Best Matcha Cafes in Tokyo: 4 Shops Worth Trying
Even without time to reach Kyoto, you can have serious matcha in Tokyo. This guide covers four Tokyo shops for matcha sweets and tea: Nakamura Tokichi Ginza, opened in Ginza by a historic Uji tea merchant; Saryo Tsujiri at Daimaru Tokyo, the Tokyo Station branch of Gion Tsujiri’s cafe arm; Suzukien Asakusa Honten, just behind Sensoji, where matcha gelato comes in seven strengths; and Ippodo Tea Aoyama, a tea room near Omotesando opened by a Kyoto tea merchant founded in 1717. Together they let you compare tea rooms run by Kyoto tea merchants with a specialist built around a single product.
Uji matcha in Tokyo
In Uji, near Kyoto, growers developed the technique of shading tea bushes before harvest around the 15th or 16th century, and this is usually credited as the origin of matcha as we know it. Kyoto tea merchants who have long dealt in Uji tea have more recently opened shops in Tokyo, and Nakamura Tokichi and Saryo Tsujiri in this guide are both Tokyo outposts of Kyoto tea merchants. They cannot recreate the buildings and streets of their Kyoto originals, but they let you taste the same merchants’ matcha sweets as part of a Tokyo itinerary.
In Ginza: Nakamura Tokichi Ginza
Nakamura Tokichi is a historic tea merchant based in Uji. Its Ginza shop on the 4th floor of GINZA SIX opened in April 2017, together with GINZA SIX itself, as the company’s first Kanto-region location. The menu centers on matcha, with parfaits and Japanese sweets, and tea leaves are sold for takeout. The nearest station is Ginza, so it is an easy stop during a shopping day.
- BUDGET
- ¥1,000–3,000
- AREA
- Ginza
- HOURS
- Likely follows GINZA SIX's general shopping and dining hours; exact hours for this specific cafe counter were not independently confirmed. Confirm locally before visiting.
The Uji original is known for its cafe inside a converted tea factory. The Ginza branch cannot offer that setting, but it serves the same merchant’s matcha sweets in Tokyo. The cafe’s own hours were not confirmed by this site, so check before you go.
At Tokyo Station: Saryo Tsujiri, Daimaru Tokyo
Saryo Tsujiri is the cafe arm of Gion Tsujiri, a Uji tea merchant founded in 1860. Its Daimaru Tokyo branch is on the 10th floor of the Daimaru Tokyo department store, right outside the JR Tokyo Station Yaesu North ticket gates. According to the official site, it is open 10:00 AM-8:00 PM (last order 7:30 PM), closes on irregular days, and accepts cash, credit cards and QR payments.
- AREA
- Tokyo Station
- HOURS
- 10:00 AM-8:00 PM (last order 7:30 PM). Closed irregularly. Per the official site.
The official site names the Tokusen Tsujiri Parfait as its most popular parfait, combining the shop’s own sweet bean paste, matcha jelly and other sweets in one glass. It is easy to visit before boarding a shinkansen or right after arriving. Saryo Tsujiri also has shops in Gion, Kyoto and at Daimaru Shinsaibashi in Osaka, so you can compare branches over the course of a trip.
In Asakusa: Suzukien Asakusa Honten
Suzukien, just behind Sensoji Temple, is known for letting you choose the strength of its matcha gelato by number, from No. 1 (mildest) to No. 7. The No. 7 has often been described by Japanese and international media as one of the most concentrated matcha gelatos sold in Japan. Cups that pair matcha with hojicha are also available, and you can eat at the counter or take it away.
- BUDGET
- Under ¥1,000
- AREA
- Asakusa
- HOURS
- Reported hours vary by source (roughly 10:00-17:00 or 11:00-17:00); some sources list an irregular midweek closure. Not independently confirmed for this guide -- check locally.
It is a short walk from Asakusa Station and easy to combine with a visit to Sensoji. It is known for queues, reported hours vary by source (roughly 10:00 or 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM), and some sources mention irregular midweek closures, so check current information before you go.
Near Omotesando: Ippodo Tea Aoyama
Ippodo Tea traces its origins to Omi-ya, a shop founded in Kyoto in 1717, and received the name Ippodo in 1846. Its Kyoto main store is on Teramachi-dori at Nijo. The Aoyama shop, opened on August 29, 2025, has a retail floor and a tea room on the second floor of a building 8 minutes on foot from Exit A5 of Omotesando Station (Tokyo Metro), toward the Nezu Museum.
- AREA
- Aoyama
- HOURS
- Shop and tea room 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (tea room last order 5:30 PM). Closed on Mondays.
According to the official site, the tea room has 21 seats and serves koicha, usucha, gyokuro, sencha, premium hojicha and iri-bancha with a sweet. The menu centers on tea itself and how to brew it, and a short matcha-whisking workshop is offered by reservation. Takeout matcha is 972 yen. It is open 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (tea room last order 5:30 PM) and closed on Mondays. Tea room reservations are accepted, and payment is by credit card, transit IC card or smartphone only; cash is not accepted.
