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Japan Times
an hour ago
- Japan Times
Global matcha 'obsession' drinks Japan's tea farms dry
At a minimalist Los Angeles matcha bar, powdered Japanese tea is prepared with precision, despite a global shortage driven by the bright green drink's social media stardom. Of the 25 types of matcha on the menu at Kettl Tea, which opened on Hollywood Boulevard this year, all but four were out of stock, the shop's founder Zach Mangan said. "One of the things we struggle with is telling customers that, unfortunately, we don't have" what they want, he said. With its deep grassy aroma, intense color and pick-me-up effects, the popularity of matcha "has grown just exponentially over the last decade, but much more so in the last two to three years," the 40-year-old explained. It is now "a cultural touchpoint in the Western world" — found everywhere from ice cream flavor boards to Starbucks. This has caused matcha's market to nearly double over a year, Mangan said. "No matter what we try, there's just not more to buy." Thousands of kilometers away in Sayama, Saitama Prefecture, Masahiro Okutomi — the 15th generation to run his family's tea business — is overwhelmed by demand. "I had to put on our website that we are not accepting any more matcha orders," he said. Producing the powder is an intensive process: The leaves, called tencha, are shaded for several weeks before harvest, to concentrate the taste and nutrients. They are then carefully deveined by hand, dried and finely ground in a machine. 'Long-term endeavor' "It takes years of training" to make matcha properly, Okutomi said. "It's a long-term endeavor requiring equipment, labor and investment." "I'm glad the world is taking an interest in our matcha ... but in the short term, it's almost a threat — we just can't keep up," he said. Tea farm owner Masahiro Okutomi works at his farm in Sayama, Saitama Prefecture, on June 4. | AFP-JIJI The matcha boom has been fueled by online influencers like Andie Ella, who has more than 600,000 subscribers on YouTube and started her own brand of matcha products. At the pastel-pink pop-up shop she opened in Tokyo's hip Harajuku district, dozens of fans were excitedly waiting to take a photo with the 23-year-old Frenchwoman or buy her cans of strawberry or white chocolate flavored matcha. "Matcha is visually very appealing," Ella said. To date, her matcha brand, produced in Mie Prefecture, has sold 133,000 cans. Launched in November 2023, it now has eight employees. "Demand has not stopped growing," she said. In 2024, matcha accounted for over half of the 8,798 metric tons of green tea exported from Japan, according to agriculture ministry data — twice as much as a decade ago. Tokyo tea shop Jugetsudo, in the touristy former fish market area of Tsukiji, is trying to control its stock levels given the escalating demand. "We don't strictly impose purchase limits, but we sometimes refuse to sell large quantities to customers suspected of reselling," said store manager Shigehito Nishikida. "In the past two or three years, the craze has intensified: Customers now want to make matcha themselves, like they see on social media," he added. Tariff threat Anita Jordan, a 49-year-old Australian tourist in Japan, said her "kids are obsessed with matcha." "They sent me on a mission to find the best one," she laughed. Okutomi presents the steps of tea processing in a factory in Sayama on June 4. | AFP-JIJI The global matcha market is estimated to be worth billions of dollars, but it could be hit by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on Japanese products — currently 10%, with a hike to 24% in the cards. Shortages and tariffs mean "we do have to raise prices. We don't take it lightly," said Mangan at Kettl Tea, though it hasn't dampened demand so far. "Customers are saying: 'I want matcha, before it runs out.'" At Kettl Tea, matcha can be mixed with milk in a latte or enjoyed straight, hand-whisked with hot water in a ceramic bowl to better appreciate its subtle taste. It's not a cheap treat: the latter option costs at least $10 per glass, while 20 grams of powder to make the drink at home is priced between $25 and $150. Japan's government is encouraging tea producers to farm on a larger scale to reduce costs. But that risks sacrificing quality, and "in small rural areas, it's almost impossible," grower Okutomi said. The number of tea plantations in Japan has fallen to a quarter of what it was 20 years ago, as farmers age and find it difficult to secure successors, he added. "Training a new generation takes time. ... It can't be improvised," Okutomi said.
