ChaTo

It's a nice day for cold brewed Shizuoka Houjicha! As a rule of thumb, the tea to water ratio is 3 grams or 1 tablespoon of tea to 237 ml or 8 ounces of cold or room temperature water. Steep in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight, depending on how strong you like your tea. Consume within two days.

You can find Hario Filter-In Bottles and Kotodo tea canisters online and in-store.

✨This Saturday, August 10th, from 1pm to 3pm, we are excited to welcome two high school students who study tea ceremony at the OBAKU KOFU SCHOOL in Shizuoka. They are going to perform four consecutive ceremonies, each lasting 30 minutes, exclusively for ChaTo Tea Friends! There can be a maximum of five people per session, so you will be able to fully immerse yourself in the experience.

One student will perform the ceremony while the other student provides commentary in Japanese. They are bringing their own Shizuoka SENCHA and Japanese sweets for you to try and enjoy. These young tea scholars have been studying in San Francisco this summer, and we are fortunate to have them share their expertise and passion for the Japanese tea ceremony at ChaTo.

Reiko Wake, Japan Tea Ambassador and Founder of will also be joining us for this special occasion!

Reservations are not being accepted, simply stop by if you can. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

Iced IWAI NO SHIRO Matcha is so delicious! ✨😋 This highest grade matcha is hand-picked in Uji, Kyoto and has a full-bodied, sweet, grassy aroma, and smooth, mild taste.

We made iced matcha by shaking approximately 2 1/2 scoops of Iwai no Shiro and 3oz of room temperature water in a HARIO 160ml filter-in bottle. This is a new portable size in our Hario collection, and it will be added to our online shop soon. Swipe to see it compared side-by-side with the larger 400ml portable bottle.

We poured the matcha over ice in a HARIO KAORI Mug which is made of heatproof glass and sustainable materials, 330ml.

Happy , Tea Friends! 💚

The sweet, vegetal flavor of this Yabukita Sencha from Shizuoka is refreshing and easy to drink. It's well balanced with some umami. Try it hot or cold brewed!

To make hot tea, add one teabag to eight ounces of water that has been boiled and cooled to 176F/80C. Steep for one minute. Avoid longer steeping and hotter water because this can cause bitterness. 10-count, $14.50.

Our favorite way to make matcha without a whisk is with these Matcha Mini Shakers. We especially like making iced matcha lattes this way.

To make an iced latte, add 2 to 2.5 grams of Yame Culinary Matcha Powder or Yame Culinary Houjicha Powder and 1 oz of water to the container and shake vigorously until it's smooth. Pour it over your favorite milk and sweetener, and enjoy!

This shaker makes it so easy and convenient, especially if you are on the go. There's no sifting, no whisking, and no clumps! You can buy the shaker individually ($8.50, made in Japan), or as part of a Combo with one or both of the Yame Culinary Teas. We hope you give this method a try! 🤎💚

Have you tried Kagerou? It's a well-balanced, high grade matcha from Uji, Kyoto. Vegetal and creamy, with a sweet finish. Earthy green color. Very popular! 💚

Are you setting up your home matcha station? We carry all the must-haves including whisks (chasen), whisk stands (chasen tate), matcha scoops (chashaku), matcha bowls (matchawan), and water coolers (yuzamashi).

Thanks for waiting, SHIZUOKA HOUJICHA is back in stock! 🎉

We now carry untreated cherry bark tea canisters, and, as always, we have plenty of cute items for fellow ☺️

Yame Fukamushi (deep-steamed) *Shincha* sold out in the blink of an eye 😅, but don’t worry, is bringing more some time on Saturday! 👏🏼🍵

Fresh green muscat grapes, smooth, umami. 50 grams, $15.

Uji *Shincha* is available now, too! 😊
It’s a quality sencha with an earthy, grassy aroma + crisp, grassy flavor, and good umami. 100 grams, $30.

Zui Un ✨ *Shincha* ✨ is in stock! Earthy and smooth, this high end tea from Uji, Kyoto is always a favorite. 100 grams, $40.

