Deep into the spring harvest season, May was filled with tea-related events across Japan enjoying the freshness of the year’s new tea.
The Japan Tea Association announced on the 11th that Japanese tea is expected to be included in the Geographical Indication (GI) Protection System. The association aims to register it as a “National GI,” covering almost all Japanese teas. The move comes amid growing demand for matcha abroad and is intended to prevent counterfeit overseas products from infringing on Japanese tea branding. The GI designation is a system established by the Japanese government in 2015 to protect names associated with specific production regions. A National GI, which designates the entire country as the production area rather than a specific locality, would be only the second such designation after sake. While exports of Japanese tea have been increasing due to factors such as rising health consciousness, there have also been cases of Chinese-produced tea being falsely marketed as “Uji matcha,” making intellectual property protection an important issue. Executive Director Sadami Suzuki, speaking at a press conference on the 11th, said, “We expect to know as early as the end of June whether the registration will be approved. For local producers that are just beginning to export, the GI mark will serve as an easy-to-understand symbol of reliability”.
On a similar note, tea company Ito En announced that from May 18 onward, its flagship green tea brand Oi Ocha will display “100% domestically produced tea leaves” on its packaging. The move is intended to reassure consumers that the company is not relying on cheaper imported tea leaves despite rising global tea prices and supply pressures. Demand for matcha overseas has increased production of tencha (the raw material used to make matcha), while sencha production has declined, driving up prices for both. Japan is seeing both record green tea exports and rising imports, creating concerns that imported tea could increasingly supply domestic demand. At the same time, products made in China are sometimes marketed as “Uji matcha,” raising worries about unclear origin labelling. Ito En hopes to distinguish itself by emphasizing its use of Japanese-grown tea leaves. The company also plans to support domestic tea regions by introducing flexible production systems that can switch between matcha and sencha processing depending on demand. Executive officer Mitsumasa Shida said the company wants to clearly communicate that its products are made in Japan and believes Japanese tea could become a source of national pride similar to wagyu beef and sake.
Meanwhile, tea fields were still buzzing around producing regions. Tea picking took place on May 2 at the historic Fujieda Great Tea Tree in Setonoya, Shizuoka Prefecture, during “Hachijuhachiya,” the 88th day after the start of spring – traditionally considered an important time for harvesting tea. Believed to be the oldest tea tree in Shizuoka Prefecture, the massive tree stands about four meters tall with a circumference of 33 meters. Around 30 people, including members of the Fujieda City Tea Hand-Rolling Preservation Society and local residents, carefully harvested fresh tea shoots using scaffolding set up around the tree. The tree, owned by 83-year-old Yoshizo Hiraguchi, is said to have been grown from seeds planted by his ancestors during the Edo period around 1700. Known for its rich fragrance, the rare native tea variety remains a symbol of the Hiraguchi family. Despite concerns over the tree’s condition following a dry winter, favorable rain from March onward and the absence of frost damage helped produce a healthy harvest. About 20 kilograms of fresh tea leaves were collected and will be processed into a special tea called The Fragrance of Longevity, which will be donated to local elderly care facilities as a symbol of good fortune.
Children at Uguisu Ujitawara Kindergarten in Ujitawara welcomed the start of the new tea season by picking fresh tea leaves from a tea field on the kindergarten grounds. Known as the birthplace of Japanese green tea, Ujitawara supports this tradition through the kindergarten’s roughly 10-acre tea plantation, which helps children learn about the town’s well-known tea industry. Last 7th of May, 12 children wearing traditional navy kasuri kimonos with crimson obi sashes or green happi coats carefully hand-harvested vivid young tea leaves, placing them into handmade containers crafted from milk cartons and worn around their necks. The town mascot, Chappy, also took part in the event. The collected leaves, together with tea harvested by local farmers, are processed at a nearby tea factory. About three weeks later, each child receives 100 grams of the finished new tea. The children then enjoy drinking it during kindergarten breaks and with meals, fostering an appreciation for local tea culture from a young age.
This year, Japan’s tea industry is once again seeing prices reshaped by the global appetite for matcha and the rising costs of production. Sencha prices in Koka City, Shiga Prefecture – one of Japan’s largest tea-producing regions – have surged dramatically as the global matcha boom reshapes the tea industry. At the first Zennoh Shiga Cooperative Tea Sales Event held on May 1, sencha prices reached record highs. The top bid hit 180,000 yen per kilogram, nine times higher than last year, while the average price doubled to 14,232 yen per kilogram. Industry officials say the spike is linked to growing demand for matcha worldwide. More tea farmers are switching from producing sencha to tencha, reducing the supply of sencha. According to a prefectural survey, tencha cultivation in Koka City increased by around 70% during last year’s first harvest season. Much of Koka’s tencha is shipped to Kyoto and processed into Uji matcha, which has become increasingly popular among foreign tourists and health-conscious consumers overseas. Demand has also risen due to matcha’s expanding use in sweets and beverages. The boom is now affecting consumers. Tea manufacturers say raw material costs this year are more than double last year’s levels. While retailers may struggle to fully pass costs onto customers, many are expected to reduce package sizes or raise prices by around 20%.
