Kyoto

Kyoto Prefecture is the historical heart of Japanese tea culture and the home of the Uji tea region — the country's first major tea producer (12th century, founded after monk Eisai brought seeds from Song-dynasty China) and the source of the shading technique that makes matcha and gyokuro possible. Beyond Uji- branded gyokuro, tencha and matcha, Kyoto producers also serve as the origin point of hojicha (roasted bancha, accidentally invented in 1920 by a Kyoto merchant) and the centre of Japanese-tea ceremony tradition.