IPPUKU & MATCHA Nihonbashi

Billed as the world's first single-origin Uji matcha specialist, IPPUKU & MATCHA sits at ground level in Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, directly outside Mitsukoshimae exit A8. Rather than blending, it pours unblended matcha from individual cultivars and single tea gardens, all hand-picked first-flush leaf grown under the 400-year-old honzu shading method and finished on stone mills. What looks like a casual tea stand at the front conceals a small tea room behind it, where a tasting of two matcha served in Edo-kiriko cut glass with sweets is the signature order; reservations are recommended for that room. Terrace seating handles takeaway, and a foreign-language menu is available.