The Global Matcha Boom: Saving Japanese Tradition or Changing It Forever?

Hello, I’m Jiro Sakamoto, a member of the Yame City Council and the owner of Sky Tea House.

The global matcha boom is still continuing, and I would like to write again about what I can see from the ground here in Yame.

Even while living deep in the mountains, growing tea and welcoming guests from overseas, I can feel the momentum growing stronger. Partly because of the matcha boom, the number of tourists visiting Yame has also increased. I touched on this in my recent general question at the city council, although there are still many challenges.

Not only accommodation, but inquiries about tea tours and tea experiences have been increasing every year. Matcha is not even our main product, but recently we have been receiving constant inquiries from overseas matcha cafés and restaurants. Our Instagram followers are also gradually increasing almost every day.

Recently, we have finally started receiving more inquiries from the Philippines as well.　

Each country has a slightly different character. Buyers coming from USA, Thailand to Japan are often looking for very high-level products and already have considerable knowledge. Filipino buyers, on the other hand, still have a bit more of a beginner’s feeling, which is actually quite charming. Perhaps the market there is still developing.

From Instagram to TikTok

In my view, the current matcha boom began in the United States alongside the rise of Instagram.

The vivid green color, the healthy image, and the connection to Japanese culture made matcha a perfect fit for social media.

Now, however, the global explosion seems to be driven largely by TikTok. In particular, popularity has grown rapidly in Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, and that wave seems to be spreading across Asia.

Matcha: Chinese Origins, Japanese Development

Online, I often see claims that “matcha originally came from China.”

Of course, this is true.

Tea culture itself came from China, and the history of powdered tea also existed in China. However, the matcha culture now loved around the world was developed and elevated in Japan.

The tea ceremony, production techniques, quality control, and branding were all refined here over a long period of time.

Historically, figures such as Murata Jukō and Sen no Rikyū are well known, and the matcha we know today exists as a result of centuries of refinement.

(By the way, if China strongly insists on the origin story, I personally suspect that the even older roots of tea use may lie among the ancestors of Thai peoples who lived in the mountainous regions from southwestern China to Southeast Asia.)

Who Benefits From This Boom?

The first people benefiting from this boom are those who can sell overseas.

Companies and farmers with export routes are gaining major opportunities.

Tea farmers’ incomes also seem to be improving. However, rather than “getting rich,” it may be closer to saying that an industry that had been in a very difficult situation is finally becoming slightly better.

But Some People Are Struggling

The matcha boom is not only positive for Japan.

First, there are people who use matcha for the tea ceremony.

Due to rising prices and shortages, matcha that used to be easy to buy is becoming harder to obtain. I have also heard that some long-time customers are being protected through direct relationships with tea shops.

Traditional tea shops are also being affected. Shops that are not active in overseas sales are mainly suffering from higher raw material costs.

Many farmers are also switching production from sencha to Tencha（raw materials for matcha）.

As a result, there is now a shortage of sencha, and tea prices overall are rising.

With the weak yen and the rapid increase in inbound tourism, those who can sell overseas may benefit. But traditional tea shops that are not good at overseas sales are having a very hard time. I have even seen news of long-established tea shops going out of business.

Real Matcha and Mass-Produced Powder

Another fascinating issue is quality.

I have heard people in the industry say, very simply, that “the price has doubled while the quality has been cut in half.”

Some people may wonder, “What exactly is matcha in the first place?”

Surprisingly, Japan does not seem to have a clear legal definition of matcha.

Within the tea industry, matcha is generally understood to mean powdered tencha: tea leaves that have been shade-grown, processed without rolling, and then ground. It is extremely labor-intensive. A single stone mill is said to produce only around 40 grams per hour.

However, in reality, many products on the market are powdered sencha or powdered green tea for food processing.

Overseas, this tendency becomes even stronger.

The matcha we imagine in Japan usually includes elements such as tencha as the raw material, stone-mill grinding, and a connection to tea ceremony culture.

