About Nakamura Chaho
Our Story & History
From a town that loves tea, a gentle cup for you.
Since its establishment in 1884, Nakamura Chaho has been a fixture in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, a city that boasts a unique tea culture built by a lord who loved tea.
From a cup of tea in a formal tea ceremony that straightens your back, to a casual cup poured from a pot on the veranda, the people of this town have enjoyed tea in various forms as part of their daily lives.
We cherish the "easygoing tea culture" of this town. We aspire to be a tea shop that offers authentic flavors that gently permeate the senses of every individual, whether they wish to enjoy a formal tea ceremony or simply carry their tea in a tumbler.
Nakamura Chaho has been manufacturing and selling Japanese tea for approximately 140 years since its establishment in 1884, in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, which is one of Japan's three major wagashi (Japanese confectionery) producing regions and a significant consumer of green tea.
In this town, where the culture of tea ceremony thrives, our artisans meticulously prepare carefully selected matcha, sencha, and hojicha, offering a "gentle cup" that comforts both body and mind. We deliver this Japanese tea experience, enjoyed with all five senses, to your daily life and to the world.
4th President: Hisao Nakamura
Management Philosophy
1. Tea that moves you with its deliciousness from the bottom of your heart.
2. Tea that preserves Japan's traditional culture.
3. We aim to be a comprehensive food manufacturer of tea that scientifically, chemically, and medically pursues tea that protects our customers' health.
History
The Origins of Nakamura Chaho
Nakamura Chaho was founded in 1884 when Suekichi Nakamura I branched off from Nakamura Tokichi Honten, a tea wholesaler in Uji, and established a tea business in Matsue. Suekichi Nakamura was nationally renowned for his exceptional skills in "tocha" (tea tasting), and in 1913, he also became an inventor, creating Japan's first electric stone mill for efficiently grinding large quantities of matcha.
Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, where tea culture is deeply rooted in the lives of ordinary people
Matsue City in Shimane Prefecture is one of Japan's three major wagashi (Japanese confectionery) centers, alongside Kyoto and Kanazawa. This is said to be because the tea ceremony culture became widely popular among the common people after Matsudaira Fumai, the 7th lord of the Matsue domain and a daimyo tea master, perfected the art of tea and founded the "Fumai-ryu" school. Matsue is also a rare region where the custom of drinking matcha as an everyday beverage still remains, and Nakamura Chaho continues its efforts to spread the charm of this unique tea ceremony culture. Photo: Japan's first electric stone mill for grinding matcha (around 1913)
Introducing Matsue's tea culture to the world. We began exporting Japanese tea 20 years ago.
With the desire to introduce more people to Matsue's tea culture, where one can casually enjoy matcha, and the appeal of Japanese tea, the 4th generation owner opened "Chaho," a Japanese tea cafe, in Bangkok, Thailand in 2007. This Japanese tea cafe, using our original matcha, sencha, and various other Japanese teas, quickly became a boom throughout Bangkok, and was featured in both Thai and Japanese media as the catalyst for the matcha boom in Southeast Asia.
As the first Japanese tea company, we presented our tea to the Thai Royal Family.
Additionally, a year after Chaho opened, in 2008, we were invited by the Thai royal family to the "International Tea and Coffee Exhibition," where we served tea to Queen Soamsawali. For the tea ceremony, we presented the highest grade matcha, "Kiku-jirushi Nakanoshiro" (30g/20,000 yen), which was also produced and sold in limited quantities domestically. Currently, Chaho primarily operates through e-commerce sales.
Received a national award as an outstanding exporter
In 2018, we were awarded the "1st Excellent Exporting Business" by the Chugoku-Shikoku Agricultural Administration Bureau, becoming the first Japanese tea specialty shop in the Chugoku-Shikoku region to receive this honor. Nakamura Chaho will continue to promote the appeal of Matsue's tea culture from Shimane Prefecture to other prefectures and overseas. Furthermore, while addressing the evolving challenges facing Japanese tea, we will carefully connect the spirit and culture of tea to the future.
Connection to Lafcadio Hearn
In October 2009, tea was served in Greece, the birthplace of Lafcadio Hearn.
2009 marked the 110th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Greece. To commemorate this, a contemporary art exhibition featuring works inspired by Lafcadio Hearn was held at the American College of Greece in Athens. Nakamura Chaho offered tea to guests and spoke about Matsue's tea culture. The exhibition showcased sculptures by Yumiko Yoneda, an artist from Matsue (currently residing in The Hague, Netherlands), and calligraphy by Hiroyoshi Kawazu, chairman of the Yakumo-kai. An unveiling ceremony for Masaaki Noda's sculpture, "The Open Mind of Lafcadio Hearn," was also held during the opening event.
July 2014: Participated in an international symposium in Greece as part of the 110th anniversary of Lafcadio Hearn's death.
An international symposium interpreting Hearn's "Open Mind" was held in Lefkada, Greece, his birthplace. The "Lafcadio Hearn Museum" opened inside the Lefkada Cultural Center. Nakamura Chaho offered tea ceremonies and matcha experiences in Lefkada, Athens, and Corfu, which were attended by local citizens. Additionally, exhibitions related to Hearn were simultaneously held, including a "Lafcadio Hearn Recitation Evening" in Lefkada by actor Shiro Sano, a native of Matsue City, and guitarist Kyoji Yamamoto, as well as a performance of "Yuki-onna" from the Seiwa Bunraku puppet theater, a tradition in Yamato Town (formerly Seiwa Village) in Kumamoto Prefecture.
In October 2015, a special exhibition was finally held in Ireland, the home country where Hearn spent his childhood.
The "Open Mind of Lafcadio Hearn" project, which had been seeking implementation in Dublin since 2012, was finally held in his homeland, Ireland. In Dublin, the Little Museum independently planned the exhibition, showcasing approximately 15 items from the Hearn Memorial Museum in Matsue, marking their first overseas display. Hearn's writings and photographs were also exhibited, creating a unique and fascinating exhibition that captured the keen interest of Dublin residents. Nakamura Chaho offered matcha experiences to the people of Ireland at Dublin City University and the Tramore Coastguard Cultural Centre.
会社概要
- 名称
- 有限会社 中村茶舗（なかむらちゃほ）
- 所在地 等
-
■ 本社
〒690-0064 島根県松江市天神町6
TEL：0852-24-0001 FAX：0852-26-3960
フリーダイヤル：0120-012-455
メール：nakamurachaho@nippon-tea.co.jp
ホームページ：https://www.nippon-tea.co.jp/
営業時間：午前9時～午後5時／休業日：毎週日曜
■ 直販部
TEL：0852-24-0002
営業時間：午前9時～午後5時
定休日：年中無休（元旦～1月4日のみ休業） - 資本金
- 720万円
- 役員
-
代表取締役 中村 寿男
専務取締役 中村 崇己子 - 従業員数
- 21名
- 創業
- 1884年（明治17年）
- 主要取扱商品
- 日本茶（抹茶、煎茶、玄米茶等）の製造・卸・小売、コーヒー、茶道具販売、お茶関連の商品販売、ギフト商品
- 取引先
- 卸売先小売先
- 取引銀行
- 山陰合同銀行／島根銀行松江駅前支店／みずほ銀行松江支店 他