This premium tea is made from leaves harvested annually from one of the most meticulously managed tea gardens within Heien’s private estates. Among these, the leaves used for Kiwamecha are selected from a particularly well-cared-for plot, cultivated using traditional techniques passed down from Yoshida Kisaburo, the 14th-generation owner of Heien. These techniques have been recognized as an intangible cultural property by Uji City since 1970.

Heien also oversees the fertilization of Japan’s oldest existing tea garden, located at Kozan-ji Temple in Toganoo, Kyoto—the birthplace of Uji tea. The name “Kiwamecha” was given in honor of high praise from Terasumi Hagami Ajari, the temple’s head priest and guardian of the sacred tea garden.