Regional desk
Kagoshima tea industry news
Updated · 33 free stories
Kagoshima is the volume champion — flat, machine-harvested fields that briefly out-produced Shizuoka itself. At the National Tea Competition it took the production-area award for the 22nd straight year, and no region has felt the matcha boom harder: first-flush prices doubled in a year, and leaf prices quadrupled in two, as growers convert fields to tencha for grinding.
This desk reads the Kagoshima and Kyushu press every morning — the auctions, the conversion economics, the competition results — and files what moved. The free stories below are a sample; subscribers get every story, the morning it lands.
The latest
- Shizuoka retakes raw-tea crown after two years Shizuoka Prefecture has regained the national lead in first-flush raw-tea (荒茶) production for the first time in two years, surpassing Kagoshima. Ten Shizuoka tea products—loose leaf and tea bags—were entered in the World Green Tea Contest held in Shimada on 20 April, where judges assess flavor, aroma, packaging, and value alongside teas from ten countries and 107 total submissions. The contest's chief judge noted that some Shizuoka entries showed distinctive, forward-thinking…
- Shizuoka leads 2026 first-flush output; prices surge Japan's Ministry of Agriculture released 2026 first-flush tea production figures for five major regions on 18 March. Shizuoka reclaimed the national lead with 10,700 tonnes—a 32% year-over-year rise—after losing the position to Kagoshima in 2025. Favorable growing conditions drove the output gain. The average farmgate price for Shizuoka first-flush leaf reached 3,365 yen per kilogram, up 52% from the previous year, reflecting sustained domestic and overseas demand for matcha.
- Shizuoka regains first-flush lead after two-year gap Shizuoka Prefecture's 2026 first-flush (一番茶) rough tea output reached 10,700 tons, a 32% year-on-year increase, returning it to the top position in national production after Kagoshima held the rank in 2025. Favorable weather during April–May growth period, when Shizuoka had experienced suppressed development the prior year, drove the recovery. Kagoshima's output rose 14% to 9,610 tons, placing second.
- Kagoshima matcha featured at regional products fair A regional products exhibition opened August 18 at a Kagoshima department store, showcasing 58 vendors including 14 first-time exhibitors with approximately 1,900 items ranging from seafood to crafts. Kagoshima matcha was prominently featured as a regional specialty, with the governor sampling the product and matcha-cream pie offered as a limited event item. The fair runs through August 24 and aims to help local residents rediscover regional identity amid post-earthquake reco…
- Kagoshima tea exports surge to ¥584bn record Kagoshima Prefecture's agricultural exports reached approximately ¥584 billion in fiscal 2025, a five-year consecutive record driven by tea (chiefly matcha), farmed yellowtail, and beef. Tea exports alone climbed 164% year-on-year to roughly ¥104 billion, accounting for roughly 90% of agricultural shipments, as US and EU café operators and foodservice businesses increased orders amid rising health consciousness and interest in Japanese cuisine. The three leading categories—te…
Every open story
July 2026
- Kagoshima tencha auction surges on export demand Minami-Nippon Shimbun — Tea / Kagoshima
- Kagoshima Airport tea bags boost regional exports Minami-Nippon Shimbun — Tea / Kagoshima
- Japan defends tea brand as Chinese knockoffs surge Google News — Matcha / Tea Industry
- Matcha bubble threatens Japan's tea farming base Google News — Matcha / Tea Industry
- Fukuoka hotel cafe features Yame, Kagoshima matcha Asahi Shimbun Digital — Tea / Matcha
June 2026
- Kagoshima tea leaves quadruple in 2 years Google News — Matcha / Tea Industry
- Kagoshima tea exports hit record ¥333M Google News — Matcha / Tea Industry
- Kagoshima green tea exports hit record 332M yen Minami-Nippon Shimbun — Tea / Kagoshima
- Kagoshima co-op revenue up on tea, exports Minami-Nippon Shimbun — Tea / Kagoshima
- Gion Tsujiri launches tea-tin gift series PR TIMES — Japanese Tea
- Horiguchi Tea joins Kagoshima basketball club management Minami-Nippon Shimbun — Tea / Kagoshima
- Kagoshima first-flush prices double on matcha boom Google News — Harvest / Competitions / Market
- Kagoshima first-flush prices double on matcha boom Google News — Harvest / Competitions / Market
- Kagoshima first-flush prices double on matcha boom Minami-Nippon Shimbun — Tea / Kagoshima
- Kagoshima tea vision committee holds first meeting Minami-Nippon Shimbun — Tea / Kagoshima
- Kagoshima launches tea industry vision committee Minami-Nippon Shimbun — Tea / Kagoshima
May 2026
- Students' Dubai-style chocolate uses Chiran tea cream Minami-Nippon Shimbun — Tea / Kagoshima
- Tanegashima second-flush tea price doubles year-on-year Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Kagoshima Tea Map Charts Regional Terroir Kagoshima Pref. — National Tea Competition
- Empty tea association information page, no posts Kagoshima Tea Council — Competition
- Kagoshima's 63rd National Tea Competition results posted Kagoshima Tea Council — Competition
- Matcha boom is destroying Japan's tea industry PR TIMES — Japanese Tea
April 2026
- 6th Reiwa New Tea Festival in Kagoshima Kagoshima Tea Council
September 2025
- 79th National Tea Competition Results Published Kagoshima Tea Council
August 2025
- Kagoshima Wins 22nd Straight National Tea Title Kagoshima Pref. — National Tea Competition
- Disease-resistant 'Rinmei' cultivar suits matcha, export NARO — Press Releases
October 2021
- Kagoshima Prefecture Tea Competition Results Published Kagoshima Tea Council — Competition
January 2008
- Kagoshima wins 22nd straight national sencha title Kagoshima Pref. — National Tea Competition
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