Conversation with Yusuke Tsuen, 24th-generation owner

This week, I had tea with Yusuke Tsuen, the 24th-generation head of Tsuen Tea — the oldest tea shop in Japan. His family has operated the shop at the foot of Uji Bridge since 1160, serving emperors, monks, samurai, and now tourists and locals alike. (I posted some pictures here.)

Yusuke sits in the welcome hall daily, greeting customers. Locals tell me they return for two reasons: the tea’s unmatched quality, and the warmth of Yusuke’s family.

Yusuke shared a story from 1945: with the war nearing its end, his grandfather received word that the nearby bridge — and by extension, the shop — might be bombed. His grandmother and great-grandmother rushed to move the tea to safety. At the last moment, the bombing was called off.

“Survival,” Yusuke said, “depends on luck as much as planning.”

But luck alone doesn’t explain their endurance. “I think it’s important to explain to our customers the wonder of tea every day,” he told me. Education is part of the ritual. The shop remains small — just 20 employees — and Yusuke refuses to expand into department stores.

“We always think about our ancestors,” he said. “And we don’t want to grow too big.” When I asked about the next 800 years, he reflected quietly. The pandemic, he said, was the greatest challenge of his life — but the shop survived, thanks to loyal customers and his determination to keep showing up.

“I continued to work, hoping things would recover.” He now has four children. His eldest, still young, is already showing interest in the tea. “I believe we can overcome any difficulties we encounter.”