Japan Times
3 hours ago
- Japan Times
Development project at historic Kamakura site raises concerns
A condominium development project near the site of a historic 13th-century shogun's office has sparked controversy in a popular Japanese tourist destination. The location, once central to the Hojo clan's regency during the Kamakura shogunate, is considered an area of significant cultural and archaeological value. Local citizens and history researchers in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, are urging authorities to halt the construction, expressing concerns that valuable relics may be buried beneath the site. The Kamakura city government now faces mounting pressure as it struggles to balance urban development with the preservation of its rich historical heritage. In 1225, the administrative office of the Kamakura shogunate government (1185-1333) was moved from the present-day Yukinoshita area of Kamakura to around the Komachi area of the same city. The relocated office became known as the Utsunomiya Zushi shogunate office and remained in operation for about 11 years. The term "Zushi" refers to a narrow street running east to west. The Utsunomiya Zushi office was the second of the three main government offices established by the Kamakura shogunate. During the Kamakura shogunate, the direct line of Minamoto clan shoguns lasted only three generations. After the end of this lineage, real power shifted to the regent Hojo Yasutoki during the period of the Utsunomiya Zushi shogunate office. At the Utsunomiya Zushi office, Yasutoki established the Goseibai Shikimoku, Japan's first legal code specifically for samurai warriors. This groundbreaking code had a profound and lasting influence on the structure and values of samurai society for generations to come. The proposed development site spans approximately 2,000 square meters in the Komachi area. A Tokyo-based real estate company has submitted a land-use plan to the Kamakura city government, seeking approval to construct a condominium building with two above-ground floors and one basement level, including 10 residential units. The project also includes an underground parking facility, which will require excavating the site to a depth of about 5 meters. Recent excavations at a nearby Shinto shrine uncovered the remains of a building and a well some 2 meters below the surface. While it is uncertain whether these structures are directly linked to the shogunate, their discovery suggests that any potential remains at the condominium development site are likely to be found at a similar depth. "If remains are unearthed, it could mark an unprecedented historical discovery," said Fumihiko Gomi, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo and a member of a group of historians and local citizens working to preserve the site of the Utsunomiya Zushi shogunate office. He emphasized that the site has the potential to be designated as a special historic site under the law for the protection of cultural properties, which would be the first such designation in Kanagawa Prefecture. Utsunomiya Inari Shrine, which was built near the site of the Utsunomiya Zushi shogunate office, in the Komachi area of Kamakura | JIJI The citizens' group is also raising concerns about the Kamakura city government's approach to preserving the ancient samurai city. In the past, the city government, in collaboration with the prefectural authorities and other organizations, sought UNESCO World Heritage status for "Kamakura, Home of the Samurai" — a collection of historic sites located in and around the city. In 2012, the Japanese government submitted a nomination dossier to UNESCO. The following year, however, an advisory panel to the World Heritage Committee recommended against the inscription, noting that Kamakura's outstanding universal value as a World Heritage site had not been sufficiently demonstrated. The citizens' group argued that the proposed condominium development "contradicts the philosophy the city advocated when campaigning for World Heritage site status." The group suggested that if the remains of the shogunate office are discovered, the site should be preserved as a historical park. To raise awareness and support, it organized a symposium in December last year and launched a signature drive. Before any preservation efforts can proceed, a drilling survey must be conducted to determine whether any historical remains are present at the site. Regulating the proposed condominium development poses legal challenges, while converting the area into a park will likely be hindered by financial limitations. "We will communicate local opinions to the developer as needed," said an official from the city government's urban coordination section. "If valuable historic remains are discovered, the city government will request cooperation from the developer." Meanwhile, the city government has decided to relocate Kamakura's city hall rather than reconstruct the aging building, citing the need to preserve the medieval ruins recently discovered beneath the site. Members of the local citizens' group have expressed distrust toward the government, accusing it of employing double standards. One member said the city is "inconsistent in its attitude toward preserving history."
Japan Times
6 hours ago
- Japan Times
Japan's top trade negotiator holds two phone meetings with Lutnick
Japan's top tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, held "in-depth exchanges" over the phone with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Thursday and Saturday, the Japanese government said. A pause on a 24% reciprocal tariff on imports from Japan expires on July 9, although U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested the rate could be even higher. The Japanese government also said in a statement that it intends to continue actively coordinating with the U.S. side on the matter, as it worked to avert higher tariffs. The White House declined to comment on the report, referring only to Trump's recent comments on Japan. Trump last week hammered Japan over what he said was Tokyo's reluctance to import U.S.-grown rice, and accusing Japan of engaging in "unfair" autos trade. Japan has in fact imported historically high volumes of U.S. rice in recent months as domestically grown rice has skyrocketed in price since last year. It was unclear if Trump would make good his pledge to skip further trade negotiations with Japan and send it a letter with a specific tariff rate, on top of the 10% already in effect on most trading partners. On Friday he said he had signed letters to 12 countries and they would be going out on Monday, but did not identify them. He expressed doubt that a deal could be reached with Japan on Tuesday, and suggested he could impose a tariff of 30% or 35% on imports from Japan — well above the 24% tariff rate he announced on April 2. Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday said he was determined to protect his country's national interests as trade negotiations with the U.S. struggled, noting that his country was the largest investor in the United States. Tokyo has yet to secure a trade deal after nearly three months of negotiations as it scrambles to find ways to get Washington to exempt Japan's automakers from 25% automobile industry-specific tariffs, which are hurting the country's manufacturing sector.
