In-depth · Analysis | Under the global matcha wave, the peril and opportunity of Japan's tea industry Translation:

In recent years, the development situation of the Japanese tea industry has become increasingly severe, undergoing an unprecedented transformation. At the crossroads of traditional markets and emerging markets, it faces both the dilemma of continuous industry shrinkage and the whirlwind of explosive growth brought by the global matcha craze. Japanese Tea Industry: A Complex Landscape 1. Tea Garden Area Decreases, Production Falls Since the production reached a peak of over 100,000 tons in 2004, the annual production of Japanese tea has been declining to the level of 70,000–80,000 tons. According to statistics from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, the total area of Japanese tea gardens in 2024 is approximately 29,400 hectares, a decrease of 700 hectares from 2023; the national raw tea production is 74,000 tons, a decrease of nearly 1,300 tons year-on-year. According to the latest statistics, from January to November 2025, Japan exported 11,300 tons of ...