Matcha is definitely the drink of the moment. It’s almost impossible to navigate social media without sipping from bright green, glass straws or food containers. In Japan, however, the matcha industry is struggling to keep up with growing demand.
“POV: Girls cause match shortage in Japan,” reads one viral TikTok post. The clip shows a sign at a tea shop in Japan saying, “It’s very hard to buy matcha these days.” The sign then explains that due to high sales during the summer, the store ran out of raw materials needed to make the drink. “After hearing about the matcha shortage in Japan, I didn’t waste a single bit of matcha,” wrote another TikToker.
In the last 25 years, matcha sales have exceeded 10 billion dollars, and the drink has exploded in the United States. The hashtag #MatchaTok has more than 40,000 posts on TikTok, and matcha lovers share their morning matcha routine, home setup and latte recipes.
Dating back to 8th century China, matcha begins as shade-grown tea leaves known as tencha, now produced primarily in Kyoto, Japan. The highest grade tencha leaves are harvested once a year, usually between mid-April and late May.
And as eater As recently reported, the latest health essentials are having a strong impact on the industry. Matcha brand Marukya Koyamaen has sold six months in less than a month thanks to its online virality. eater. Other popular brands include Ippodo Tea, Yamamasa Koyamaen and Rocky’s Matcha, many of which are sold out as soon as they are stocked. Due to seasonal harvests and climate change, supply is simply not enough to meet increased demand.
These shortcomings have created a divide within the #MatchaTok community. “POV you’re a matcha lover and you went to Japan,” reads one TikTok post, along with a plethora of powders and matcha-related products that require an extra-large suitcase and handbag to bring home. “This is so greedy and embarrassing,” said one comment posted under the video.
Another added: “With the matcha shortage going on, I think you’re suspecting girl number one.”