Matcha disappearing from store shelves: The shortage explained

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reports that matcha production reached 4,176 tons in 2023, nearly triple the volume recorded in 2010. However, output has still fallen short of meeting growing global demand. In addition, matcha prices in 2025 hit an all-time high, rising 170 percent compared with last year.

The hype

One factor behind the supply disruptions is the drink’s popularity beyond Japan’s borders. Social media (especially TikTok and Instagram) has turned matcha into a visual symbol of healthy living. Hashtags linked to the drink have racked up hundreds of millions of views, while cafés and brands worldwide have added it to their menus.

Ceremonial boom

Many consumers outside Japan see matcha as a single product, but in fact it falls into several categories: ceremonial, premium (daily-use), and culinary. Ceremonial matcha is the most expensive and rare, made from the first spring harvest and used in traditional tea ceremonies. Premium daily-use and culinary grades are less refined but more affordable and easier to find.

Consumers, however, often choose ceremonial matcha even for lattes or baking, putting extra pressure on already limited supplies. As a result, the market is seeing shortages of high-grade matcha, while the less expensive culinary varieties remain more widely available.

Tourism

The situation has been compounded by a surge in tourism to Japan: in 2024, the country welcomed almost 37 million visitors. Government figures show that in the first half of 2025 alone, a record 21.5 million foreign tourists arrived.

Eager to buy high-quality ceremonial matcha, visitors often clear store shelves within minutes of opening, despite purchase limits imposed by some retailers.

Production challenges

Matcha is made from tencha leaves, grown in the shade to enhance flavor. The harvest takes place once a year, and grinding the leaves on traditional stone mills is slow work - only about 40 grams of powder per hour.

Weather has also played a role in the shortage. Recent summers of extreme heat have damaged crops, particularly in Kyoto Prefecture, which produces roughly a quarter of Japan’s tencha.

According to Ooika Mills Matcha, the shortage is also linked to an aging workforce: the average Japanese tea farmer is over 60, and the number of farming households continues to fall. Switching to tencha cultivation requires significant investment in equipment and infrastructure, and new plantations take several years to produce their first harvest.

Earlier, Kazinform News Agency reported the population of Japanese nationals in 2024 fell by around 908,000 from a year earlier to 120,653,227.