For many overseas consumers, however, matcha simply means a green powder that is healthy and can be used for lattes or sweets. They are not necessarily aware of the raw material or production method.

Of course, this is not necessarily a bad thing.

Many people first become interested in Japanese tea through matcha lattes, and from there they may discover authentic matcha and Japanese culture.

However, this difference in understanding may become a much bigger issue in the future.

Powdered green tea made in China or Southeast Asia will likely continue to circulate globally as “matcha.”

At that point, what will Japan define as matcha?

What should we protect, and what should we expand?

Beyond the debate over historical origins, we may be entering an age in which the very definition of “matcha” is questioned.

As one example, I heard a story about a foreigner who brought low-quality powdered tea made with a blender to a long-established tea shop, saying, “Since there is a shortage of matcha, I brought this for you. You should sell it.”

It is both rude and unbelievably foolish, but apparently such misunderstandings are actually happening.

The Dilemma of High-Quality Matcha

For example, matcha from Hoshino Seichaen, one of Yame’s most respected tea producers, is highly regarded by visitors from overseas.

Many people who come to us looking for Yame matcha mention Hoshino Seichaen immediately. I have also heard that among serious tea lovers in Thailand, Yame and Hoshino are extremely well known.

Of course, if a company maintains high quality, there are limits to how much it can produce.

As a result, shortages continue, and some products are being resold on platforms such as Mercari(Japanese website) for five to ten times the original price.

(Honestly, this makes me angry.)

Some profit-first visitors tell me, “Why don’t they just raise the price and make more money?”

But companies with a long history cannot move so easily.

They have relationships of trust with customers who have supported them for decades.

If they chase only short-term profit, they may lose that trust and their future value.

Tradition or Market?

I have also heard criticism of the matcha boom: that Japanese culture is being overly commercialized.

One tea shop owner said something like, “In the end, everyone just runs toward profit.”

For those who have been making genuinely good traditional tea, it is understandable that they feel frustrated when products that can hardly be called true matcha begin appearing on the market.

There have also been discussions about creating a clear definition of “Yame matcha,” so that regardless of what other regions do, Yame can protect its brand through strict quality standards.

However, I have also heard that some businesses involved with unshaded autumn tencha or moga-cha have begun opposing such standards. With global demand increasing and the market changing, there are situations where business interests seem to take priority over quality and tradition. The whole industry appears to be facing difficult decisions.

I understand those feelings and perspectives.

At the same time, if Japan cannot supply the global market, China and other countries will simply take it.

In fact, that is already happening.

China claims the historical origins, while Japan elevated matcha into the global market we see today.

How this issue will be understood and organized in the future remains to be seen.

Why Is Matcha Not Produced More in Southeast Asia?

One question I often receive from overseas visitors is:

“If tea is grown in Southeast Asia, why is Japan still so strong in matcha?”

Tea is indeed produced widely in Southeast Asia.

India is the second-largest tea producer in the world, and high-quality tea is produced in areas such as Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands, northern Thailand, and northern Vietnam.

And yet, on social media, I often see people from India looking for Japanese matcha. Personally, I sometimes think, “Why not just grind your own green tea and make it into a latte?” For the general market, that might be enough. But people who care about quality do care.

At present, the globally recognized production areas for matcha are mainly Japan, China, and to some extent Korea.

One reason is climate.

Tencha, the raw material for matcha, is made from spring shoots that grow after the tea plant has gone through winter dormancy.

In regions that remain hot all year round, tea plants do not rest in the same way, and it is difficult to reproduce the same quality as Japan. In other words, the umami tends to be weaker in Southeast Asia.

There is also the issue of tea varieties.

The tea plant is mainly divided into Chinese varieties and Assam varieties.

Japanese matcha culture has been supported mainly Camellia sinensis var. sinensis (by Chinese varieties)

In Southeast Asia, Camellia sinensis var. assamica (Assam varieties) , are widely grown. They have a strong flavor suited to black tea, while Japanese matcha and gyokuro developed by using the delicate umami of Chinese varieties.

