Aiya was established in 1888 as a local shop providing dyes and teas. “Aiya,” the nickname for the shop which later became the official company title, was given because the shop carried “Aidama,” an indigo colored dye used on kimonos. When first established, Aiya’s primary focus was on dyes and Gyokuro tea production. Soon thereafter, Aijirou sought to move the business toward producing more premium tea – Matcha. He teamed with local tea producers to cultivate new fields and worked tremendously hard in improving the technology of stone granite grinder mills to create a stable environment for the teas. His innovations to this centuries-old technology are still implemented in today’s modern production facilities.