Our story
Founding of Sayamaen
Beginning of Sayamaen
In 1951, Magokoro Meicha Sayamaen was established in Tachikawa City, Tokyo.
Kikuo Ikeya, the founder of the company, was born in the western part of Saitama Prefecture (present Mizuho Town, Nishitama County), so he started selling Sayama-cha in Hagoromo Town, Tachikawa City, where our main store is located today.
Our business relationship with Namikien tea farm of Iruma City, the producer of “Sayama-cha Honoka,” began at that time.
In 1975, Kenji Ikeya, the second generation, opened Sayamaen’s branch next to the Seiyu supermarket.
In 1981, Kenji Ikeya assumed the position of Representative Director and established Sayamaen Limited. 2019, 68 years after its establishment, Sayamaen was renovated, relocated, and reopened at the site of its original establishment. Kayoko Ikeya, the third generation, assumed the position of president and representative director.
Commitment to products
Role of Sayamaen as tea retailer
We do not own tea plantations, but instead purchase directly from tea farmers, tea makers, and tea merchants who make the tea that is our product.
We sell affordable, quality products that reflect the producers’ commitment to tea production and the delicious taste we seek.
Every year for nearly 30 years, we have visited the producers of the tea products to learn about their thoughts and feelings, which we share with our customers in the Sayamaen Ippuku Dayori newsletter every year during the new tea season and in the fall.
Our role is to deliver the thoughts and persistence of the makers to our customers along with our products. We do not just purchase and sell products, but also tell the stories behind the products.
Specialty teas
About Sayamaen Tea
Currently, we purchase tea directly from tea farmers and tea wholesalers in Sayama and Shizuoka, and sell Sayamaen’s original series of excellent teas, mainly sencha. We offer Japanese teas with the characteristics of each production area and the sense of the tea makers.
The tea we purchase is packed and sold in the Sayamaen store, so we do not keep a large inventory, and fresh tea is always available in the store.
In addition to tea, we also sell tea utensils such as Tokoname-yaki and Banko-yaki teapots, seaweed, tea cakes, and food products that we have carefully selected from our own inspection.
Japanese Tea Culture to the World
Our Now and Future
In addition to selling products, Sayamaen, which is run by the second and third generations of the family, also offers take-out tea brewed in a teapot and a tea supply spot service for those who bring their own bottles so that they can enjoy tasty Japanese tea easily.
In addition, inside and outside the store, we offer hands-on Japanese tea workshops and events in Japanese, English, and Spanish, which only a tea shop can offer.
We will continue to expand Sayamaen’s tea and Japanese tea culture to the world by holding sales and events in Colombia, South America, Germany, and other countries.
Initiatives at Sayamaen
- We are a member of the Tachikawa City Shopping District Federation, Hagoromo Shopping District Promotion Association, and Hagoromo Hello Chip, and actively cooperate with Tachikawa City and shopping district events and activities.
- We encourage customers to bring their own containers and bags for shopping in the shopping arcade and to participate in the “eco one store, one product” movement.
We have installed household garbage disposals in our stores, collect tea leaves that would otherwise be garbage, and turn the dried tea leaves into fertilizer and other products as part of our 3R efforts. - We offer services such as selling tea leaves by weight if you bring your own tea canister, and tea supply spots if you bring your own bottle, to reduce disposables as much as possible and make your tea tasty. For more details, please see our blog post.
- Tachikawa City oversize garbage disposal ticket dealers, stores selling designated household garbage collection bags (payment is accepted only in cash)
- Distributor of stamps, postcards and letter packs
- Cashless payment is available.
- The official Sayamaen LINE account sends out information on new products and special sales, so if you have a LINE account, please register.
