Kagoshima Matcha Boom: Foreign Visitors Double at Local Tea Shop | Japan Matcha News

A specialty tea shop in Kagoshima, Japan is seeing a dramatic surge in international visitors — and it's a clear signal of just how strong global matcha demand has become. According to a May 2026 report by MBC Minaminihon Broadcasting, foreign customers at Ikeda Senchadou, a Kagoshima tea specialty shop, have doubled compared to the previous year.

Kagoshima: Japan's #1 Tea-Producing Prefecture

Many people in the West associate Japanese green tea with Shizuoka, but Kagoshima Prefecture is actually Japan's largest tea-producing region by volume. The shop's manager noted that locals often use this as a talking point when gifting Kagoshima tea to friends from other parts of Japan — a proud reminder that Kagoshima has quietly claimed the top spot in domestic production.

The shop, located in the Tenmonkan district of Kagoshima City, specializes in locally grown Kagoshima tea and offers matcha lattes and gelato made with prefecture-grown matcha. These approachable, modern formats have helped attract a new generation of international visitors.

Visitors from the US, Europe, and Asia

Store manager Megumi Nagai confirmed that international foot traffic has roughly doubled year-over-year, with visitors arriving from the United States, France, Germany, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. On the day of the broadcast interview, more than half of the customers in the shop were from overseas.

One American visitor summed it up plainly: "It's very popular, especially among young people — matcha-flavored everything is trending. Matcha ice cream, pancakes, matcha drinks — matcha is really popular in America right now."

Organically Grown Matcha, Stone-Ground by Hand

Ikeda Senchadou uses organically cultivated Kagoshima matcha that is stone-ground using traditional ishiusu (石うす) — a granite millstone used to slowly grind tencha leaves into fine matcha powder. This method preserves the tea's vibrant green color and nuanced aroma, qualities the shop takes pride in. The slow-grinding process using an ishiusu is considered essential for producing premium-grade matcha.

Manager Nagai commented: "We feel the growing interest in matcha every day. We hope visitors come away with an appreciation for the appeal of matcha and the depth of Japanese tea culture."

What This Means for US Matcha Importers

For café owners and beverage buyers sourcing matcha from Japan, this on-the-ground data reinforces a broader market trend: demand for authentic Japanese matcha is accelerating, not just in the US but globally. Kagoshima-origin matcha — long recognized for its bold flavor profile and high production volume — is increasingly attracting attention from international buyers who visit Japan and experience it firsthand.

If you are looking to source premium ceremonial or culinary-grade matcha directly from Japan, this is an ideal time to establish reliable supply relationships before demand further outpaces availability.

A Note on Tencha and Matcha

Tencha (てん茶) is the raw, unground leaf that is processed into matcha powder. It is shade-grown to enhance umami and chlorophyll content before being stone-ground into the fine green powder known as matcha. Kagoshima has rapidly expanded tencha cultivation to meet rising global matcha demand.

Source: MBC Minaminihon Broadcasting / Yahoo! News Japan (May 14, 2026)
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/3d3c8f23d39eeabf9fcb4a5bb74660158036e1a0