AOI Seicha traces its roots back to the development of Nishio tea in the heart of Aichi prefecture. Nishio has been known the world over as the cradle of the finest Matcha for more than 800 years. Some of Japan's highest quality teas come from Nishio, known as a historic tea cultivating region dating back to the 13th century.
AOI Seicha originates from Nishio in Aichi prefecture, a region with more than 800 years of matcha history dating back to the 13th century. Its emblem, the hollyhock crest, is linked to the Honda family, a samurai clan that rose to prominence during the Sengoku and Edo periods and shares lineage with the Tokugawa Shogunate crest.
In the early Taisho era in the 1900s, Honda Yasutaro reclaimed farmland in Nishio and founded the first AOI tea fields. Production shifted from hand-crafted methods to mechanised processing in the 1930s under Meiji Honda, whose leadership elevated Nishio tea across Japan. AOI Seicha’s 1955 Tencha division win at the National Tea Competition cemented its reputation. Successive generations have continued refining production so Nishio matcha can be enjoyed worldwide today.
Guided by its founding philosophy of harmony and purity, every leaf is carefully nurtured, shade grown, and stone-milled to draw out its gentle umami, soft aroma, and refined balance. The result is a quiet expression of Kyoto’s timeless aesthetic — a tea that invites pause, reflection, and the pursuit of perfection in everyday life.