This is a series of articles on stylish gifts selected by Kyoto's fashionable people. The eighth installment features a tea and sweets assortment from a long-established Uji tea shop with over 300 years of history, recommended by the young owner of a Nishijin obi shop founded over 200 years ago. Kazumasa Hattori, managing director of Hattori Orimono in Nishijin, Kyoto, has designed and produced numerous kimonos and serves as an advisor to the Men's Kimono Haori Association, chaired by Kundo Koyama. With many generations of loyal customers, he often sends gifts from Marukyu Koyamaen. "I give gyokuro or matcha to older tea drinkers who are accustomed to tea, but for younger generations, I choose tea bags and matcha sweets," says Hattori. Marukyu Koyamaen, founded during the Genroku period (1603-1688), has been producing high-quality tea leaves in Uji, Kyoto for over 300 years. In addition to traditional tea leaves, they also offer a wide selection of easy-to-enjoy teas, including carbonated green tea and cold-brewed sencha, which can be made with just cold water. The Nishinotoin store, which also features a tea room, also specializes in matcha-infused sweets, such as matcha roll cakes and matcha ice cream. Popular gifts include the Matcha Cream Roll, a crispy roll filled with matcha cream, and the Matcha Sacret, a white cream sandwiched between matcha cookies. As you'd expect from a tea shop, these items fully capture the aroma, sweetness, and bittersweetness of matcha. A limited-edition summer assortment for 3,465 yen includes eight cold-brewed sencha pot bags, which allow you to easily brew delicious sencha by simply adding water; a 270g can of special green tea; ten matcha cream rolls; and ten matcha sacrets. The Marukyu Koyamaen Nishinotoin store is located on the west side of Nishinotoin-dori Oike-shitaru in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto City. Business hours are from 9:30 to 18:00, and orders stop at the tea room from 10:30 to 17:00. Closed on Wednesdays (open on public holidays).