We’re heading full-tilt into the holiday season, but don’t worry. Allow IKKYU to suggest tea for everyone on your list, from indulgent gift sets to smaller gift basket treats. We have ideas for everyone: friends new to the world of Japanese green tea, as well as those with a more refined palate.
If you are still undecided, why not browse our all year round Gift Ideas page ? You will find anything a tea beginner or a fine connoisseur could wish.
Specialty Gift Sets
Look no further for a one and done perfect present. Our luxury boxes and gift sets are complete offerings in an elegant box, hand-packed with care. Each set is accompanied by specialized brewing instructions and producer information to guide the recipient through their tea journey.
A special release for the holiday season, we are partnering with Hotel 1899 in Tokyo to present the 1899 GIFT BOX.
1899 incorporates tea service and “tea cuisine” into its luxury stay experience as part of its mission to promote Japanese tea culture. We believe their goals–to relax with tea and re-integrate it into daily life–align perfectly with those of IKKYU, and are happy to share their sublime set for this holiday season.
New this year at IKKYU, our ORITAEN LUXURY BOX collects 3 bags of 100 grams of Kagoshima’s finest Chiran sencha. An exciting exploration of this terroir, and a generous present for fukamushi sencha fans. Adding to our first GYOKURO LUXURY BOX currently out of stock we have created an new one with plenty of YAME Gyokuro to go through the winter season.
Mirakugama Cups
One can never have too many teacups. The KUJU RENZAN collection from Mirakugama in Fukuoka offers a range of cups for sencha or gyokuro. Each is crafted using the clay at the kiln itself, which has been coveted for its quality for over a century. The glazes are handmade by the Kamei family themselves, resulting in a rich, naturally spontaneous variety that reflects the Kyushu landscape.
These paper-thin stoneware cups are named after six peaks of the Kuju mountain range, the ruddy earthen slopes that make up “the roof of Kyushu.” Take a trip across the varied hills and vales of our home island.
Mix and match to make a gift set, or choose one for a stand-alone gift.
Suitable for: too-much-tea friends, afternoon tea fans, Japan enthusiasts
Favorite Gift Sets
We have a brand new MATCHA GIFT BOX that is all stone milled matcha from Yame and Satsuma, as well as organic matcha from Kagoshima. This four part set is perfect for matcha beginners or fanatics, giving you the roasted nuttiness of Yame and the round notes from further south.
JUKI is a two-for-one: Irie san’s organic sencha is sweet and smooth, and the lacquer painted tea caddy is stunningly decorated and can continue to be used to store future teas.
The IKKYU DISCOVERY BOX is your gateway to Kyushu. Regional specialties such as Tamaryokucha and White Tea are presented alongside a classic Yame sencha.
And our little new one, the IKKYU WHITE GIFT BOX a wrapping option to include your beloved teas and share with your loved ones.
Gifts For Novice Drinkers
Below are the teas we think are most suitable to give to those who have just started their Japanese tea journey. We focused on accessible and simple brewing, easy enjoyment being the priority.
There’s a variety of robust and exciting flavors, drawn either from the leaves themselves or from all-natural blends. We have black teas for those who need to be eased into green tea, shiraore and houjicha for low-caffeine options, and time-tested IKKYU standards that are sure to please.
Gifts For Connoisseurs
We would be amiss to start with anything other than this year’s winner of the highest award for gyokuro in all of Japan, Tokunaga san’s SHINTARO.
We visited Reiganji this month to see the famous field for ourselves and discussed what role gyokuro plays in Yame, as well as how it is consumed and by whom. In conversation with him and Koga san, who are both third generation tea people, the consensus was: gyokuro is a gift. It’s a special tea requiring a great deal of effort, so it’s an expression of appreciation.
Something to treasure.
Our other gifts for a more discerning drinker are spread across prefectures but are unified in their excellence.
Small Delights
Gifts the recipient might not think of, small moments that make tea time that much more enjoyable. The MINI MATCHA SHAKER is an indispensable tool for quick cold-brew matcha, or any other powder.
Speaking of powder, ITOMI is an interesting option: rich shaded sencha powder that can be prepared and enjoyed like a matcha with a cleaner aftertaste than most conventional tea powders.
NADESHIKO is another powder with a funky plum flavor, easily whisked up or into other drinks. And for cold-brew convenience, the HARIO bottle is the best for no fuss tea preparation in summer.
