Regional desk
Shizuoka tea industry news
Updated · 78 free stories
Shizuoka is Japanese tea at industrial scale — and in 2026 it took the top spot back. The prefecture led national production for most of a century before slipping behind Kagoshima, then reclaimed the first-flush crown this spring with 10,700 tons of rough tea, up 32% in a year, as favourable weather met matcha-driven demand.
This desk reads the Shizuoka press every morning: the ministry's production figures, the aracha market and first-flush auctions, the Makinohara–Kakegawa growing belt, and the argument now running inside the prefecture — what the price surge should actually pay for. The free stories below are a sample of that coverage; subscribers get all of it, the morning it lands.
The latest
- Heritage tea donated to care facility The Fujiseda Tea Promotion Council donated tea made from leaves of a heritage tea tree (daicha-ju) in the Setono Valley district to a care home in Fujiseda. The council's vice chair presented three 50-gram bags of the tea, called "Longevity Fragrance," to facility users, positioning the leaves as a symbol of longevity and well-being.
- Japan's matcha faces Chinese competition, price pressure Japanese green tea exports reached 12,600 tonnes last year, triple the figure from a decade ago, but domestic matcha prices have surged. Kagoshima became Japan's largest tea region in 2024, now supplying 40% of the nation's tencha (the shade-grown precursor to matcha). While global demand accelerates, traditional Japanese tea consumption has halved from 527 grams per capita in 1970 to 233 grams in 2024, and tea-garden area is forecast to shrink 31% between 2005 and 2025 as fa…
- Shizuoka names tea research center director Yasutoshi Sada, who spent most of his 34-year career in Shizuoka prefectural tea administration, took the helm of the Shizuoka Tea Industry Research Center in April. The center was renovated last year to enable collaborative research among industry, government, and academia, with current work focused on genome analysis for efficient cultivar improvement and production technologies.
- Vending matcha latte debuts with Shizuoka tencha Aseed Group will begin selling a matcha latte through vending machines on October 6, using Shizuoka-grown Tenkū no Matcha. The product was developed from field staff input seeking a distinctive vending offering that combines Japanese ingredients with dessert-like richness. The formula uses generous amounts of matcha and milk to preserve the matcha's presence while delivering balanced, concentrated flavor.
- Yamakei Seicha wins Governor's Prize finishing competition The 18th Raw-Tea Finishing Technique Competition, held on the 30th at Shizuoka Tea Market, awarded the top Governor's Prize to Daisuke Maruyama of Yamakei Seicha in Kakegawa. Forty-three entries competed using medium-steamed Yabukita raw tea sourced at ¥3,000 per kilogram, judged on appearance, aroma, and taste.
Every open story
September 2026
- Shizuoka targets ¥17.8bn tea exports by 2030 Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Shiga tea competition awards top producers Kyoto Shimbun — Tea / Uji
- Shizuoka tops first-flush output on matcha pivot Google News — Matcha / Tea Industry
- Suzuyo backs Blue Farm organic matcha expansion Google News — Matcha / Tea Industry
- Local matcha prototype debuts amid global demand Google News — Overseas / Boom
- Shimada tea group gifts longevity tea to elderly Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Marumiya Seiza wins finished-tea competition Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Sushi-matcha café hybrid opens in Asakusa PR TIMES — Matcha
- Shizuoka takes two golds at World Green Tea Contest Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- World Green Tea Association honors tea industry pioneers Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Hong Kong hotel debuts matcha afternoon tea menu みんなの経済新聞ネットワーク
- Yuzu expands in Malaysian market beyond matcha NNA
- Nobel launches Shizuoka matcha milk candy PR TIMES — Matcha
- Shizuoka students promote rare heritage tea variety Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Gifu launches matcha baked goods contest Google News — Matcha / Tea Industry
August 2026
- Hasegawa Seichi certifies organic single-origin matcha Google News — Matcha / Tea Industry
- National tea appraisal competition draws 120 young experts PR TIMES — Japanese Tea
- Shizuoka takes ministerial honors at national tea awards Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Shizuoka leverages matcha boom for tea tourism 静岡朝日テレビ
