Matcha Wire

News article

The Matcha Bubble Captivating the World: A Pioneer Speaks on the Matcha Business Today and Tomorrow

Global demand for matcha has intensified into a supply competition, with overseas buyers acquiring stock directly from producers and low-quality product flooding markets. In response, Japan's agricultural ministry registered tea under geographic indication protection. Nanaya, which pioneered the matcha café model in 2001, has aggressively expanded into North America—opening a flagship Los Angeles store in May that drew 300 overnight queues. While Asia faces oversupply, North…

The Matcha Bubble Captivating the World: A Pioneer Speaks on the Matcha Business Today and Tomorrow
Photograph: Google News — Shortage / Prices / Exports
Original ↗
Key points
  • Nanaya opened matcha café concept in Tokyo (2001); now operating in Asia & North America with 300-person opening-day que…
  • Low-quality matcha flooding global market; MAFF enacted GI protection for Japanese tea to defend brand integrity.
  • North America expansion faces high regulatory, logistics, and compliance costs but offers strong consumer loyalty vs. ov…
  • Planned US openings: Boston (Massachusetts) and Meridian (Idaho) by year-end 2025.

Read the full article at the source ↗

You're reading the free briefing — upgrade to unlock every story and read any full article in English, one click.

About this article

The numbers
Nanaya founding year: 2001 First international store opening: 2012 LA flagship store opening-day queue: ~300 people Maximum wait time at LA opening: 2 hours
What they said
“Matcha is Japan's espresso”
抹茶こそ日本のエスプレッソでは
“The cost to gain US government approval is tremendous”
米国(政府)から認められるためのコストは、とてつもない
📍 National📍 Overseas Market & TradeMatchaPolicy
Unlock every story on Matcha Wire. All articles open, plus read any full article in English in one click — $75/mo, cancel anytime.
See what you get →

Comments

Create a free account or sign in to join the conversation.

Be the first to comment.