Kagoshima Governor Calls for Stronger Support to Expand Japan’s Matcha Production Base

Kagoshima Governor Urges Japan to Invest in Matcha Production Capacity

In early March, the Governor of Kagoshima Prefecture, Koichi Shiota, called on Japan's central government to strengthen support for expanding the production base of Japanese tea, including matcha, during a public hearing of the House of Representatives Budget Committee held in Kagoshima City. This request comes at a time when matcha is enjoying strong worldwide demand, while Japan's total tea production volume and cultivation area continue to decline domestically.

Matcha Boom vs. Shrinking Tea Production in Japan

Governor Shiota highlighted a key contradiction: matcha is experiencing a global boom, yet Japan's tea-growing regions are facing long‑term structural challenges such as aging farmers, labor shortages, and reduced planting area. For overseas buyers, this means that even as consumer interest in matcha beverages and desserts grows, the upstream supply of matcha‑grade tencha and finished matcha is under pressure.

In Japanese tea terminology, "tencha" (碾茶) refers to shaded tea leaves that are steamed and dried without rolling, then later stone‑milled into fine powder to become matcha. If the production of tencha cannot keep pace with demand, it becomes difficult to secure stable volumes of high‑quality matcha for export markets.

Details of the Budget Committee Hearing in Kagoshima

The public hearing was held by the House of Representatives Budget Committee to gather local opinions on Japan's new fiscal‑year budget. As the representative of Kagoshima Prefecture, Governor Shiota used this opportunity to emphasize the importance of agriculture and food exports for the regional economy, especially tea and beef.

Kagoshima's exports of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products reached a record 47.1 billion yen in fiscal 2024, and the prefecture has set an ambitious target of 80 billion yen in exports by fiscal 2030. To achieve this, the governor argued that the export system for products such as wagyu beef and tea must be reinforced with stronger national‑level backing.

Shortage of Processing Facilities for Tencha and Matcha

A central point in Governor Shiota's remarks was the lack of sufficient processing infrastructure both for meat and for tea. He explained that producers of Kagoshima wagyu currently have to send cattle to be processed in another prefecture (Oita) before the meat can be exported to the United States, illustrating how limited local processing capacity can create bottlenecks in export supply chains.

The governor drew a parallel to tea, noting that Kagoshima does not yet have enough processing facilities for tencha and matcha, and that the prefecture is working to increase this capacity. He requested that the national government secure budget funds to support the construction and expansion of such facilities, which are essential to handle growing demand from overseas markets.

In the context of Japanese tea, these facilities are where shaded tea leaves are processed into tencha and then milled into matcha under controlled conditions to maintain color, aroma, and particle size. For international buyers—especially café and restaurant operators—adequate processing capacity is what ultimately enables consistent quality and stable supply of matcha for drinks and desserts.

Why This Matters for U.S. Cafés and Foodservice Buyers

For café owners, beverage directors, and purchasing managers in the United States who rely on imported Japanese matcha, the discussions in Japan's Budget Committee are directly relevant to future supply stability. If the central government responds positively to Kagoshima's request, increased investment in tea‑growing areas and processing plants could support higher production volumes of tencha and matcha over the medium term, helping to align Japan's capacity with global demand growth.

Kagoshima is already one of Japan's leading tea‑producing regions, known for its large‑scale, mechanized farms and diverse cultivars. Stronger infrastructure—ranging from shading facilities at the farm level to advanced tencha and matcha processing lines—would help producers in Kagoshima and other regions maintain quality while scaling up production for export.

For U.S. buyers planning beverage menus around matcha lattes, seasonal specials, and matcha‑based desserts, these policy developments suggest that Japan's tea industry is actively seeking ways to expand its production base rather than simply relying on existing capacity. Monitoring such policy signals can be useful when making long‑term procurement decisions, negotiating contracts, or planning new product launches that depend on stable access to authentic Japanese matcha.

Outlook: Policy Support and Long‑Term Supply

At the same hearing, other representatives from Kagoshima's business community and labor organizations also raised concerns about issues such as labor shortages in small and medium‑sized enterprises and the medical and welfare sectors, emphasizing the need for broader structural support. Within this wider context, support for tea and matcha production is positioned as part of a regional development and export‑promotion strategy rather than a narrow, single‑industry request.

For international partners, including U.S. cafés and foodservice operators, this means that Japanese stakeholders are actively engaging with the central government to secure the resources needed to maintain and expand the country's tea production base. As global matcha consumption continues to grow, such investments in production and processing capacity will play a key role in ensuring that high‑quality Japanese matcha remains available and competitive on the world stage.

Key Takeaways for U.S. Matcha Buyers

• Japan's Kagoshima Prefecture is pushing for national‑level support to expand the production base for tea, including matcha, in response to strong global demand.
• Despite the worldwide matcha boom, Japan's overall tea production area and volume are under pressure, making policy support for producers and processors increasingly important.
• The governor specifically pointed to shortages in tencha and matcha processing facilities and requested budget allocations to build and expand such plants.
• For U.S. cafés and foodservice buyers, these developments indicate an active effort within Japan to secure long‑term matcha supply capacity for export markets.

Source (Japanese):
MBC Minami Nippon Broadcasting via Yahoo!ニュース —「抹茶ブーム生産基盤拡大への支援を」衆議院予算委員会公聴会で要望
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/5bab6a22a9b69748ed2129a3b946de8d014bf838