Supplies of matcha, the trendy green beverage from Japan, are drying up, according to some sellers in Uji, the world’s matcha capital who have issued warnings that the slow-growing, slow-production tea cannot be made in sufficient quantities to keep up with worldwide demand.
Matcha’s popularity has partly been driven by the drink’s purported health benefits, attributed to its antioxidant properties and alleged anti-inflammatory effect. It has also gained traction on TV and social media, where its characteristic green appearance makes it instantly recognisable when deployed by food influencers in viral recipes. That hyped reputation has helped to support a 200% increase in production in the last 15 years, subsidised by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, which reports over 4,000 tonnes of the grassy-flavoured powder are churned out annually.
Tourists accused of misunderstanding matcha grades
Despite the boosts to production, soaring tourism to Japan, by visitors increasingly obsessed with the drink-slash-ingredient, means shelves are frequently empty. Some shops and makers are limiting the number of matcha tins each customer can buy, to eke out supplies. The popular Ippodo and Marukyu Koyamaen brands have been forced, the Global Japanese Tea Association says, to “either stop or regulate sales – something unprecedented.”
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The fanciest form of matcha is perhaps the traditionally prized “ceremonial” grade of powder, ground from early-season leaves and used to make a connoisseurs’ tea. Other matchas are available, in “premium” and more bitter “culinary” grades suited to sweetening. These distinctions are why discontent is brewing – over the fact that people considered not to have a palate refined enough to taste the difference, are bulk-buying ceremonial matcha to make dairy-polluted smoothies and chai-type drinks, or even, kami forbid, chocolate and ice cream.
“We have heard reports of ceremonial matcha being used for lattes and smoothies, which can reduce the availability of high-quality matcha for those who wish to enjoy it in its traditional form,” says Simona Suzuki, president of the Global Japanese Tea Association, according to the BBC. “Our hope is that foreign tourists will consider the intended use when purchasing matcha.”
“Inherently limited” and precious
The availability problem is compounded by tiny yields. “High-grade Uji matcha is not something that can be mass-produced in the first place,” Tomomi Hisaki, general manager at the Tsujirihei store in the Kyoto-prefecture city has said, explaining that plants intended to end up as ceremonial matcha are shade-grown, meaning less photosynthesis takes place, and harvests are small. To make matters worse, the stone mills that create the fine powder take eight hours to grind just 400g of tea.
Still, the Association insisted on its website in January 2025, that there is “not exactly” a “total shortage” of matcha. Instead, it argues the “unique and seasonal nature of matcha production makes it inherently limited” underlining its “preciousness” and engendering “some satisfaction that Japanese tea is gaining well-deserved attention on the global stage.”
