Getting Pricier: The Strict Origins of Premium Matcha Loved by Jennie and a Must-Try in Japan [Sunday Japan Culture]

Shade-Grown, Dried Without Rolling
Prices Rise Amid Climate Change and Aging Population

If there is one beverage you must try when traveling in Japan, it is likely to be matcha. The process of whisking it to create a frothy texture is also fascinating to watch. There are also a wide variety of desserts featuring matcha, such as cakes, lattes, and ice cream. Last year, it gained significant popularity among young people after Jennie, a member of the idol group BLACKPINK, was seen enjoying it.

However, when asked, "What exactly is matcha?" or "What is the difference between matcha and green tea?", many people may not have a clear answer. This week, I will share insights into Japan’s matcha culture, which has sparked a boom among Millennials & Gen Z.

Not Just 'Powdered Green Tea'... Matcha Is Made Differently from the Start

Let’s begin with the meaning of matcha (抹茶), called "maccha" (まっちゃ) in Japanese. The first character "抹" means "to wipe" or "to rub" in Chinese characters, indicating that the tea leaves are ground into a very fine powder.

This is closely related to the history of matcha. In Japan, the origin of tea culture is traced back 800 years to the monk Eisai, who brought tea seeds from China’s Song Dynasty. At that time, finely grinding tea leaves and mixing them with hot water was the common practice in the Song Dynasty, which is similar to how matcha is consumed today. The tea seeds Eisai brought spread to various regions in Japan, including Kyoto’s Uji, now considered the holy land of tea cultivation, and eventually developed into a unique matcha culture.

The scene of shading the tea plants before harvest to produce Tencha, the raw material for Matcha. Yamamasa Koyamaen.

Because matcha literally means ground tea, many people assume it is simply powdered green tea. However, this is incorrect. The cultivation and processing of matcha are quite different from green tea. In the Japanese tea industry, matcha is defined as a "powder made by grinding tea leaves cultivated under shade, dried without rolling, and then milled with a stone grinder." The raw material for matcha is called "tencha." About three to four weeks before harvest, the tea fields are covered to block sunlight. This shading eliminates bitterness and astringency and brings out a rich umami flavor.

The shoots are then harvested and steamed to prevent oxidation. Even though it’s the same tea leaf, if the leaves are not steamed, they oxidize in the air, resulting in black tea or oolong tea. For regular green tea, after steaming, the leaves are rolled to help them infuse well in water. In the case of matcha, since the leaves are ground directly, the rolling process is skipped. Instead, the leaves are spread out flat, much like making dried seaweed sheets, and dried as they are.

Next, the tea is sifted and blown with air to remove stems, veins, and older leaves, leaving only the tender parts. This process reduces the weight by 20-30% compared to the original material. After this, the leaves are aged and then finely ground. It is a labor-intensive process, and because stems and leaves are removed during processing, the final product is much less than the raw material. For this reason, matcha prices in Japan vary widely. The longer the leaves are shaded, the more likely they are to be "first flush" (the first leaves picked in spring), the more carefully the leaves are selected and handpicked, and the more manual stone grinding is used instead of machines, the higher the price becomes.

Employees picking tea leaves at a tea plantation located in Uji, a famous matcha-producing region in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Yamamasa Koyamaen.

Matcha sold in supermarkets costs about 500 to 1,500 yen (4,700 to 14,000 won) for 30 grams. At premium matcha brands like Kyoto’s Fukujuen, the price starts at 30,000 yen (280,000 won) per 100 grams. This translates to about 6,500 to 9,000 yen (61,300 to 84,900 won) for 30 grams. Every year, a tencha auction is held at the National Tea Appraisal Competition in Japan, with last year’s highest bid reaching 1,211,889 yen (1,143,000 won) per kilogram for tencha. Even though processing tencha into matcha results in a much smaller final quantity, demand remains strong.

Premium matcha is also consumed differently from green tea. Instead of steeping tea leaves in water, the powder is dissolved in water and drunk. Simply pouring water over the leaves, as with regular green tea or black tea, is not sufficient.

This is why unique utensils are used. You may have seen a bowl and a tool resembling a bamboo whisk being used to vigorously stir the tea. This bamboo tool is called a "chasen." Because matcha is a fine powder, it tends to clump rather than dissolve. Whisking quickly with a chasen helps the powder disperse evenly. The number of prongs in the chasen varies depending on the type of matcha; more prongs make it easier to create fine foam and a smooth texture, while chasen with fewer prongs are used for whisking stronger tea.

Abnormal Weather and Aging Population Also Affect Matcha

Matcha and tea utensils carefully arranged side by side. Itoen.

Despite the care required to produce and prepare matcha, the industry is now facing structural challenges. In fact, there are frequent reports that the matcha market has entered a phase of sustained price increases. This is not simply due to the "matcha boom" among Millennials & Gen Z that began last year. Abnormal weather and the aging population have also affected matcha cultivation.

According to the Japanese tea industry, since last year, the Kyoto region’s production of tencha, the raw material for matcha, has dropped by more than 40% due to heat waves. Since matcha is cultivated under shade, temperature and sunlight significantly impact its quality. The record-breaking heat has affected both yields and quality.

Aging is also a significant issue. Many Japanese tea farms are run by older producers. The work of picking, steaming, drying, and grinding the tea leaves is labor-intensive, making it difficult to find young successors. Meanwhile, as matcha is trending overseas, supply is declining while demand continues to rise. In fact, the average price at the Kyoto tencha auction jumped from 20,024 yen (188,900 won) per kilogram in 2024 to 43,330 yen (408,800 won) per kilogram in 2025, an increase of 116% in just one year. The industry expects this supply-demand imbalance to continue.

Although matcha may have seemed like a passing trend, in reality, it faces serious challenges. It is sobering to realize that even Japan’s long-preserved matcha culture is not immune to climate change and an aging population.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.