The first market of the year for tencha, was held on the 13th at the JA Zen-Noh Kyoto Uji Tea Distribution Center in Joyo City , Kyoto Prefecture . The average price per kilogram of machine-picked tencha was 13,972 yen, a jump of approximately 1.7 times the previous record high of 8,235 yen set last year. Tea farmers from within the prefecture submitted 375 items totalling approximately 25 tons.
Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan’s leading producer of tencha held a large-scale trading event in Kagoshima City on May 14 as global demand for matcha continues to grow. Tea merchants evaluated the tea’s colour, aroma, and flavour before placing bids, with the average price reaching about 19,000 yen per kilogram, roughly 1.8 times higher than last year. Kagoshima has rapidly expanded its tencha production over the past decade and has ranked as Japan’s top producer since fiscal 2020. In fiscal 2024, the prefecture produced around 2,150 tons, accounting for about 40% of the national total. This year’s event featured 27 factories from tea-producing regions such as Ei and Chiran, a 50% increase from the previous year, with exhibition volumes reaching 5.8 tons. Organizers said the event helps stabilize pricing and allows producers to receive quality evaluations while strengthening Kagoshima’s reputation.
Beyond market concerns, two sisters from Japan are set to embark on a two-month journey across the United States to share matcha tea and promote Japanese culture while advocating for peace. Nana Miyazaki (30), a tea ceremony practitioner based in Tokyo, and her younger sister Mei Miyazaki (27), a creator from Nagoya, started their trip in New York on the 13th. Traveling by car, they plan to cover approximately 8,000 kilometers before reaching Seattle on the West Coast. The sisters aim to serve matcha to around 1,600 people in 26 cities. Events will be held at cafes, churches, and other community spaces, where Nana will prepare matcha outdoors as a way to create moments of calm and connection. The project grew out of the sisters’ ongoing efforts since 2024 to promote tea from Mie Prefecture at events in Tokyo and Nagoya, as well as connections with relatives living in New York. The matcha used during the trip will be supplied by Suzuka no Nanaki, a producer in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, which has provided four kilograms of tea leaves for the tour. Nana said she hopes to spread the culture of the Japanese tea ceremony while also promoting world peace. Mei added that she wants to increase appreciation for Japanese culture among people in the United States. The sisters will document their journey through Mei’s social media accounts and YouTube channel.
At Seiganto-ji Temple in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, a rare tea ceremony was held at the historic Takijuan tea room, which had remained closed to the public for many years. Around 60 invited guests attended the event, organized by the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology as part of its research into the origins of Kumano faith. The 105-square-meter wooden tea room was designed in 1978 by renowned tea room scholar Masao Nakamura and built by master carpenter Gaiji Nakamura, who once served the Urasenke school of tea ceremony. The surrounding garden, created by celebrated landscape designer Koji Kawasaki, frames stunning views of the three-story pagoda and the famous Nachi Falls beyond its moss-covered grounds. Takijuan symbolizes harmony between nature, spirituality, and tea culture. Architectural historian Akira Matsuzaki described it as a “tea room for matchmaking,” bringing together hosts, guests, and visitors drawn to the spiritual atmosphere of Nachi Falls. Deputy Chief Priest Takagi Tomohide expressed hope that the tea room, long hidden from public view, may be opened again for special occasions in the future.
Together with May’s stories celebrating new tea harvests and children learning traditional tea practices in Kyoto, the reopening of Takijuan reflects Japan’s continuing effort to preserve and pass down tea culture through both community traditions and historic cultural spaces. From young children harvesting fresh leaves in Ujitawara to centuries-old tea ceremonies held beside sacred waterfalls, these events highlight how tea remains deeply connected to Japanese identity, spirituality, and local heritage.
*Image Source Nikkei Shimbun. The article is based on Japanese media articles:
Japanese tea to obtain GI (Geographical Indication) status , Nikkei Shimbun 2026.05.11
Ito En’s Oi Ocha now features a “Purely Domestic” label on its packaging, Nikkei Shimbun 2026.05.12
Tea picking on the 88th day after the beginning of spring at the oldest tea tree in Shizuoka, Asahi Shimbun 2026.05.02
Kindergarten children in Ujitawara town experience tea picking, Asahi Shimbun 2026.05.09
Sencha prices in Koka City, Shiga Prefecture, are soaring, Asahi Shimbun 2026.05.17
Summer is approaching, the first Tencha market of the year, Asahi Shimbun 2026.05.14
Tencha, the raw material for matcha, is produced in Kagoshima Prefecture, which boasts the highest production volume in Japan, and its price has increased 1.8 times, Mainichi Shimbun 2026.05.16
Two sisters from Ise, Mie Prefecture, embark on a two-month, two-city, 8,000-kilometer tea ceremony tour across the United States , Asahi Shimbun 2026.05.09
A tea ceremony will be held at Takijuan, Asahi Shimbun 2026.05.02