Japanese tea industry news in English
Exports triple as Japan moves to police its matcha boom
Japanese green-tea exports hit 720 hundred million yen in 2025, more than tripling in four years.
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Wisconsin matcha importer works with eight Kyushu farms
James Green, founder of KyuTeaCo, a Wisconsin-based matcha importer, sources directly from eight small family farms across Kyushu without using distributors or exclusivity agreements. Green spent time in Fukuoka in 1998 and later worked as a JET Programme participant in rural Ukiha, developing relationships with producers across different prefectures. The company is expanding beyond matcha into hojicha and genmaicha, and Green emphasizes that marketing labels like "ceremonial…
Colored matcha powders redefine matcha category overseas
Blue, red, pink, and yellow powders marketed as 'matcha' are spreading rapidly among overseas cafés and social-media influencers, though most contain no actual matcha—using butterfly pea flower, turmeric, and other ingredients instead. The shift reflects matcha's evolution from a health and mindfulness symbol to a fashion and beauty accessory, accelerated since 2024 by Japanese travel influencers posting from Kyoto and the 'clean girl' aesthetic trend that prizes health-consc…
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Saitama farmer donates matcha amid global shortage
A tea farmer in Saitama's Sayama district donated matcha to high school tea clubs struggling to source the powder as global demand has made it scarce and difficult to obtain. The Sayama region, known as a tea-producing area, stepped in to support students affected by worldwide matcha consumption trends.
Sayama grower donates matcha to school tea clubs
A Sayama tea producer has donated 1 kg of matcha each to two public schools' tea clubs—Sayama Dai Junior High and Sayama Economics High—in response to tencha prices rising more than twofold over five years. The high school's tea club struggled to secure matcha for a cultural festival last October. The grower, Toshinobu Motohashi, 42, who began tencha cultivation last year, decided to support the clubs so students could practice fully. The donated matcha is valued at roughly ¥…
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Japanese tea gains GI protection, counters counterfeits
Japan's tea industry is entering a new phase following the geographical indication (GI) registration of Japanese tea and the establishment of a Japanese Tea GI Promotion Committee. While exports surge on global matcha demand, counterfeit products claiming false origins have become a serious problem overseas. The nationwide GI registration provides government-backed quality assurance and intellectual-property protection, positioning the industry to strengthen production founda…
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Starbucks matcha frappuccino uses Chinese matcha
Starbucks's popular matcha cream frappuccino contains Chinese-sourced matcha, according to a survey of major chain restaurants' ingredient sourcing. Chinese matcha production exceeded 12,000 tonnes this year, more than double Japan's 5,000–7,000 tonnes annually, driven by global demand that Japanese supply alone cannot meet. As China expands large-scale cultivation and lowers production costs, Japanese matcha's influence on global pricing is expected to diminish, while Japan…
Tokyo matcha congress wins backing from three ministries
A Hamamatsu startup raised ¥350 million to turn abandoned tea fields into contracted matcha supply.
Kagoshima Builds Its Largest Matcha Factory as Japan Races to Mill More Tencha
Matcha Industry Report is Ooika's monthly coverage of the Japanese tea industry, specifically Matcha. Join our newsletter here to keep up to date. Kagoshima grows more Tencha than any other prefecture in Japan. But most of it leaves Kagoshi…
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Matcha Education Center launches Southeast Asia training
Matcha Education Center has signed a long-term partnership with The Food School Bangkok, a culinary institute backed by Dusit International, to develop joint educational content and certification programs on matcha knowledge, culture, and industry structure for baristas, chefs, and café operators across Southeast Asia. The organization has also partnered with CP-Meiji, a joint venture between Thailand's CP Group and Japan's Meiji, to combine dairy and matcha expertise to impr…
By the Numbers: October 2026
Hojicha reviews in London grew 114% year-on-year, the month's largest reported percentage move.