Shizuoka Targets Export Growth to Revitalize Japan's Tea Industry

Japan's Tea Powerhouse Shizuoka Sets New Export Targets — What It Means for Matcha Buyers

Japan's Shizuoka Prefecture — long considered the country's most iconic tea-growing region — has unveiled an ambitious new tea industry development plan focused on export growth. For US café owners and buyers sourcing Japanese matcha, this strategic shift signals a stronger, more export-oriented supply chain in the years ahead.

Shizuoka's New Tea Industry Plan: Key Numbers

According to the Asahi Shimbun (April 7, 2026), Shizuoka Prefecture has formalized its Prefectural Tea Industry Promotion Plan, setting a target to increase tea export revenue from local businesses to ¥15.4 billion (approx. $96M USD) by 2028 — a ¥4.8 billion (approx. $30M USD) increase compared to 2024 figures. This plan is a direct response to declining domestic tea consumption as traditional loose-leaf tea drinking habits fade, while global demand continues to surge.

In 2025, Shizuoka's aracha (荒茶, aracha — unrefined raw tea, the intermediate product before final processing) production fell 7% year-on-year to 24,100 metric tons, placing the prefecture second nationally behind Kagoshima for the second consecutive year. While this signals a domestic contraction, Shizuoka's renewed focus on international markets represents a significant opportunity for US buyers.

Japan's Green Tea Exports Hit Record Highs

The backdrop to Shizuoka's plan is a historic surge in Japanese green tea exports. In 2025, Japan's total green tea export volume exceeded 12,612 metric tons — the first time it has surpassed 10,000 metric tons in 71 years — with export value reaching a record ¥72.1 billion (approx. $451M USD). Shizuoka-based exporters alone generated ¥10.6 billion (approx. $66M USD) in 2024, more than double their ¥4.8 billion (approx. $30M USD) in 2022. This remarkable doubling in just two years reflects the accelerating global adoption of matcha and the broadening of export destinations beyond traditional markets.

The Pivot to Matcha: A Strategic Shift for Producers

Central to the plan is a major structural shift in what Shizuoka farmers grow. The prefecture is actively encouraging producers to transition away from conventional loose-leaf varieties toward tencha (碾茶, tencha — shade-grown, steamed, and dried tea leaves that are ground into matcha powder), the raw material used to produce matcha. Tencha and matcha command significantly higher market prices than standard leaf tea and have demonstrated strong, sustained demand in overseas markets including the United States.

The long-term target is ambitious: matcha and powdered tea production to reach 8,600 metric tons by 2040, accounting for roughly one-third of Shizuoka's total aracha output. This represents a fundamental reorientation of one of Japan's largest agricultural regions toward the product category most in demand globally.

Organic Tea and Smart Farming Also in Focus

The plan also prioritizes two additional growth areas relevant to US importers. First, organic tea production will be expanded, driven by strong demand particularly from European markets but increasingly from health-conscious US consumers as well. Second, to counteract the effects of an aging farming workforce and shrinking tea garden acreage — which dropped by 1,200 hectares in 2025 alone to 11,600 hectares — the prefecture will accelerate smart agriculture adoption and consolidate farmland into more efficiently managed corporate operations. The goal is to maintain at least 10,000 hectares of active tea gardens through 2040.

Shizuoka Governor Yasutomo Suzuki acknowledged the challenge directly, calling the two consecutive years at second place in national production "deeply disappointing" for a region that has defined Japanese tea for generations, while committing to "steadily advance the structural transformation of production" toward exports.

What This Means for US Matcha Buyers

For café owners, beverage directors, and procurement teams sourcing Japanese matcha in the US market, this development is worth tracking closely. A government-backed push toward matcha-specific cultivation in Shizuoka — combined with continued investment in export-oriented processing facilities — points toward a more reliable and scalable matcha supply chain. Shizuoka's move to complement existing matcha powerhouses like Uji (Kyoto) and Yame (Fukuoka) with large-scale tencha cultivation could help stabilize pricing and increase availability of premium ceremonial and culinary-grade matcha over the coming years.

As global demand for authentic Japanese matcha continues to outpace supply, understanding where Japan's production base is heading — and which regions are investing in the future — is a key advantage for buyers seeking long-term sourcing security.

All USD figures are approximate conversions based on an exchange rate of ¥159.75 per USD (April 7, 2026).