Ice cream as big as your face!? TSUJIRI, the Kyoto Uji matcha brand that has been popular in Japan for 155 years

Text and photos by /MIKA

TSUJIRI has always been my favorite matcha brand. Whenever it comes to matcha desserts or shaved ice in Taiwan, I always recommend this one because TSUJIRI is a 155-year-old brand from Uji, Kyoto, Japan. Since its founding, the brand has maintained a dedication to Japanese tea, insisting on using premium tea leaves and striving to offer a variety of products that combine traditional Japanese tea culture. No wonder it's a Kyoto Uji matcha brand that has captivated Japan for nearly 155 years.

With a foundation in traditional Japanese tea culture, TSUJIRI is also committed to developing modern, stylish sweet treats. To help people today experience the charm of matcha, they don't just limit it to refined tea ceremonies but have also carefully crafted delicate, delicious, and compact desserts, as well as towering matcha shaved ice. Now they've even introduced Japanese-style light meals, ensuring you not only enjoy something dainty but also filling. All of this makes me, a matcha enthusiast, almost fall head over heels. Every time I come to TSUJIRI, I have to have a full matcha feast, ordering every item just to indulge.

The TSUJIRI Matsuyama Station flagship store is located on the west side of the second floor’s sunlit platform at Matsuyama Station, so it’s very easy to find.

Just go up the stairs—the entrance is right there.

The flagship store has many new products that made me overjoyed.

The glass curtain wall and floor-to-ceiling windows offer great lighting, while the high ceilings give a sense of openness and relaxation. The modern bar counter lighting and stylish, chic tables and chairs showcase yet another blend of traditional Japanese matcha with modern minimalist fashion.

The four-grid afternoon tea set from the matcha shop is simply too beautiful—I can choose any four of my favorite tea sweets to create my own custom afternoon tea set.

My favorites are the white mochi matcha red bean soup and matcha sundae... Oh my gosh!! And then there's the "Dawn of Uji" and "Sunset of Uji"—they’re huge mountains of matcha shaved ice, ahhhh!! I’ve missed this flavor for so long. Sigh~ When it comes to anything matcha, I don’t think there’s anything I don’t love.

They’ve introduced new Japanese-style light meals—this is something the flagship store exclusively offers (daily limited quantity, available for dine-in only).

For their matcha-based drinks... Their matcha latte, as well as sencha, hojicha, and genmaicha, are absolute masterpieces for me... I absolutely love their teas—they’re rich, aromatic, and smooth.

As for slushies and sundae desserts... Normally, when it’s not too crowded, I’ll order these slushies or matcha sundaes so I can grab them and go. But if I’m out with more friends, I’ll make them join me in tackling the matcha ice mountain.

The limited dine-in matcha concentric cake set.

This time I received an invitation from the TSUJIRI Matsuyama Station flagship store, so... I went all out with the ordering. This meal had three matcha enthusiasts in our group of four, so everyone wanted to try everything—and then we went completely overboard. We ordered way too much, ahhhh!!

Hojicha slushie float (with matcha)
You have to try TSUJIRI’s matcha soft serve—it’s an absolute must. It tastes exactly like what I had in Japan—super delicious.
It’s got matcha and creamy soft serve on top, with a hojicha slushie at the bottom, perfectly balancing the flavors. After finishing the soft serve, take a bite of the refreshing hojicha slushie—it’s an amazing combo.

The mug contains yuzu tea, the middle one is TSUJIRI Latte, and the right one is TSUJIRI Bubble Latte. The TSUJIRI Latte is truly a must-order—the rich matcha aroma blended with creamy milk reaches a whole new level of richness and smoothness!! Perfect. The yuzu tea is pretty average, since TSUJIRI’s strength really lies in its matcha. The TSUJIRI Bubble Latte is basically a matcha latte slushie!! And it’s topped with super fluffy and silky whipped cream—oh, their cream has that authentic Japanese texture too.

TSUJIRI Grilled Rice Ball NT$135(Daily limited quantity, available for dine-in only)
Freshly grilled miso rice balls, enhanced with green onions and mustard for layered flavors. The Japanese miso sauce has a relatively strong salty taste, but after the initial saltiness, it turns subtly sweet. Paired with a warm, toasted rice ball, it’s a perfect match.

Green Tea Buckwheat Noodle Soup NT$210(Daily limited quantity, available for dine-in only)
TSUJIRI’s Japanese light meals use imported ingredients and methods from Japan, offering authentic Japanese flavors. The Green Tea Buckwheat Noodle Soup is a traditional Japanese dish, made with pesticide-free powdered tea and free from artificial colors or preservatives—healthy, low-calorie, and guilt-free. However, due to its authentic Japanese taste, the broth tends to be on the saltier side. Although it uses natural, low-sodium seasonings, it might still be a bit too salty for Taiwanese palates. This one really depends on personal preference—those who dislike strong flavors should be cautious.

The texture of the green tea buckwheat noodles is very chewy, and I really like the refreshing taste—but the broth is a bit too heavy on the salt for me, XDD.

Cold Green Tea Buckwheat Noodles NT$210(Daily limited quantity, available for dine-in only)
This one I can handle better. The cold green tea buckwheat noodles are served with a chilled, slightly salty dipping sauce—you can dip them to your desired level, so you won’t find it overly salty.
The cold noodles are made in a way that gives them a springier, chewier texture, and you can also taste the subtle aroma of buckwheat and green tea, offering a more authentic and fragrant experience.

