Iwabuchi Tea Shop

Gotenzeki is one of the five former weir (irrigation canals) areas in Yamagata City.
It was used to carry agricultural and domestic-use water for over 400 years, and part of Gotenzeki also flowed to the moat of the Yamagata Castle.

The area was redeveloped in 2010 utilizing the old-fashioned masonry canal and was renamed Nanokamachi Gotenzeki, now a place of relaxation for citizens and tourists.

The long-established teahouse Iwabuchi Tea Shop representing this prefecture has set up a shop in Gotenzeki since 1880.
It is a shop that has been loved by the locals for a long time.
The owner Mr. Iwabuchi and his son are tea experts who have completed training for two generations at the Tea Industry Experiment Station in Kanaya, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
Therefore, it is a retail store that is familiar with “from tea plantations to products,” which is rare in Japan.
There are a lot of famous teas carefully selected by Mr. Iwabuchi in the store!
There are so many things from reasonable to high-end, so if you have any doubts about which tea to use, or if you have any questions about tea, please consult with Mr. Iwabuchi.

Please introduce recommended products based on your taste (^-^)

This time, I asked a little about the history so far!
Iwabuchi Tea Shop had its own tea plantation in Uji before the war, and it seems that the handling volume was one of the best in Yamagata prefecture.
The tatami room at the back of the Nanokamachi Gotenzeki site was the residence of the Iwabuchi family and the Buddhist altar room, and the warehouse was used as a tea stuffing place and warehouse for tea shops.
You can still see the remnants of it, such as the wells beside the waterways, so please take a look. (^-^)

In addition, at the “Iwabuchi Café ” located on the side of the waterway, you can enjoy a café menu with Macha green tea.
This is also introduced this time, so please come and visit us!

① Inside the store

First of all, it is the inside of the “Iwabuchi Tea Shop” that sells tea.
We have a wide variety of products, from reasonable to high-end.

As you can see in the picture, Macha green tea is well temperature controlled.
* At home, do not put it in the refrigerator and store it in a cool and dark place at room temperature.

Macha green tea is prone to quality deterioration and is easily affected by temperature, humidity and light.
I do not know about this!

I will be careful at home too (^^;)
In addition, he said that he is also careful about the temperature so that water drops do not get on when he goes out (^-^)

Not only tea leaves, but all the tools related to tea are available.

Kyusu is also quite powerful when lined up like this (> _ <)

Even if they look the same, each one has a different color and shape, so please look for your favorite (^-^)

In addition, there were teacups, teacups, and Macha green tea tools.

You can also take out soft-serve ice cream, so it is recommended to relax while gazing at the scenery of Gotenzeki.

② Recommended products

I asked Mr. Iwabuchi, the owner who is also a tea specialist, for some recommended products (^^)

[Recommended product # 1]
・ Fukuoka Yamecha 100g 1,620 yen (tax included)
・ Uji Chado Buddha 100g 1,620 yen (tax included)
・ Shizuoka tea sweet dew 100g 1,620 yen (tax included)

[Recommended product # 2]
・ Fukuoka Yame Tea Yame Hoshino Traditional Hontama Dew 100g 4,320 yen (tax included)

The most recommended of these is “Yamecha,” which is produced in the Yame region of Fukuoka Prefecture, which is the highest quality tea.

This area is suitable for cool and heavy rain and tea production, and especially the highest quality green tea, Gyokuro, is Japan in both quality and quantity.

The price of gyokuro and sencha varies greatly, but do you know the difference?

I’m ashamed to say that I only knew that gyokuro was a luxury item, so I did some research!

First of all, the big difference is the cultivation method of “whether or not to expose to sunlight”.

In the case of gyokuro, the tea plant is covered and grown at the earliest after the sprout emerges.

In tea plants, the astringent component catechin increases by performing photosynthesis, but the increase in catechin is suppressed by suppressing photosynthesis with a cover, and conversely, the increase in theanine, which is an umami component, realizes a thick sweetness. can do.

In addition to the cultivation method of covering Yamecha, I learned that the enormous amount of labor and skill, such as how to pick and steam, and the thoughts of the people involved in tea making are condensed.

It is also introduced on the homepage, so please have a look (^-^)

Yamecha HP

 

③ soft-serve ice cream menu

A popular soft-serve ice cream at the Iwabuchi Tea Shop.

It’s possible to take out, so it’s good to accompany you for a walk, or to have it cool by the side of the waterway (^-^)

・ Macha green tea software 350 yen (tax included)
・ Hojicha soft 350 yen (tax included)
・ Mix software 350 yen (tax included)

2. Iwabuchi Café

Next, I would like to introduce the Iwabuchi Café attached to the Iwabuchi Tea Shop.

It is a Japanese café space where you can enjoy tea and Japanese sweets.
I also asked about popular products (^^)

① Inside the store

The interior of the store has an impressive bright curtain like Macha green tea.
It has a Japanese-style atmosphere based on wood grain.

There are two types of seats, counter seats and table seats.

The table seats are like sofa seats on one side, so it’s helpful for children (^-^)

② Iwabuchi Café menu

(all prices are tax-included)

[O Macha green tea]
・ Macha green tea & cream anmitsu (half size): 800 yen
・ Macha green tea & warabimochi: 800 yen
・ Macha green tea & seasonal Japanese sweets: 800 yen
・ Macha green tea separately: 500 yen

[Anmitsu / soft-serve ice cream]
・ Select soft-serve ice cream anmitsu: 850 yen
・ Selectable ice cream anmitsu: 850 yen
・ Anmitsu: 750 yen
・ Select soft-serve ice cream: 500 yen
・ Soft-serve ice cream with red bean paste: 600 yen
・ Mitsu for topping: 70 yen

[Gyokuro / Sencha to choose from]
・ Yame Hon Gyokuro & Japanese sweets: 1,540 yen
・ Yame Hon Gyokuro & warabimochi: 1,540 yen
・ Yame Hontama Gyokuro separately: 880 yen
・ Sencha & Japanese sweets: 850 yen
・ Sencha & warabimochi: 850 yen
・ Sencha separately: 600 yen

There are other attractive menu items, so please come visit (^-^)

③ Iwabuchi Café’s popular menu

Iwabuchi Café has an attractive menu, but I asked the owner about the most popular menu!

That is the Macha green tea & cream anmitsu (half size) for 800 yen!

Well, I’m convinced by the photo alone that this set is popular (^-^)

This product seems to be popular especially in the cold season, and the characteristic is that you can arrange it to your liking.

For soft-serve ice cream, you can choose from “macha green tea, roasted green tea, mix”, and you can choose anko from “grain bean paste, koshian paste”.

Anmitsu eaten with warm macha green tea is sure to provide you with the best time!

On the other hand, this one is popular during the warmer months, the Selectable soft-serve ice cream anmitsu for 850 yen.

The size of soft-serve ice cream will be larger than on the macha green tea of the set introduced earlier.

In addition, you can choose mitsu from black mitsu or macha green tea mitsu.

3. Basic information