February 6 is Matcha Day in Japan: How the Global Matcha Boom Is Driving Up Prices in Aichi

February 6: "Matcha Day" in Japan

In Japan, February 6 is recognized as "Matcha Day," a date linked to the traditional tea ceremony hearth called "furo," which is associated with the number 26 in Japanese wordplay. Japanese media are using this timing to highlight how the current global matcha boom is reshaping the domestic tea market and pricing structure.

For U.S. cafés and restaurant buyers who import Japanese matcha, "Matcha Day" has become an annual reminder that matcha is no longer a niche product inside Japan, but a key export driver that now affects other tea categories as well.

Key points from the Aichi news report

A recent TV news segment from Nagoya Television (Me–Tele), distributed via Yahoo! Japan News, reports that the global matcha boom is causing price increases not only for matcha but also for sencha, Japan's most common green tea. The report focuses on Aichi Prefecture, a major tea-producing region that includes the well-known brand area "Nishio" for matcha.

Main takeaways:

• Strong overseas demand for matcha
  The report notes that matcha is currently attracting strong popularity from overseas markets, driving higher demand for high-quality leaves suitable for matcha production.
• Supply pressure on Nishio matcha
  A tea retailer in the city of Ichinomiya explains that, until recently, the shop carried both Nishio matcha (Aichi) and Uji matcha (Kyoto), but because Nishio matcha has become so popular, they can no longer secure enough supply and have shifted their lineup to 100% Uji matcha.
• Rapid price increases since autumn 2024
  According to the same retailer, wholesalers notified them around autumn 2024 that prices would be raised, and since then the trade price has been revised upward roughly every six months. The shop estimates that, compared to before these increases, prices have risen to about 2 to 2.5 times the previous level.
• Concrete example of matcha price doubling
  The retailer cites one example: a matcha product named "Koicha Chiyomukashi 40 g" (a thick-tea grade matcha). In 2023 it retailed at 3,456 yen for 40 g, but now it sells for 7,020 yen, approximately double the previous price.

For U.S. buyers, these details illustrate how export-driven demand is flowing back into domestic Japanese pricing and availability, especially for well-known origin brands like Nishio.

Why sencha prices are also rising

The same news report emphasizes that the impact of the matcha boom is not limited to matcha itself: sencha prices are also increasing. Sencha is the most commonly consumed green tea in Japan and differs from "tencha," the shaded leaf that is ground into matcha, in both cultivation method and processing steps.

In Aichi's Shinshiro City, the program visits "Yamaguchi Chaen," a business that manages cultivation, processing, and sales of tea leaves. The owner notes that from around the second flush (second harvest) of last year, the unit price for their tea rose, which they describe as a welcome development for producers, though they still do not know what price level the first flush (this year's ichibancha) will reach.

JA Aichi-Higashi (the local agricultural cooperative) provides a key data point on wholesale pricing:

• Current wholesale price for sencha (this fiscal year): 1,501 yen per kilogram.
• This is approximately 1.7 times higher than the previous fiscal year's level.

The report explains one important structural reason: domestic demand for tea has been declining in Japan, but the global matcha boom encouraged some producers to shift their cultivation from sencha-type tea to tencha for matcha. As more fields were converted to matcha-oriented production, sencha production volume decreased, and this reduction in supply has pushed sencha prices up.

For U.S. cafés that serve both matcha drinks and brewed sencha, this linkage means that strong matcha demand can indirectly tighten sencha supply and increase costs across your Japanese tea menu.

What this means for U.S. cafés and buyers

For U.S. café owners and buyers importing from Japan, the Aichi report suggests several practical implications:

• Expect sustained price pressure on branded matcha
  Well-known origin matcha, such as from Nishio in Aichi, may remain difficult to secure in large volumes, with retail and wholesale prices continuing at elevated levels compared to 2023.
• Be aware of regional sourcing shifts inside Japan
  Retailers in Aichi already report switching from a mix of Nishio and Uji to all-Uji matcha because Nishio supply is too tight. Buyers abroad may similarly see more products labeled from other regions (for example, Uji or other prefectures) as Japanese suppliers adapt to local shortages.
• Plan for sencha cost increases, not only matcha
  With sencha wholesale prices in the Aichi East region up to 1.7 times year-on-year, Japanese suppliers may need to adjust export pricing for sencha as well, especially for first-flush qualities.
• Consider long-term contracts and diversified origins
  To manage risk, it may be helpful to secure longer-term agreements with trusted Japanese partners, clarify acceptable origin ranges, and consider a balanced portfolio of different production areas and grades.

For many cafés, the positive side is that higher farm-gate prices can support tea producers who have faced years of declining domestic demand, helping to maintain quality and sustainability in Japan's tea-growing regions.

Brief glossary of Japanese tea terms

Because this news report uses some specialized Japanese tea vocabulary, here are a few key terms:

• Matcha (抹茶): Finely ground green tea powder made from shaded tea leaves called tencha, traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremony and now widely used in lattes and desserts.
• Sencha (煎茶): The standard steamed green tea in Japan, made from unshaded leaves; typically brewed as loose leaf for daily drinking in Japanese households.
• Tencha (碾茶): Shaded tea leaf used as the raw material for matcha; after steaming and drying, the leaves are ground into powder.
• Ichibancha (一番茶): The first harvest of the year, often considered the highest quality and most aromatic tea, especially valued for premium sencha.

Understanding these categories can help importers better interpret Japanese product descriptions and make more informed sourcing decisions as the market continues to evolve.

Source (Japanese, in Japanese):
Nagoya Television (Me–Tele) via Yahoo! Japan News, "世界的抹茶ブーム背景に抹茶だけでなく煎茶の価格も高騰" (published February 5, 2026, JST)
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/4436ceba47fa6e7bc22e4ac0de9173ccd3f29d6d