TOKYO (Realist English). Japan’s green tea exports hit a more than 70-year high in the first 10 months of this year, supported by surging global demand for matcha powder and the depreciation of the Japanese yen, according to government and industry data released on Saturday.
Between January and October, exports increased 44% compared with the same period last year, reaching 10,084 tonnes. The United States was the largest destination, importing 3,497 tonnes, followed by Taiwan, Thailand and Germany.
Green tea exports have now risen for nine consecutive years, reflecting the growing popularity of Japanese food and beverages among health-conscious consumers overseas, particularly matcha used in drinks, desserts and health products.
The latest figures mark a notable turnaround after decades of weaker performance. Annual shipments had remained below 10,000 tonnes since peaking at 11,553 tonnes in 1954, as Chinese tea gained a stronger foothold in global markets.
While overseas sales are expanding, domestic demand for green tea in Japan remains subdued. Tea leaf production has declined as consumption of sencha, the traditional brewed green tea, falls and the farming population ages. In 2024, Japan produced around 74,000 tonnes of tea leaves, more than 10% less than a decade earlier.
Despite lower output, prices have climbed. In Kagoshima prefecture, Japan’s leading tea-producing region, an agricultural cooperative said tea leaves harvested between October and November — typically used for bottled tea drinks — sold for more than ¥2,500 ($16) per kilogram, about six times higher than a year earlier.
