Marukyu Koyamaen Tea Company has claimed that the name of its famous black-tinned tea was copied from the drink. (ABC News: James Orton)
At first glance, this matcha can appears to be genuine, bearing the well-known Isuzu brand name and other product characteristics.
Japanese green tea powder is so popular that respected manufacturer Marukyu Koyamaen limits the number of purchases per customer to prevent stockpiling.
But Matsutsugu Nonomura, who was in charge of the company’s international sales, knew that the can of Isuzu matcha tea he was holding was a fake.
Matcha latte is gaining popularity thanks to its appealing image on social media. (Wikimedia: Irvan Ary Maulana)
Matcha has become increasingly popular in recent years, and Japanese farmers are struggling to meet the growing demand.
Tea trees take about five years to grow, and the process of producing tea powder is very complex. To increase chlorophyll and amino acid content, farmers must shade the tea trees for about three weeks before harvesting.
After harvesting, the leaves are steamed for 10 seconds, air-dried, and then ground using a traditional stone mill, yielding just 40 grams per hour.
Matcha tea labeling is largely unregulated, and some Japanese producers fear that unscrupulous Chinese manufacturers are taking advantage of the growing demand to sell low-quality tea products under the “Japanese matcha” label.
While anyone can make matcha, producers claim that some matcha labels or packaging they see abroad copy well-known Japanese brands or falsely claim the tea originates from Japanese regions.
Like most teas, matcha is made from the same plant—the tea tree (Camellia sinensis)—but the way it’s processed is significantly different. (ABC News: James Orton)
The drink has recently become a hit on social media, with consumers praising it for its health benefits, rich umami flavor, and milder caffeine hit than regular coffee.
Matcha is a special type of green tea that originated in Japan and has a history dating back at least 400 years. (ABC News: James Orton)
The additive is now common in cafes around the world, appearing in lattes, cakes, and ice cream, but this isn’t the first time demand for it has surged.
The first matcha shortage occurred in the 1990s, when ice cream maker Häagen-Dazs launched green tea-flavored ice cream in Japan.
“I feel incredible satisfaction in seeing that Japanese culture, or rather these enduring historical traditions, are recognized by people all over the world,” he said.
Last year, thanks to the boom in social media, Japan’s green tea exports grew by 25% year-on-year, reaching a record high.
This year, those records were broken again: match sales from January to September exceeded the total sales for the whole of 2024.
Mr. Yamamoto said: “We deeply regret that we cannot meet the needs of people around the world.”
There are concerns that increased matcha production will impact supplies of other green tea varieties that remain popular with Japanese consumers.
In Uji, one of Japan’s most famous tea regions, long lines of tourists always form outside matcha shops, and the tea on the shelves sells out within hours of opening.
Buying directly from the manufacturer remains a reliable option, but Mr. Nomura is concerned about the rise of unscrupulous online distributors.
Some Chinese matcha varieties sold on the market imitate the names and packaging of well-known Japanese products, while others falsely claim to be produced in Japanese tea regions such as Uji.
He said: “If consumers buy a product thinking it’s Uji matcha but find it’s not nearly as tasty as they expected, they’re likely to stop buying it.”
“The prospect of such counterfeit products spreading not only in China but throughout the world would cause extremely serious damage to the market.”
Japanese agricultural authorities said that as matcha’s popularity has grown, so has the amount of counterfeit products, but they were unable to provide specific figures.
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries actively promotes the registration of such trademarks overseas and believes it has had some success in lobbying China to combat misleading products.
Matcha is made by grinding dried green tea leaves, after removing the veins, into a fine powder. (ABC News: James Orton)
“We know that, for example, Chinese companies unrelated to Uji have applied to register the ‘Uji Matcha’ trademark in China,” said Tomoyuki Kawai of the provincial tea department.
The rapid rise in popularity of matcha has led to a global shortage of this high-quality tea powder. (ABC News: James Orton)
Sino-Japanese relations have entered a vicious circle after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hinted at possible Japanese intervention in the Taiwan conflict.
ABC contacted China’s National Intellectual Property Administration but did not receive a response.
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Post time: Dec-17-2025