Japanese tea industry news in English
Tokyo & Kanto · Overseas · Market & Trade
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Kagoshima builds major matcha processing plant
JA Kagoshima held a groundbreaking ceremony for a 2,500-square-meter matcha processing facility in Kagoshima City, designed to produce 300 tonnes of matcha annually at a cost of approximately 2.6 billion yen. The facility addresses a supply-chain bottleneck: most tencha grown in Kagoshima is currently processed outside the prefecture, limiting profit margins. The project aims to vertically integrate production and boost export revenue by completing the facility in November 20…
Matcha Demand Pushes Japanese Tea Prices to Record Highs
Matcha Industry Report is Ooika's monthly coverage of the Japanese tea industry, specifically Matcha. Join our newsletter here to keep up to date. Japanese tea prices hit record levels in 2026. It started with the first harvest in spring, a…
U.S. matcha boom drives 86% sales growth
U.S. matcha sales rose 86% between 2022 and 2025, driven by post-pandemic health consciousness, TikTok visibility (4.21 billion #matcha views), and interest in Japanese culture and Zen philosophy. The American market is forecast to double from $178.6 million in 2025 to $340 million by 2033. In Los Angeles, matcha retailers now outnumber coffee shops in some neighborhoods, creating hour-long queues at peak times. Rising prices for Japanese-origin matcha are prompting some impo…
Shizuoka · Matcha · Market & Trade
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Kagoshima · Market & Trade · Matcha
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Kagoshima · Matcha · Industry
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Shizuoka · Overseas · Market & Trade
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Kettl founder discusses 16 years sourcing Japanese tea
Kettl founder Zach Mangan shares insights from 16 years of Japanese tea sourcing, covering gogumi (tea blending) techniques learned from Masayoshi Koyama of Yamamasa Koyamaen, the history of single-estate matcha before the Meiji era, and the meaning of "Uji" on tea labels. The discussion extends to matcha sensory evaluation frameworks and how tasting other loose-leaf teas can deepen understanding of matcha.
Kagoshima · National · Market & Trade
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National · Market & Trade · Matcha
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Overseas · Matcha · Market & Trade
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Kagoshima · Market & Trade · Matcha
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Tokyo & Kanto · National · Market & Trade
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Kagoshima · National · Market & Trade
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Kyoto & Uji · Culture & Travel · Matcha
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Kagoshima · Matcha · Market & Trade
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Kagoshima · Market & Trade · Matcha
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Overseas · Market & Trade · Matcha
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Overseas · Market & Trade · Matcha
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Kagoshima · Market & Trade · Matcha
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Kyoto & Uji · Culture & Travel · Matcha
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China's matcha output triples to 70% of world supply
China's matcha production surged past 12,000 tonnes last year, giving it roughly 70% of global supply.
Matcha research accelerates as global boom deepens
Research into matcha's health effects has intensified alongside growing worldwide demand, with studies documenting benefits to cognitive function, allergy relief, muscle recovery, and brain capillary health. Recent findings from Japanese universities show that theanine and catechin in matcha improve attention and decision-making, suppress hay-fever sneezing by inhibiting brain-cell activity triggered by histamine, enhance muscle mass gains during strength training through ant…