?Rice Tea Donburi NT.$180 (Daily limited time and quantity) (For dine-in only)
Freshly grilled miso rice balls are drizzled with aromatic genmaicha (roasted brown rice tea), then topped with green onions and mustard to add layers of flavor. This balances the strong saltiness of Japanese miso while leaving a sweet aftertaste.

The fragrant genmaicha is perfect for serving over rice—it’s sweet, aromatic, and doesn’t overpower the other flavors.

The crispy grilled rice balls paired with the salty-sweet miso sauce and fragrant genmaicha create a refreshing and multi-layered texture.

?Afternoon Tea Set NT.$320(1 dish + 1 drink: choose one from matcha / sencha / hojicha / genmaicha) (For dine-in only)
?HowToTrip’s afternoon tea set brings together all our popular items. Choose one dessert each from cakes, ice creams, mochi, and traditional Japanese sweets to create your own personalized tea experience. The set comes with matcha, where the sweet Japanese desserts pair wonderfully with the slightly bitter yet mellow and richly aromatic matcha—absolutely a perfect match. After each sweet bite, take a sip of matcha to balance the flavors, making it impossible to get tired of even the sweetest treats.

For our ?HowToTrip afternoon tea set, we picked the matcha extra-rich cheesecake—it was truly excellent, with both a strong tea flavor and a rich, tangy cheese aroma. So delicious!
Matcha ice cream is definitely a must-order. Paired with crunchy roasted genmai (brown rice) grains, the crispy texture and creamy, sweet ice cream are absolutely amazing.

The sakura mochi with white bean paste and red beans is beautifully presented. When eating, wrap the red beans and white bean paste inside the mochi—it’s even better with a scoop of matcha ice cream. The combination of textures makes it even more delicious. The hojicha (roasted tea) jelly is soft, bouncy, and has a lovely tea aroma. It’s refreshing and pairs wonderfully with the red beans and white bean paste, creating a sweet and tea-infused experience with a delightful chewy texture that complements everything perfectly.

White Bean Paste Mochi Red Bean Soup NT.$150(Available hot or cold) (For dine-in only)
Japanese mochi, known as "mochi" in Japan, has a springy texture that I absolutely love. My favorite is the chewy mochi paired with the red bean soup made with ?HowToTrip’s Uji matcha. The red beans are simmered to be sweet without being cloying, the matcha is fresh, fragrant, and has a lingering sweetness, while the mochi adds even more satisfaction. Together, they make the perfect matcha experience.

Matcha Fern Cake Sundae Duo Set NT.$400(1 dish + 2 drinks: choose two from matcha / sencha / hojicha / genmaicha) (For dine-in only)

Made with handcrafted fern cake using ?HowToTrip’s Uji matcha, the soft and slightly chewy texture is actually quite similar to our niangao (sticky rice cake) or mochi. It's really delicious, especially when eaten with ice cream. The slight bitterness and lingering sweetness of the matcha, combined with the soft, chewy texture of the fern cake, deliver a rich matcha flavor with a unique mouthfeel that’s instantly addictive. Paired with matcha yatsuhashi (Japanese layered cake) and matcha roll wafers imported directly from Japan, the sundae gains even more layers of flavor. This is truly a must-try masterpiece for any matcha lover!

?HowToTrip Sundae (Matcha)
The sakura mochi has a texture similar to rice crackers—made from rice. The best way to eat it is to scoop a bit of the matcha sundae ice cream and some mochi onto the sakura mochi and eat them together for an even better texture.

Uji Dawn Duo Set NT.$400(1 dish + 2 drinks: choose two from matcha / sencha / hojicha / genmaicha) (For dine-in only)
Inspired by the sunrise shining over the Uji tea fields in Kyoto, this dessert is drizzled with a special tea syrup. Its emerald green appearance sparkles like a crystal cave, while the whipped cream on top resembles a fresh milky halo. One bite of this icy treat is refreshingly cooling. Paired with classic ingredients like red beans and white mochi, it’s incredibly satisfying.

Just compare it to the face of the immortal rabbit and you’ll see how huge the portion of Uji Dawn is!

Inside the emerald-green matcha ice, besides matcha, you can also taste sweet whipped cream, red bean paste, and my personal favorite—white mochi. As you dig in and eat, the fun is in who finds the white mochi first—it’s always a joyful moment.

To prevent the Uji Dawn ice mountain from collapsing, we carefully dug out a small cave... doesn’t it look even more like a crystal cave now? XD Eating this requires a bit of skill, but it’s endlessly fun—delicious and entertaining.

Extra-Rich Matcha Cheesecake, Matcha & Hojicha Jelly
New products from TSUJIRI ?HowToTrip Tea Shop: the extra-rich matcha cheesecake and the matcha & hojicha jelly can be enjoyed in-store or taken away as gifts.

The extra-rich matcha cheesecake is truly delicious—the texture is rich with a perfect balance of creamy and tangy cheese flavors. The hojicha and matcha jelly is soft, chewy, and fragrant with tea, and it’s one of my favorites—especially since it contains white mochi. For tea lovers, this is definitely a must-try delicacy.

TSUJIRI ?HowToTrip Tea Shop Taipei Songshan Station Flagship Store (Café)
Address: No. 11, Songshan Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City
CITYLINK Songshan Station, 2F West Side Sunshine Terrace
Phone: +886 227476338
Hours: 11:00–22:00
Official Website:http://www.tsujiri.com.tw/
Fan Page:https://www.facebook.com/tsujiri

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