Combining with sightseeing
Each shop sits in one of Tokyo’s main sightseeing or shopping areas. Choose Nakamura Tokichi on a Ginza shopping day, Suzukien on a Sensoji day, Saryo Tsujiri on a day you pass through Tokyo Station, and Ippodo Tea Aoyama on a day around Omotesando and Aoyama. Ginza and Tokyo Station are close, so you can visit both in one day; Asakusa is farther away and best planned around a visit there.
Which one to choose
For an unhurried, seated matcha parfait from a historic Uji tea merchant, choose Nakamura Tokichi Ginza or Saryo Tsujiri. To pick your own matcha strength and compare, choose Suzukien. For a shop open into the early evening, Saryo Tsujiri, open until 8:00 PM according to its official site, is the easiest. To take your time over tea itself, including gyokuro and sencha as well as matcha, choose the tea room at Ippodo Tea Aoyama.
Choosing a matcha sweet
Matcha sweets come in a few classic forms. Parfaits layer matcha ice cream, jelly, shiratama dumplings, sweet bean paste and more, and suit a seated break. Soft serve and gelato are quicker and balance matcha’s bitterness with milky sweetness. If you want to drink matcha itself, check the drinks menu. The stronger the matcha, the more bitter and aromatic it gets, so first-timers may want to start with a sweeter parfait or a milder gelato. At Suzukien, ordering different strengths and sharing is part of the fun. Matcha contains caffeine, so go easy on strong matcha late at night.
Budget and payment
Nakamura Tokichi Ginza is in this site’s budget range of about 1,000 to 3,000 yen per person and Suzukien is up to about 1,000 yen. The tea room price bands at Saryo Tsujiri and Ippodo Tea Aoyama have not been confirmed by this site, so check the menu at the shop (takeout matcha at Ippodo Tea Aoyama is 972 yen). Saryo Tsujiri accepts credit cards and QR payments as well as cash. Ippodo Tea Aoyama does not accept cash; pay by credit card, transit IC card or smartphone. Payment methods at Nakamura Tokichi Ginza and Suzukien were not confirmed by this site, so carry some cash.
Before you go
- English menus or English-speaking staff were not confirmed by this site at any of the four, so be ready to point at menu photos.
- Expect waits at most of these shops on weekends and holidays, especially at Suzukien, which is known for its queues.
- Nakamura Tokichi Ginza and Saryo Tsujiri are inside shopping complexes, so check the building’s hours and closing days too.
- Ippodo Tea Aoyama is closed on Mondays, and its tea room asks visitors to avoid strong scents such as perfume and hand cream.
For matcha at its source, see the best matcha cafes in Kyoto, and for Osaka, the best matcha cafes in Osaka.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have Uji matcha sweets in Tokyo?
Yes. Nakamura Tokichi Ginza and Saryo Tsujiri, Daimaru Tokyo are both run by Kyoto tea merchants that deal in Uji tea.
Which shop is easiest near Tokyo Station?
Saryo Tsujiri, on the 10th floor of Daimaru Tokyo right outside the Yaesu North gates. It is open 10:00 AM-8:00 PM (last order 7:30 PM) according to its official site.
How strong is Suzukien's No. 7 gelato?
It is the strongest of the shop's seven grades and has often been described by media as one of the most concentrated matcha gelatos sold in Japan.
Can I pay by card?
Saryo Tsujiri accepts cash, credit cards and QR payments. Ippodo Tea Aoyama does not accept cash (card, transit IC card or smartphone payment only). Payment methods at Nakamura Tokichi Ginza and Suzukien were not confirmed by this site, so carry some cash.
Can I try Japanese teas other than matcha?
Yes. The 21-seat tea room at Ippodo Tea Aoyama offers gyokuro, sencha, premium hojicha and iri-bancha as well as koicha and usucha. It is open 10:00 AM-6:00 PM (last order 5:30 PM) and closed on Mondays.
Quick Answer
In Ginza, Nakamura Tokichi Ginza brings an Uji tea merchant's matcha sweets to GINZA SIX. By Tokyo Station's Yaesu North gates, Saryo Tsujiri serves Gion Tsujiri's parfaits until 8:00 PM. Behind Sensoji, Suzukien lets you choose matcha gelato in seven strengths. Eight minutes from Omotesando Station, Ippodo Tea Aoyama serves koicha and gyokuro in a Kyoto tea merchant's tea room (closed Mondays, cashless).
- BUDGET
- ¥1,000–3,000
- AREA
- Ginza, Tokyo
Best for: Uji tea merchant's first Kanto shop, on the 4th floor of GINZA SIX since 2017.
- AREA
- Tokyo Station, Tokyo
Best for: Gion Tsujiri's cafe by the Yaesu North gates; open 10:00 AM-8:00 PM, cards and QR accepted.
- BUDGET
- Under ¥1,000
- AREA
- Asakusa, Tokyo
Best for: Matcha gelato in seven strengths, No. 1 to No. 7, just behind Sensoji.
- AREA
- Aoyama, Tokyo
Best for: Tea room (21 seats) of a Kyoto tea merchant founded in 1717; 8 min from Omotesando Station, closed Mondays, cashless.
