Kikukawaen

Recommended! The special steamed tea highlights its umami

If you want to know anything about Japanese tea, this place is for you. The owner is so welcoming and gives you any advice on tea that you may need. Thanks to his warm personality, this shop is turning into a nice hangout for the regulars. Here’s what it’s like.

This is the owner with the biggest smile, Teruki Morita. You can see his kind personality in his smile.

The signboard reads “special steamed tea”. What does it taste like?

There’s also a cozy corner. Even if you are just stopping by, they will welcome you with a delicious cup of tea.

These shelves contain tea leaves, and the scale is also still in use.

This is Tachikawa Tourism Association Recommended Certificate. These tea bags allow you you to enjoy their specialty steamed tea easily at home. The cute and original packaging features “Komoe Sensei”, a character from the animations titled “Toaru Majutsu no Index (A Certain Forbidden Magical Index)” and “Toaru Kagaku no Railgun (A Certain Scientific Railgun).”。

Founded in 1970, the shop will turn 47 years old this year. There are chairs placed around the shop, so anyone who comes in to buy tea can take a break here. “If we see someone who’s trying to decide which tea to buy, we ask for their preference and offer them samples to taste,” said Morita. Among their wide selection, the one they recommend the most is the “special steamed tea”. Made with Japanese tea from Kikukawa in Shizuoka Prefecture and by a unique process, it is a true gem. There is a roundness to the taste, and makes great tea even after brewing a number of times. “You can enjoy different tastes with the second or the third round of the brew. The special steaming method that focuses on the umami of Japanese tea also brings out its beautiful colors.” You can really feel his passion for tea through his talks.
“Together with the producers, it is my mission to provide tea that is pleasing to our customers.” To him, conversations with his customers are the key to his health, and he likes to talk to them face to face as they come to buy tea. It is a shop that makes you want to come back to see the owner and his smile.