News article
What is and was Uji Matcha?
A podcast conversation examines the historical and contemporary meaning of the Uji matcha designation, tracing how the term has shifted from its original definition through the Edo period ochashi monopoly and into the modern era. The discussion reveals tensions between Uji's protected geographical indication and its actual production capacity—Uji produces only 37 tons of tencha annually—raising questions about what qualifies as single-origin Uji matcha when the trademark span…
Key points
- Uji produces only 37 tons of tencha per year, creating a mismatch between the trademark's geographic scope (four prefect…
- The ochashi monopoly under the shogunate structured Uji's market control; its collapse fundamentally changed the region'…
- The Uji matcha designation has evolved significantly over time; historical meaning differs from current trademark applic…
- Uji was never a unified single-origin region in the modern sense, complicating claims of authentic single-origin Uji mat…
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About this article
The numbers
Uji tencha production: 37 tons
What they said
“Uji produces only 37 tons of tencha a year”
Uji produces only 37 tons of tencha a year
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