It is said that we were founded in 1690 as Japan's oldest sencha tea merchant. Sencha was invented by Nagatani Soen (the ancestor of the current founder of Nagatanien), and the first to sell it was Yamamoto Kahei Shoten (currently Yamamotoyama), according to the Tea Industry Journal from the Meiji period. Since then, we have continued in the tea business to spread the taste of sencha.

Continuing tradition means continuing to change. Yamamotoyama values timelessness and has breathed new life into its products while protecting tradition. From Sencha made by the first generation to Gyokuro made by the sixth generation and overseas expansion by the ninth generation, the company continues to innovate and pass on its traditions to the next generation.

Until the Edo period, nori was a luxury item that was out of reach for ordinary people. It was discovered that nori could be cultivated around Asakusa, and by applying washi paper making techniques, the sheet-shaped nori we know today was born, which later came to be called Asakusa nori. During the Edo period, Yamamotoyama's main occupation was making washi paper in addition to the tea industry. Even after the shift from paper to nori, the techniques and spirit of the company have been passed down.

The tea and seaweed that Yamamotoyama handles are commonplace in Japanese cuisine. For that reason, they are ingredients that are most likely to show a difference if you take the extra step. In today's world where pouring hot water from a pot is commonplace, sencha brewed with water that has been carefully cooled is exceptional. Sparing no effort and doing your best for others. That is the spirit of hospitality we show as a merchant house from the Edo period.

Now, with the desire to make tea and seaweed more widely known and enjoyed, Yamamotoyama will continue to pursue quality and deliver Edo culture and flavors.
We would appreciate your continued support as Yamamotoyama moves forward into the next 300 years.