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Colored 'Matcha' Beverages Surge Overseas: How Matcha Became a Fashion and Wellness Symbol for Global Youth

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…

AERA DIGITAL · 2026-11-06

海外で大人気「ブルー抹茶」に「クリーンガール抹茶」世界の若者に広がる「MATCHA」ファッションとは（AERA DIGITAL） - Yahoo!ニュース

Colored 'Matcha' Beverages Surge Overseas: How Matcha Became a Fashion and Wellness Symbol for Global Youth — Photograph: AERA DIGITAL

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Key points

Colored powders using butterfly pea, turmeric, and other ingredients—not actual matcha—are sold as 'matcha' in overseas…
The 'matcha' category has redefined from tea to a third-tier beverage type, comparable to coffee and tea, driven by café…
Japanese travel influencers from Kyoto and the 'clean girl' aesthetic trend (launched ~2024) accelerated matcha's shift…
Overseas use of the word 'matcha' now includes any powder mixed with milk, not tea leaves, reflecting semantic drift in…

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