Almost everyone knows that the heart of Chanoyu is Matcha, but few people actually know how matcha is made. How do you turn tea leaves into such a fine powder? How do you blend the powders to make teas with different aromas and flavors?

Here at the Matcha Museum “Saijoen Waku Waku,” you can enjoy the process of making matcha through hands-on experience. The museum is run by a long-established teahouse, Aiya.

The process of making matcha begins at the cultivation stage. When the sprouts emerge in the beginning of Spring, they are quickly covered with black wraps to reduce the amount of sunlight, thus increasing bitterness and astringency of the leaves. By doing so, it is said that the umami compounds, which is essential for matcha production. From April to May, the evergreen field of tea plants in Nishio turns into a sea of black wraps.

The taste and aroma of the tea leaves will change depending on when the wrap is applied, which will, in turn, determine if the tea is going to be used for tea ceremony or everyday use. The tea powder is separated after the harvested tea leaves are dried, stalks and veins are removed, and the remaining leaves are crushed. Characteristics of the tea, such as aroma and taste, are identified once it has turned to the powder form, Tencha. Based on those features, the tea powder is classified into finer grades or is blended together. While bitterness is generally avoided in the matcha for tea ceremony tea, bitterness and astringency are considered important in matcha used for processed food to allow the taste of matcha to come through even when mixed with dairy products. Even though the matcha used for tea ceremony is completely different from the matcha for processed food use, they are both called “matcha.” At the museum, you can taste and compare both kinds, so why don’t you experience the difference?

At a glance, Tencha looks like small bits of seaweed you would sprinkle on top of rice. It’s then refined by using a millstone called a Quern-stone, which looks like the curling stone used in the winter sports- two stones stacked on top of the other. The Tencha powder is made as the two stones graze against each other. By rotating the stone on top, the tea leaves are ground into smaller particles, creating a fine powder.

They say you should turn the stone one time every second-- if the movements are too fast then the flavor is impaired by the heat produced, and if the movements are too slow then the pieces won't grind into the fine powder. When you try the Quern-stone, you’ll be surprised at just how heavy it is. It takes about 5 minutes of turning the stone to grind a serving of matcha, which is quite the good upper arm workout. A Quern-stone was set up at a Mizuya (“water room”) in the Sarumen tea room of the Tokugawa Art Museum, and guests were served freshly ground matcha every ceremony. I’m sure you can understand that such hospitality was no easy feat.

At last, we have come to the end of the Matcha museum tour. It’s time to grind your own matcha and try it for yourself. If you are interested, trial courses require reservations at least a day in advance, either online or by phone. They fill up fast, so we recommend that you check online before visiting.