Uji River in Uji City. The bridge, which connects Kyoto and Nara, was a vital bridge for welcoming travelers on their way. Back in the day, Tsuen shopkeepers acted as the “checkpoint” for everyone crossing, serving their fine tea to a broad variety of people. They have written record of customers, which includes lords and nobles such as Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Ieyasu Tokugawa. Uji was also a good place for tea cultivation because the fog coming in from the river made the tea fields very moist, and the taste of tea was good.

We interviewed Yuka Tsuen, a descendant of the original Tsuen Tea founder, to get some tips on sustainable business practices.

After graduating from a college in Japan, she studied in Canada in 1992. At that time, Japanese teas were not sold in Canadian supermarkets, and only a few Japanese restaurants were in her town. Living on a North American diet, including drinking milk and orange juice, made her skin break out and dried out her hair. Then she received a delivery of tea from Japan and began drinking it and experienced a return to good health. She rediscovered the charm of Japanese tea, which she had tasted since childhood. At that time, she thought that this could probably become an international business, so she decided to start on the challenge of introducing Tsuen Tea to the Canadian market.

Mindful habits that have remained unchanged since the company’s founding

Yuka: “There is a custom that has been passed down from generation to generation from our ancestors at Tsuen. Every morning, we make two cups of tea, one for myself and another for our ancestors. We offer it to the altar and say a light prayer, saying, ‘Please let us have a good day today.’” She has been observing this custom since she was a child and practices it every morning. It reminds her of her family and ancestors as she drinks the tea.

Tea as a tool for calming our minds

During the past two years of the pandemic, there has been an increase in the sale of tea at Tsuen compared to previous years. Yuka believes that the number of people who spend more time at home and work at home has increased and that more people are taking care of their health after all. She guesses that the tea may have helped to calm the often overwhelming stress of the coronavirus pandemic.

Yuka: “I think the good thing about tea is that it calms your mind. For example, when you drink sparkling water, you feel refreshed, and you may feel relaxed when you drink coffee. But there is something different about tea. It is very calming. That’s what everyone says.”

With a smile on her face, she said that she is very happy that tea is used as a tool to help customers soothe their minds and recall fond memories of Japan. She told us about a customer who used to go to Tsuen in Uji, Kyoto and liked it so much that he bought some tea from them in Vancouver as well. The person said that when he drinks the tea at home, he opens Google Street View on his computer and looks at the scene of Uji. While drinking tea, he recalls the places he has visited and dwells on the memories.

The challenges of selling tea in Canada

Before turning 30, Yuka returned to Canada again and began spreading the charm of Uji tea. There were some difficulties in gaining acceptance of Japanese tea in foreign countries.

Yuka: “I’m still struggling with explaining Japanese tea in English. The unique tastes, such as refreshing, mellow, astringent, bitter and so on, are difficult to put in an appropriate language. The taste of new green tea is sometimes described as youthful. So it’s difficult to describe it even in Japanese to Japanese people, and it is even more difficult to explain it to non-Japanese people who have never drunk tea before. For example, when you drink genmaicha (which contains green tea and roasted brown rice), it tastes a little savory. Canadian customers describe it as tasting like popcorn or something like that. Well, it’s not quite the same, but it isn’t easy to explain. The only way to convince them is to have them drink it.”

Environmentally-friendly drink

Vancouver, where Yuka lives, is permeated with environmental awareness, and composting is a must. All of the take-out containers at restaurants are also made of cornstarch-compressed material. Plastic compostable straws, forks, spoons, disposable chopsticks and other plastic items are almost obsolete now. She also spoke about the appeal of tea from the perspective of reducing waste.

Yuka: “Tea doesn’t produce much waste, does it? With coffee, you grind coffee beans, put them in a filter, and make one batch for one-time use only. With tea, if you put it in a kyusu (teapot), you can make it taste good two or three times. In the case of cold tea, one tea bag can take more water. It tastes so good that you can keep drinking from the same tea bag all day long. It is also a great way to reduce waste. Powder for matcha is all consumed, so there is no waste. The pottery and chasen (tea whisk) are also all-natural. When I think about it, I think what a wonderful drink tea is, which is economical and good for the environment. If you drink it out of a plastic bottle, it’s a complete disaster because it comes with garbage.”

A mindset that keeps the business going sustainably

Since the Heian period (794-1185), Tsuen has been in business for more than 860 years and is said to be the oldest tea shop in Japan. Yuka taught us about the mindset needed to stay in business for a long time, using the metaphor of a pet you keep at home.

Yuka: “Caring for a multi-generational business is like caring for a centuries-old tortoise. We don’t have any pets at home. However, when I was born, there was already an endangered 860-year-old turtle in my home. We’ve been raising him for 24 generations, generation after generation. We have to feed him, and his hut must be cleaned every single day. So, when I think about what I should do in my life, my role is to take good care of this old turtle.”

What do we need to do to pass that turtle on to the next generation?

Tsuen has only sold tea leaves in the past, but in 1965, it started selling tea sweets such as tea buns and tea rice cakes. After that, in the Heisei era, they started selling modern matcha sweets such as parfaits. Recently, they have also started online store sales.

Yuka: “I think there are ways of keeping so-called ‘turtles’ that are appropriate for each era and each period. Nowadays, it is possible to introduce these turtles on social media. Many foreign tourists who learn about tea on the Internet come to our stores, so we hire staff who can speak foreign languages at our store in Uji. Additionally, I, on my part, promote Japanese tea in Canada in English. In such a way, even long-established businesses are doing their best to keep up with the times. I think the next generations will design the future, but these things are what our current generation can do now.”

Check out Tsuen Tea International online shop here.

Relax and have a cup of tea

Yuka: “First and foremost, I would like to teach people overseas how to make tea without a teapot. For example, measuring cups, mugs and coffee filters are available in every home kitchen. We need to teach them how to serve tea simply and in a relaxed mindset. If people think that tea is something you make by sitting in front of a table and wearing kimono, they will feel intimidated. It would be better if we could teach people how to enjoy tea more casually. If you like it, you might buy a kyusu teapot next time.”

She recommends ways to enjoy tea that suit your lifestyle and belongings. Start with hojicha tea, for example, rather than a high-end tea. Whether you are particular about using an extremely good kyusu, an IKEA teapot or a French press, there are a thousand ways to enjoy tea.

Yuka: “I hope people enjoy tea in a way that suits their individual lifestyles. You can enjoy tea in a way that calms your mind. You can think of the places you visited in Kyoto in the past while drinking. It would give me a great pleasure if someone thinks of our tea when they eat sushi from any sushi shop. It makes me most happy of all when people tell me that they brew our tea in their own kitchen.”