Research paper
Changes in the Business Models and Strategies of Tea Merchants in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture
A geographic study of Uji tea merchants showing how the matcha boom shifted their business from sencha to tencha, with most now supplying matcha to food companies while some pivot to direct retail.
京都府宇治市における茶商の経営形態と戦略の変化
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About this paper
Key findings
- Tencha is now the top-volume item for most Uji tea merchants, overtaking sencha since the 1990s
- High-grade tencha and gyokuro are sourced directly from local farmers; lower grades via JA Kyoto tea market
- Merchants supplement Kyoto leaf with cheaper Nara, Shiga, and Mie material to meet 'Uji-cha' demand
- Growing shift toward direct retail stores and own-brand matcha sweets/drinks for higher value-add
Method: interview-based geographic case study
Sample: Uji City tea merchants (count not stated)
Journal: CiNii — 碾茶・製茶 (Japanese Geographers' meeting proceedings)
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