At the foot of the mountains north of Osaka, Katsuo-Ji sits surrounded by cedar and mist. For centuries, it has carried a name that stirs ambition: the Temple of Victory. Samurai once came here before battle, students before examinations, merchants before ventures. Each of them carried the same quiet hope—that the discipline they practiced daily would carry them to triumph.
Katsuo-Ji’s teaching has never been about shortcuts. It is about the invisible hours: the sword raised again and again in training, the same passage of text recited until it becomes muscle memory, the day after day of showing up when no one is watching. Victory, they say, is not a sudden burst of fortune. It is the slow accumulation of effort.
"重なりの先に、勝はある"
Beyond repetition lies victory.
This autumn, we are honoured to bring TWO Matcha to Katsuo-Ji in the form of two limited-edition teas, created in collaboration with the temple:
Ceremonial Okumidori Matcha (20g) — a rare harvest, vivid and refined, made only from the first flush of leaves.
Latte/Culinary Grade Matcha (50g) — balanced and versatile, crafted from first-harvest leaves. Ideal for daily use in lattes or cooking, yet refined enough to enjoy as ceremonial matcha.
Both are single-origin, grown in Wazuka, Kyoto—the cradle of Uji matcha—without pesticides or blends from different farms. Both come in designs created with Katsuo-Ji, and both are available only while supplies last.
Why here, and why now? Because the act of making matcha is itself a discipline. To pause, to measure, to whisk, to drink—it is a ritual of focus and intention. The small act, repeated daily, changes the rhythm of a life. And just as the rings of a tree grow one by one, invisible until you step back, each quiet practice adds up.
When you lift the bowl at Katsuo-Ji, you stand in a line stretching back through warriors, monks, students, and dreamers. Each of them entrusted their hope to this place, knowing that success is not granted in a single prayer but earned in the patience of a thousand small gestures.
Matcha can be that gesture.
Victory can be that ritual.
For those wishing to visit, Katsuo-Ji Temple (勝尾寺) is located in Minoh, Osaka, about 30 minutes from central Osaka.
View on Google Maps | Katsuo-Ji Official Website
