Shizuoka's Birthplace of Tea Shifts 70% of Fields to Matcha Production

Shizuoka's Historic Tea Region Pivots to Matcha as Global Demand Surges

Japan's matcha boom is reshaping tea farms at the source. In the Ashikubo district of Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City — widely recognized as the birthplace of Shizuoka tea — a local tea farming cooperative has converted approximately 70% of its fields from sencha (traditional Japanese green tea) production to tencha, the shade-grown leaf that is stone-ground into matcha. This transformation signals a broader structural shift underway in Japan's tea industry as export demand from the United States, Europe, and Asia continues to accelerate.

What Is Tencha — and Why Does It Matter?

To understand this shift, it helps to know how matcha is made. Tencha (碾茶) is the unrolled, dried tea leaf that serves as the direct raw material for matcha. Unlike sencha, which is rolled and shaped after steaming, tencha leaves are steamed and then dried without rolling — preserving a flat, fragile leaf structure. These dried tencha leaves are then stone-ground into the fine, vibrant green powder known as matcha. No tencha, no matcha: the two are inseparable.

Producing quality tencha also requires a critical step called shading (遮光, shakou). Approximately 20 days before harvest, the tea plants are covered with light-blocking sheets that restrict sunlight. This process intensifies the leaf's green color and concentrates umami — the savory, amino acid-rich flavor that defines premium matcha. The dramatic visual of white-sheeted tea fields in Ashikubo reflects exactly this technique in action during the current spring harvest season.

Variety Transition: From Yabukita to Tsuyuhikari and Okumidori

The shift from sencha to tencha has also required a rethinking of which tea cultivars are grown. Matsunaga Tetsuya, chairman of the Ashikubo Tea Works Farming Cooperative, explained that the cooperative had previously cultivated approximately 90% Yabukita — Japan's most widely planted tea cultivar, long dominant in sencha production. However, as the operation pivoted toward tencha, the cooperative began transitioning to cultivars better suited for matcha: Tsuyuhikari (つゆひかり) and Okumidori (おくみどり).

Both Tsuyuhikari and Okumidori are recognized among matcha producers for their deep green color, elevated amino acid content, and smooth flavor profile — qualities that align well with the expectations of specialty matcha buyers in the U.S. and European markets. Yabukita, while prolific and reliable for sencha, is generally considered less ideal for the highest-grade tencha and matcha production, making this cultivar transition a meaningful quality upgrade alongside the production shift.

A ¥200 Million Investment in Tencha Processing Infrastructure

The cooperative's commitment goes well beyond replanting. In October 2025, Ashikubo Tea Works completed the installation of a dedicated tencha processing line at a total project cost of approximately ¥200 million (roughly USD $1.35 million), partially funded through national and local government support programs. The cooperative manages over 1.8 hectares of tea fields in the district, and the new processing facility positions them to handle increased tencha volumes as the converted fields reach full production maturity.

This level of capital investment reflects how seriously Japanese tea producers are treating the global matcha boom — not as a temporary trend, but as a structural, long-term demand shift that warrants fundamental changes to farming practices, cultivar selection, and processing infrastructure.

Export Markets: U.S., Europe, and Asia in Focus

Ashikubo Tea Works has already begun exporting to Europe and the United States, and the cooperative is actively working to expand its distribution into Asian markets. For U.S. café operators and matcha buyers, this development is directly relevant: new supply entering the market from a historically significant Shizuoka origin — with dedicated infrastructure and premium cultivars — represents a potential new sourcing option as matcha demand in the American food and beverage sector continues to grow.

Shizuoka Tea at a Turning Point

The broader context adds urgency to these changes. Shizuoka Prefecture, long Japan's largest tea-producing region, has recently slipped to second place nationally in aracha (荒茶, unfinished/crude tea) production volume. Facing competitive pressure and shifting domestic consumption patterns, the industry is now looking to matcha and international exports as a path to revitalization. The Ashikubo district's bold pivot — from the region historically credited with originating Shizuoka tea culture — carries symbolic weight alongside its practical significance.

As Matsunaga put it: "We finally have something to show for it. There were plenty of chances to quit — years of real hardship. We want to make tea that people genuinely enjoy: great flavor, beautiful color."