Global demand for matcha is growing faster than Japan’s tea farms can keep up. According to figures cited by Seoul Economic Daily from Japanese media, Japan’s matcha exports reached ¥72.1 billion in 2025, double the previous year, and in the first five months of 2026 they had already exceeded the same period last year.
Meanwhile, the main tea-growing area has shrunk to about 25,400 hectares, and some projections point to a decline of more than 80% by 2050. Around 40% of fields have bushes older than 30 years, and a new planting takes 3-4 years to reach its first harvest. Farmers are ageing and hesitate to invest, unsure how long the boom will last.
One visible effect: Meiji stopped selling its Essel Super Cup Matcha ice cream in August, on the market since 2002, because it could no longer secure enough raw material. Some producers are still investing: exporter Hamadasaen has opened a plant with a capacity of 200 tonnes a year.
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Source: Seoul Economic Daily