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It’s always a great day when we get a visit from our 😊🫶🏼

Take a look at some of the latest styles of kyusu (Tokoname), yunomi, yuzamashi, matchawan, and tea mugs that are available in-shop.

We’re open from 12pm to 6pm, Wednesday through Sunday.

Happy tea time! 🍵

If you are new to gyokuro and enjoy a more savory flavor profile, then we recommend this Kotobuki Gyokuro from Uji, Kyoto. We think you’ll be charmed by its briny umami and seaweed taste. 100 grams, $29.50.

The wait is over! We just received more Sakura Sencha! 🎉🌸

Seasonal Splendor 🌸: Sakura Kukicha in Jyusengama cups from Gifu, Japan. Jyusengama is very famous for its beautiful Kessho (crystalline) glazed porcelain. Various colors are available in-store. The tea caddy adds an attractive pop of color to the tablescape. Assorted designs are available in-store and online.

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NEW! Sakura Kukicha 🌸🍵 This Sencha Kukicha contains ground sakura leaves from Izu Matsuzaki-Cho, the largest producer of cherry leaves in Japan. It’s a fragrant and very mild tea that we are especially enjoying cold brewed right now. From Kagewara City, Shizuoka; 70 grams, $15. Get some to celebrate the season! 🌸🌸🌸

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✨Learn how to prepare matcha with Reiko Wake, Bay Area-based Japan Tea Ambassador and founder of Japan Tea Studio 108! Reiko-sensei will be here on Saturday, April 6th, from 12:30pm to 3:30pm. Instruction is free with any matcha purchase, and $10 without purchase.

✨There will be three matcha stations set up at her table, so Reiko-sensei will be able to work with three people at a time. No reservations required. We look forward to seeing you!

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It’s the perfect time for a cup of Kukicha Gyokuro! We love how refreshing, smooth, and mild this one from Kawane, Shizuoka is. Since it contains both gyokuro leaves and stems, it’s low in caffeine and great any time of day.

What are you having today? 🍵✨

Kukicha Gyokuro has a new look! It’s still 100 grams, $19.50, but instead of blue, the packaging is purple.
🩵=>💜Buy it online or in-store now.

About Kukicha Gyokuro: Smooth, refreshing, mild; comprised of leaves and stems, low in caffeine; from Kawane, Shizuoka.

Scroll to see some of our newest arrivals. More is on the way!

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Our new wall art just arrived from Japan! 🎉 This special map was designed for us by to highlight the geographic origins of our teas and teaware. 🗺️🍃🍵

Thank you for making this happen! We love it and can’t wait to put it on display! 🙏🏼♥️

Thank you for visiting us! ♥️

Beautiful Bizenyaki.

We’ve unpacked a lot of new items including small matcha bowls, Oribe-yaki, and Bizen-yaki, so be sure to come by this weekend! We’ll be open on Monday from 12pm to 5pm, too!

💓 Tsuyuhikari 💓 - “tsuyu” translates to “dew” and “hikari” translates to “light.” This Kagoshima sencha is full-bodied with a high umami profile and beautiful green color.

Heading into the weekend with Oolong Yuzu Tea, an artisanal oolong infused with yuzu from Osumi, Kagoshima. 70 grams, $22.50.

If you’ve been following us for a while, then you know that Houjicha Shizuoka is one of our most popular teas, and we love it, too. It’s a must-try both hot and cold brewed. 🤎

🌟Roasted stems and leaves from Kawane.
🌟Toasty, floral, caramel aroma.
🌟Smooth roasted flavor, naturally sweet and malty.
🌟Golden brown color.

Available in 150 grams, $15.50. Comes in new packaging, as shown. Houjicha is low in caffeine, so you can enjoy it day or night. ☀️🌙

Hi Tea Friends! In case you missed our newsletter, we are closed this week because Sachiko and Toshiko-san are in Japan! This is also the reason why shipping is paused through January 23rd. It will resume when they return on the 24th, and our shop will be open this Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 6pm. Apologies for any inconvenience, thank you for your patience!

Hi Tea Friends, please note that shipping will be unavailable from January 13 - 23 and will resume on January 24. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding! 🙏🏼