Rising Japanese Matcha Prices: 2x Matcha and 6x Autumn Bancha Shock U.S. Café Buyers

Rising Matcha Prices in Japan: What U.S. Cafés Need to Know About a 2x Matcha and 6x Autumn Bancha Surge

A recent local news report from Toyama, Japan, highlights how the global matcha boom is now translating into unprecedented price pressure on Japanese tea retailers and their customers. For U.S. cafés and F&B buyers importing matcha from Japan, this is an early warning signal of structural changes in the Japanese tea market, not a temporary fluctuation.

Matcha prices doubling at specialty shops

In a long‑established tea specialty store in Imizu City, Toyama Prefecture, the person in charge explains that matcha prices have effectively doubled compared with the previous year. Matcha products that could previously be purchased for around 1,500 yen are now in the 2,500–3,000 yen range at retail, illustrating the scale of the upstream cost increase.

From late November, the shop struggled to place new matcha orders due to inventory shortages at its suppliers, and even after switching suppliers, purchase costs remained close to twice the previous level. To protect inventory and serve regulars, the store has introduced purchase limits of two cans per customer.

In the Japanese tea context, "matcha" refers specifically to finely stone‑milled green tea powder made from shade‑grown leaves (often tencha), traditionally used in the tea ceremony and now widely used for lattes and desserts.

Autumn–winter bancha prices jumping sixfold

The same report points out that the price shock is not limited to matcha: certain green teas are seeing even more dramatic increases. In particular, autumn–winter bancha (aki‑fuyu bancha) – a coarse green tea harvested from autumn to early winter – has experienced an approximately sixfold jump in trading prices in Kagoshima Prefecture, one of Japan's key producing regions.

According to the figures cited, average trading prices in Kagoshima rose from 417 yen to 2,431 yen in just one year, underscoring how quickly supply–demand imbalances can escalate in specific tea segments. In Japanese tea terminology, "bancha" generally refers to lower‑grade, later‑harvest leaves used for everyday drinking tea; the autumn–winter segment is often used as a cost‑efficient base for blended products and RTD teas.

Why this is happening: export demand and crop shift

Local stakeholders attribute these price spikes primarily to the rapid expansion of export demand and changing farmer incentives. As overseas demand for matcha and Japanese green tea has grown on the back of Japanese food popularity and global health trends, exports of green tea including matcha have roughly doubled over the past six years.

Faced with strong matcha demand and attractive pricing, some farmers who previously produced standard leaf green tea (sencha and bancha) are converting their fields to matcha‑oriented production. This shift reduces the supply of conventional green tea, which in turn pushes up prices for products like autumn–winter bancha that once served as a relatively low‑cost ingredient.

Implications for U.S. cafés and tea buyers

For U.S. cafés, restaurants, and beverage brands importing Japanese matcha, these developments have several practical implications. First, wholesale matcha prices are likely to face continued upward pressure, especially for grades sourced from popular regions and cultivars tied to the global matcha boom. Second, cost increases in bancha and other base teas may flow through to RTD beverages, tea blends, and food products that rely on Japanese green tea as an ingredient.

Operators that depend heavily on matcha drinks may need to review menu pricing, portion sizes, or grade mix to maintain margins without compromising customer experience. At the same time, communicating the story behind Japanese matcha – including rising production costs and growing global demand – can help customers better understand and accept necessary price adjustments at the café level.

How to prepare your sourcing strategy

While the Toyama report focuses on a single specialty shop and Kagoshima bancha prices, it reflects a broader structural trend in the Japanese tea industry that will affect international buyers. U.S. café and F&B buyers should proactively discuss medium‑term pricing, volume commitments, and grade flexibility with their Japanese suppliers, rather than treating current prices as static.

Strengthening relationships with reliable partners in Japan, diversifying origin within Japan when appropriate, and planning ahead for seasonal demand spikes (such as spring launches and holiday promotions) will be increasingly important to secure authentic Japanese matcha at sustainable price points. In parallel, educating in‑store staff about basic Japanese tea terminology – such as matcha, sencha, and bancha – can support more confident communication with consumers as market conditions evolve.

Source

Original Japanese news article (in Japanese): "抹茶1缶3888円も?抹茶ブームで『購入制限』お茶専門店の藤岡園に聞く価格高騰の現状　富山", TBS NEWS DIG / チューリップテレビ, January 9, 2026.
https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/tut/2392668