News article
Japan faces supply squeeze as matcha boom goes global; China rapidly gains market share
Japan's matcha exports reached a record 12,600 tonnes in 2025, up 43% year-on-year, yet domestic shortages persist as global demand outpaces supply. The constraint stems from matcha's labour-intensive production: tencha requires 20–40 days of shade cultivation, and traditional stone mills produce only 40 grams per hour. Meanwhile, China now supplies approximately 70% of global matcha, with production exceeding 12,000 tonnes, leveraging land abundance, labour availability, and…
抹茶は世界的なブームとなっており、日本は強力なライバルに直面している。 - Vietnam.vn
Key points
- Japan's green tea (including matcha) exports hit 12,600+ tonnes in 2025, up 43% YoY; tencha output projected above 6,200…
- Stone-mill capacity limits premium matcha production to ~40g/hour per mill; Horiisichimei-en shares 80 mills with 7 othe…
- China now dominates ~70% of global matcha supply (12,000+ tonnes); Guizhou Province alone accounts for ~20% of China's t…
- Premium Uji matcha prices near $170/box—3–5× higher than five years ago; Horiisichimei-en's heir emphasizes origin story…
- Japanese sencha production fell over 25% in a decade (49,000+ tonnes in 2015 to ~36,500 tonnes forecast in 2025) as farm…
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
Green tea exports (including matcha): 12,600 tonnes
Tencha production projection: 6,200 tonnes
Stone-mill matcha output per hour: ~40 g
Horiisichimei-en shared stone mills: 約80基
What they said
“Japanese tea once faced decline, but we have overcome that thanks to the matcha boom overseas.”
かつて日本茶は衰退期にあったが、海外での抹茶ブームのおかげでそれを克服できた
“This is a story about plantation, land, and climate. We must not forget our origins and must tell that story to the world.”
これはプランテーション、土地、そして気候についての物語だ。私たちは自分たちの起源を忘れず、その物語を世界に伝える必要がある
“Although Japan's matcha production has risen rapidly in recent years, it cannot keep pace with the growth in global demand.”
日本の抹茶生産量も近年急速に増加しているが、世界的な需要の増加ペースには到底追いつけていない
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.