- Shizuoka retakes raw-tea crown after two years 静岡朝日テレビ
- Japan matcha shortage; China captures 70% of global supply Google News — Shortage / Prices / Exports
- Shizuoka leads 2026 first-flush output; prices surge Chunichi Shimbun — Tea / Nishio Aichi
- Shizuoka regains first-flush lead after two-year gap Google News — Harvest / Competitions / Market
- Exchange students taste fried chicken in sencha Google News — Matcha / Tea Industry
- Mino Ibi matcha parfait debuts at Nagoya station Google News — Matcha / Tea Industry
- Fujinomiya matcha gelato wrapped in mochi Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Yamacen opens tencha factory in Shizuoka Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Tea fields decline despite matcha export surge Google News — Matcha / Tea Industry
- Tea maker ditches plain matcha for fruit blends 静岡朝日テレビ
July 2026
- Shizuoka auction sets record bid rate Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- JA Oigawa launches annual summer tea sale Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Hamamatsu matcha roadshow hits local youth Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Fire destroys Shizuoka tea factory Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Filipino-born matcha brand returns to Japan as reverse-import model PR TIMES — Matcha
- Blue Farm launches matcha subscription for corporate clients Google News — Matcha / Tea Industry
- Pilates K partners with Chotto Matcha for wellness events PR TIMES — Matcha
- Shizuoka second-flush prices double; output falls Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Shizuoka second-flush hits record prices Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- 30-yr Yabukita tea trees store 31.3 t-C/ha J-STAGE — Tea Research Report
- Japan Tea Gains National GI Protection Status Marc's picks
- Fujinone opens 3rd matcha sweets shop in Atami Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Retail tea prices jump ¥200/100g on matcha boom Google News — Matcha / Tea Industry
- Kimikura tea shop opens at Shizuoka's Takumishuku Google News — Matcha / Tea Industry
- Push Shizuoka matcha onto global stage Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Tanabata sencha tea gathering held at Fugetsuro Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Kimikura opens tea shop at Takumishuku crafts village Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Shizuoka second-flush flat, beverage buyers dominate Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
June 2026
- Ag Minister backs profitable farming, cites matcha boom Google News — Matcha / Tea Industry
- Ex-Japan footballer launches Shizuoka matcha Europe venture Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Japan tea group files GI to fight fakes Asahi Shimbun Digital — Tea / Matcha
- Shizuoka 'blue tea' draft tea fair event Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- First-flush prices surge; sustainability strategy must deliver Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Kirari 31: cold-hardy cultivar bred for premium quality Tea Nursery
- Abandoned tea fields converted to lemon products AgriNews (Japan Agri News)
- Gion Tsujiri launches tea-tin gift series PR TIMES — Japanese Tea
- 7-Eleven launches Shizuoka tea fair lineup Saga Shimbun — Tea / Ureshino
May 2026
- Gong cha taps Marushichi for first-pick matcha drink Google News — Harvest / Competitions / Market
- Nishio tencha production and milling techniques Specialty Matcha Podcast
- Haruno schoolchildren hand-pick tea, tour factory Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- Gong Cha debuts first-flush matcha drinks Google News — Matcha / Tea Industry
- Gong Cha launches Shizuoka first-pick matcha drink Google News — Harvest / Competitions / Market
- Matcha ice crepe launches for summer PR TIMES — Matcha
- Shizuoka firm builds matcha factory for exports Google News — Overseas / Boom
- Nishio tencha production and milling techniques Specialty Matcha Podcast
- Tanegashima second-flush tea price doubles year-on-year Shizuoka Shimbun — Tea
- First bilingual Japanese tea guide released PR TIMES — Japanese Tea
- Kakegawa matcha-yuzu crepe debuts in Osaka PR TIMES — Matcha
January 2026
November 2025
August 2025
- Fushun cultivar: high-yield sencha for mountains Tea Nursery
January 2025
- Shizuoka new-tea tasting workshops open to public World Green Tea Assoc. (O-CHA)
- Workshops to Savor Shizuoka's New-Tea Season World Green Tea Assoc. (O-CHA)
January 2021
- Study on Japan's tencha production trends CiNii — Tencha & Processing
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