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| Matcha, associated with the elaborate ritual of tea ceremony, has now become a popular drink around the world. (Source: Getty Images) |
Global "fever"
Matcha, a centuries-old powdered green tea, is becoming a global trend. In Uji, western Japan, matcha’s birthplace, foreign tourists are flocking in unprecedented numbers, making traditional tea-making workshops a hot ticket.
According to The Guardian , at Chazuna, the town’s tea park and museum, classes are full for two weeks, 90% of them international. “Now everything revolves around matcha… everyone who comes to Kyoto wants to try it,” said director Naoto Sakayori.
Catching on to the trend, local businesses have incorporated matcha into all sorts of dishes: takoyaki, matcha gyoza, green ramen, cakes and even souvenirs. Small cafes are always crowded, rain or shine, helping the local revenue increase after a long hiatus due to the pandemic.
Matcha continues to explode on social media. TikTok and Instagram are filled with content about its taste, health benefits, and eye-catching green color. Many choose matcha over coffee because of its mild caffeine content, which helps wake them up without the jitters; some visitors to Uji have even changed their drinking habits after experiencing Japanese matcha.
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| Matcha is promoted as a drink that is good for the liver and brain, helps reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease, and aids in weight loss. (Source: Nikkei Asia) |
Not everyone is a fan of matcha right from the start. One German tourist admitted that she used to dislike matcha, but the experience at Uji, especially with dessert, “changed my mind.” Stories like these show that matcha is broadening its appeal and winning over even the most skeptical.
Supply cannot meet demand.
According to Nikkei Asia and the Japan Tea Export Promotion Council, the surge in global demand for matcha has caused an unprecedented shortage of raw materials in Japan. Domestic consumption of tea leaves has decreased, while the US, Europe and Australia are continuously "cleaning up" the supply.
In 2024, green tea exports will reach 8,798 tons, 10 times more than two decades ago, of which powdered tea, mainly matcha, will account for 58%. In 2025, in the first eight months of the year alone, powdered tea exports will reach 5,162 tons, worth 27.1 billion yen, up 170% from four years ago.
Supply has yet to catch up. Many farmers are switching from sencha, which is steamed, rolled, and dried for drinking straight, to tencha, which is grown and processed extensively to be ground into matcha. But the transition takes two years and is highly technical. While tencha production is expected to hit a record 4,176 tons in 2023, that figure is still small compared to booming international demand.
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| American tourists enjoy tea at Nakamura Tokichi Honten in Uji. The shop's matcha is often sold out within 15 minutes of opening. (Source: Nikkei Asia) |
In Kyoto, “sold out” has become a common phenomenon. A store in Uji sold out of matcha products in just 15 minutes, the Ippodo Tea brand almost ran out of stock online, while Marukyu Koyamaen stores had to limit the number of products to one per customer.
Nikkei Asia said that the pressure is still high at processing facilities. Machinery has become a bottleneck in the supply chain as demand outstrips production capacity. In Shizuoka, the producer SOMA has warehouses full of tencha, but grinding capacity cannot keep up, so its 300-ton-a-year plant had to expand by 100 tons. Beverage company Ito En also increased its capacity to 630 tons a year and hired more partners from outside the industry, but still could not meet orders.
In addition, adverse weather in Aichi forced Aiya to reduce tencha production by 20 percent. Tencha prices have continued to rise and are now at multi-year highs, reflecting the immense pressure on the supply chain and small producers.
Strategic choices
Despite record-breaking matcha exports, many farmers remain cautious about expanding production. Growing the raw tea leaves is time-consuming, expensive and relies heavily on manual labor. In Uji, many farmers maintain traditional methods of mulching and hand-picking the leaves, which require about 20 people each season. “The biggest challenge is the lack of pickers,” says farm owner Jintaro Yamamoto, who has no plans to expand despite rising demand.
The aging workforce is also making matters worse. Many tea farmers are over 65, lacking successors, while the younger generation is less interested in the profession. Some experts have called the matcha craze a “bubble” because it has grown so quickly but is not sustainable.
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| Tea plantation owner Jintaro Yamamoto covers his plants with straw in the traditional way in Uji. (Source: Nikkei Asia) |
Despite record production of raw tea leaves, it is still difficult to keep up with global demand. Furthermore, Japanese matcha faces competition from China and South Korea.
The influx of international tourists, the rise of social media and the growing trend of using matcha instead of coffee are driving global consumption. Some experts believe that matcha has become a “stabilized category,” not part of the tea or coffee category but a distinct option.
Currently, the US market accounts for 44% of exports and continues to expand. Importers appreciate the high quality of matcha due to the farms' emphasis on hand-picking, traditional processes and branding.
Meanwhile, Japan faces a big question: expand production or preserve its artisanal identity. Uji remains the center of refined “ceremonial” matcha, while Kagoshima is better suited for mass-market consumer products like bottled drinks, ice cream and chocolate.
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| Volunteers pick tea at a farm in Wazuka. (Source: Nikkei Asia) |
Matcha is not just an agricultural product, but also a cultural symbol and source of livelihood for many communities. Young people like Katrina Wild, who traveled from Latvia to Japan to learn how to make tea after attending an online workshop, show that matcha continues to conquer the world with its own cultural story.
It can be seen that the global matcha craze brings great opportunities but also puts the Japanese tea industry under unprecedented pressure, which is lack of supply, scarcity of labor, international competition and the need to expand production. Maintaining quality or accelerating scale will be the strategic choice of the industry. Regardless of the direction chosen, matcha has become a new symbol of Japanese culture in the 21st century, continuing to spread strongly with its characteristic green color.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/matcha-nhat-ban-sac-xanh-chinh-phuc-toan-cau-336258.html
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