August at Yunomi.Matcha | A New Way to Experience Matcha in Togoshi Ginza
In Togoshi Ginza, August is supposed to be quiet.
Before the month began, people in the neighbourhood told us so.
“It’s the quiet season.”
“It’s too hot. Nobody walks around.”
“Some shops close in August.”
They had a point. Tokyo can be very hot in summer, and weather has a direct effect on the streets.
But August was not quite as quiet as we expected.
For Yunomi.Matcha, it became a month of small experiments — and a chance to see what the shop could become.
More than a matcha stand
Yunomi.Matcha is a matcha stand and tea tasting space in Togoshi Ginza, Tokyo, as well as the flagship shop of tokinari.live, our online Japanese tea business connecting tea lovers with tea producers across Japan.
The idea is simple.
Come for a drink.
Stay for the tea.
Discover something new.
Our matcha latte is often the starting point. We whisk the matcha in front of you, then make the drink to order.
But there is more to Japanese tea than a latte.
At the shop, visitors can taste different matcha, take part in tea tasting courses, and even use a traditional stone mill to make matcha powder themselves.
It is a small space, but there are several ways to experience tea.
August made that clearer.
A different kind of customer
Until July, around 90 per cent of our customers were Japanese.
In August, we started seeing more visitors from overseas.
Many had found us without specifically planning to visit Togoshi Ginza.
“Google Maps.”
“My hotel is nearby.”
“I’m going to Haneda Airport.”
Togoshi Ginza is not usually the first stop on a visitor’s Tokyo itinerary.
That is part of what makes this interesting.
Someone searching for “matcha”, “matcha latte” or “matcha near me” might find us.
A short walk from a hotel.
A stop between two parts of Tokyo.
A final cup of tea before heading to the airport.
Yunomi.Matcha is beginning to become part of these small moments in the city.
Some visitors came simply for a drink.
Others came specifically for the matcha tasting experience.
That difference matters.
A matcha latte, made in front of you
For many first-time visitors, our matcha latte is the easiest place to begin.
We whisk the matcha right in front of you.
There is something satisfying about watching the tea being prepared rather than simply receiving a finished drink.
And we want the matcha itself to remain part of the experience.
Not overly sweet.
Not hidden beneath other flavours.
Just the aroma, umami and gentle bitterness of good matcha, balanced with milk.
For us, a matcha latte is not the end of the experience.
It is an introduction.
Turning a stone mill
There is another, slower way to meet matcha.
At Yunomi.Matcha, visitors can experience stone-milling matcha.
The tea leaves are slowly ground between two stones, becoming the fine green powder we know as matcha.
It takes time.
And that is the point.
The process gives a little more context to what is in the cup.
Japanese tea can sometimes feel distant or formal.
A stone mill makes it tangible.
You turn it.
You watch the powder appear.
Then you taste the tea.
It is a simple experience, but one that connects the drink to where it begins.
Discovering the differences
One of the things we had wanted to introduce from the beginning was a way to taste different matcha side by side.
Customers would ask:
“Can I try different matcha?”
“Do they really taste different?”
They do.
We initially discussed creating a more elaborate tasting course, priced at around ¥10,000.
But for someone new to Japanese tea, that can be a big first step.
So in August, we started small.
The tasting courses are still being developed.
We are learning as we go — adjusting the selection, the format, the price and the way we explain the tea.
This is part of how Yunomi.Matcha is taking shape.
Not everything needs to be finished before people can experience it.
From one cup to the tea itself
Until recently, Yunomi.Matcha was mostly seen as a place to have a matcha latte.
We also sell matcha, of course.
But drinking a tea and choosing one to take home are two different things.
The tasting experience started to connect them.
Discover.
Taste.
Compare.
Find what you like.
Take it home.
We began to see customers choosing teas they might not have noticed on the shelf.
“I like this one.”
Then they bought it to take home.
That was an important discovery for us.
Sometimes the best way to introduce a product is not to start with the product.
Start with the experience.
Let people taste.
Let them find their own preference.
Then let them decide.
Many of the guests taking part in the tasting courses have been international visitors.
For someone travelling in Japan, comparing different matcha can become more than a drink.
It can be a small part of the trip.
What a quiet month makes possible
Of course, a quiet shop is not necessarily good for business.
But it gives us something else.
Time.
Time to talk to customers.
Time to see which teas they are drawn to.
Time to explain.
Time to listen.
A tasting course takes longer than ordering a drink.
On a quiet afternoon, that is not a problem.
A few bowls on the table.
Different shades of green.
A little conversation.
One tea after another.
For someone moving through a busy Tokyo day, it can be a welcome pause.
August showed us another side of a quiet season.
One cup, then another
August also brought two new drinks.
The first was Acai Matcha.
Acai, milk and matcha are topped with granola made with ingredients including purple sweet potato.
The fruity character of acai meets the aroma and gentle bitterness of matcha, with a little crunch from the granola.
The second was the Na Pali Latte.
It was inspired by the Na Pali Coast in Hawaii, a place that holds special memories for Ian.
Blue citrus, milk, hojicha chai and matcha are layered in the glass.
Blue fades into white, then into matcha green.
The gradient is part of the experience.
Both drinks come from the same idea.
Japanese tea does not have to stay in one format.
Traditional matcha can be enjoyed in new combinations, while still allowing the character of the tea to come through.
Bringing traditional Japanese tea into everyday life.
That is what we are interested in.
For many first-time visitors, the classic matcha latte is still the starting point.
Then comes another drink.
Another flavour.
Another way of seeing matcha.
One cup can lead to the next.
Looking towards autumn
What we tested in August will continue into September.
We are developing an omakase-style matcha course, focused more closely on the tea itself.
There will also be a tasting experience featuring four different matcha.
Less about the latte.
More about the tea.
For autumn, we are also preparing a Spiced Matcha Soda and a Matcha Komekoji Latte.
They are different ways into Japanese tea.
Not a replacement for tradition.
Just another way to approach it.
Matcha can be bitter.
It can be creamy.
It can be delicate, fragrant, umami-rich or bold.
The origin and cultivar can change the experience completely.
There is plenty to discover.
Still taking shape
Yunomi.Matcha is still taking shape.
We are learning who comes through the door.
What they want to drink.
What they want to know.
What makes them curious about Japanese tea.
Compared with July, August felt different.
More international visitors found us in Tokyo.
A matcha latte became the starting point for a deeper experience.
Visitors turned a stone mill.
They tasted different teas.
They found favourites.
And some took those favourites home.
This is what we hope Yunomi.Matcha can be.
A place to have a good matcha latte.
A place to taste Japanese tea.
A place to slow down and learn something about what is in the cup.
A place where a visitor to Tokyo can discover something they were not necessarily looking for.
Discover.
Taste.
Find what you like.
August is supposed to be a quiet month.
For us, it turned out to be a month of small experiments — and a glimpse of what Yunomi.Matcha might become.
