NARA, May 25 (News On Japan) –
Production of tencha, the uncooked materials used to make matcha, has begun in Yamazoe, Nara Prefecture, a village identified for producing Yamato tea, with round 20 tons anticipated to be manufactured by the tip of July.
Yamazoe, positioned on the border between Nara and Mie prefectures, is called a manufacturing space for Yamato tea, which is prized for its wealthy umami taste developed via the big distinction between daytime and nighttime temperatures.
At tea fields operated by Yamatoen, which produces and sells tencha to be used in matcha, staff have been harvesting contemporary tea shoots since mid-May.
Tea leaves grown for tencha are shaded from daylight for 20 days, a course of mentioned to reinforce their umami taste.
After harvesting, the leaves are taken to a manufacturing unit, the place they’re steamed with high-temperature steam earlier than being fastidiously dried to supply deep inexperienced tencha.
Yamatoen plans to proceed harvesting new tea leaves via the tip of July and produce round 20 tons of tencha, whereas shipments abroad have additionally been growing in recent times.
The international matcha growth has gathered tempo over the previous decade, because the finely powdered inexperienced tea has expanded past conventional tea ceremony use into lattes, desserts and different merchandise offered by cafes and meals corporations in markets together with the United States and Europe. Demand has been supported by rising curiosity in Japanese meals tradition, health-conscious drinks and the unfold of matcha drinks and recipes on social media.
Japan’s manufacturing of tencha, the shaded tea leaves used to make matcha, has grown quickly in response. Output reached 5,336 tons in 2024, about 2.7 occasions the extent recorded a decade earlier, in line with information compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. However, the rise has taken place in opposition to a broader decline in Japan’s tea-growing space and continued weak point in demand for standard leaf tea at dwelling.
Exports have additionally surged. Japan exported 12,612 tons of inexperienced tea in 2025, with powdered inexperienced tea, a class that features matcha and powdered tea, accounting for 8,718 tons, or 69% of the whole. Powdered inexperienced tea generated 60.4 billion yen in export worth, accounting for 84% of whole inexperienced tea export earnings, with notably robust demand from the United States and Europe. Its common export value was 6,927 yen per kilogram, greater than twice the value of different inexperienced tea exports.
The sharp improve in demand has led to shortages, notably for high-quality matcha produced from spring-harvested tencha. Major producers in Kyoto and different main tea areas started limiting gross sales of some matcha merchandise in late 2024 and 2025 as abroad orders and purchases by vacationers outpaced out there shares. A report revealed by Japan’s House of Councillors in December 2025 mentioned abroad demand for matcha had risen so quickly that home provide was unable to maintain tempo, with producers dealing with constraints in changing fields to tencha, bettering productiveness and increasing processing amenities.
Supply stress has additionally pushed up costs. The agriculture ministry mentioned tencha was already priced at about 2.7 occasions the extent of sencha in 2024, whereas first-harvest tea costs elevated in main manufacturing areas in 2025. By the tip of 2025, a ministry survey discovered tea wholesalers and retailers had been looking for increased procurement volumes for the 2026 crop, indicating that tight provide circumstances had been persevering with into the most recent harvest season.
The scarcity has highlighted the problem of rapidly increasing matcha output. Tencha leaves should be grown underneath shade earlier than harvest after which processed and floor into powder, requiring specialised cultivation and gear. As abroad demand continues to rise, manufacturing areas equivalent to Yamazoe have gotten more and more essential to Japan’s efforts to safe provides of matcha substances whereas increasing exports of one of many nation’s most sought-after agricultural merchandise.
Search: Matcha
Source: YOMIURI