Also, matcha is not simply powdered tea.

It is made through accumulated techniques: shade cultivation to draw out umami, steaming, drying, removing stems and veins, and slowly grinding with stone mills.

In other words, the value of matcha lies not only in the tea leaves themselves, but also in the production techniques behind it.

The country I am watching most closely is not Southeast Asia, but China.

China has the origin story and brand power of tea culture and matcha itself. It has vast land, a huge market, and it is now putting more effort into matcha production.

If China can mass-produce matcha at 80 to 90 percent of Japanese quality for half the price, Japan may no longer be able to compete in the café and food-processing markets.

That is why the current matcha boom is both a huge opportunity and a huge challenge for Japan.

Should we protect tradition, or should we go after the market?

Where Is Yame Heading?

As someone living in Yame, I naturally want to support those who continue making high-quality traditional tea.

At the same time, I also want to support businesses that are challenging the global market.

We need people who protect quality.

We also need people who develop markets.

Without both, tea-producing regions will not survive.

The matcha boom is not just a temporary trend. It is becoming a game changer that may reshape the entire tea industry.

Tradition and market.

Quality and mass production.

Domestic demand and overseas demand.

How will this balance develop?

As a City Council Member

So, what can I do as a city council member?

To be honest, the city itself does not produce or sell matcha, so what it can do is limited.

For the city, the Yame brand and the development of the local economy are obviously important themes. However, this matcha boom is a global market shift, and it is not something a single local government can directly control. It is not something that can be solved simply through subsidies or administrative support.

However, because I am involved in tea farming and also run an accommodation business where I meet overseas tea merchants and matcha café owners almost every day, I am able to see what is happening in this market from a very close distance.

On the Japanese side as well, recently I have received more inquiries from people who do not live in Yame, and probably have no intention of living here, saying things like, “I want to start tea tours” or “I want to create a high-end tea-related private accommodation.”

Of course, that is their freedom as economic activity. Talented businesspeople and new challenges coming into the region can be positive for Yame.

However, if more people simply try to take advantage of the matcha boom for profit, I think we need a different perspective.

I do not deny the desire to make money.

But if the purpose is only profit, then at the very least, I believe priority should be given first to the people who live in Yame, grow tea in Yame, and have continued doing business in Yame.

It is a good thing that the value of the region is rising because of this boom.

But it is not good if the profits simply flow outside the region.

That is why I want to keep watching closely what is happening on the ground.

What changes are occurring in the tea industry?

What issues are emerging in tourism?

Are profits staying in the region?

Are tradition and quality being protected?

I also want to actively share what I learn from the field and return that knowledge to the community.

When necessary, I will listen to people involved, check whether the city understands the issues properly, and, if needed, raise my voice in the city council.

The matcha boom is undoubtedly a strong tailwind for Yame.

Local tea shops will increasingly need English, and global business opportunities are now right in front of us. It is good if talented people come to Yame, and I have also heard of people who once left returning to local tea businesses.

That is exactly why I want to watch whether this opportunity can become something that leads to the future of the region, rather than ending as a temporary trend.

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👣 I live deep in the mountains of Yame, Fukuoka, where my life revolves around hospitality, tea, and words.

🏡 Accommodation Information

Sky Tea House

An old traditional house surrounded by tea fields, located at the very top of a mountain village in Yame. A breathtaking view spreads out in front of the house, while magnificent terraced rice fields stretch out behind it.

Once an abandoned house that had stood empty for many years, it was revived by a traveler who moved to the area and worked together with the local community. Today, it operates as a family-run, homestay-style guesthouse and has been featured in various media.

🍵 Tea Sales

Alongside running the guesthouse, I also produce tea myself.

After moving to this remote village, I inherited abandoned farmland, learned from local people, and began growing tea without using pesticides. Together with visitors from around the world, we work in the fields and produce tea by hand.

This is Yame tea grown in the rich natural environment of the mountains, with a story behind every leaf.