The matcha market in Shinkoko currently appears to us like the "Great Wave of Kamagawa." Hokusai's famous woodblock print depicts a ship safely navigating dangerous waves—a fitting image for what's happening right now. The matcha world is currently experiencing turbulent times.
Our team will guide you safely through this turbulent phase to ensure that enjoyment and quality are maintained.
Media reports about shortages and price explosions
Whether on ORF or in international newspapers – you can read everywhere:
“Matcha is becoming scarce and expensive.”
But how bad is it really? We can reassure you – thanks to our direct relationships with our Japanese dealers, we have background knowledge that the media often forgets.
Why Uji is in focus
The bottlenecks mainly affect:
- the Uji region near Kyoto
- Organic Matcha
Uji is world-famous for its renowned Urasenke tea school – comparable to Bordeaux for wine: very famous, but not automatically the best choice.
Shinko speaks from experience. Even 25 years ago, when he ran a wine business, he preferred to focus on lesser-known but top-quality regions. That's exactly how we do it today at Shinkoko.
Our focus: small, high-quality growing areas
We focus on small, often unknown growing regions with manageable-sized family farms. This is almost an Austrian tradition for us – such as the Shiga region, Burgenland's partner region.
Here’s some insider information for you: Just 30% tea leaves from Uji are enough to label Matcha as “Uji Matcha.”
Price increases worldwide – and scaremongering in the media
There is currently talk of price increases of up to 200%.
Global demand ensures:
- scarcity
- Delivery bottlenecks
- limited delivery quantities
Japan's largest green tea producer, Ito En, has already raised its prices by 100% or more. Below you'll find several links to articles from Japanese media that describe the situation in detail.
Shinkoko has taken precautions – stable supply, moderate prices
Thanks to our direct connections to Japan and long-standing partnerships with producers:
- we have no delivery bottlenecks
- we had to adjust our prices by only about 10%
- Together with our partner Chasandai (a family business in the 5th generation, 140 years of experience, from the Shimane region) we were able to develop new, even better qualities
Don't forget: There's more than Matcha
Matcha is only a small part of the vast universe of green tea.
Those who remain open-minded can discover many other, often still unknown, tea treasures – from fine Gyokuro to aromatic Sencha and warm, comforting Hojicha from small growing regions.
Conclusion: Don’t panic – just good tea
Large media companies such as “Der Standard” and “Die Zeit” often rely on press releases that do not always go into depth.
So, even if headlines and rising prices are worrying, with the right partners and an open mind, enjoyment remains assured.
For your reading: Reports from Japanese media on the Matcha shortage
1. TBS News, July 31, 2025
🔗 Read the article at TBS News
Japanese excerpt:
「寿榮の昔（30グラム）」の希望小売価格は税込み302 4円から、4536円まで引き上げられるということです。
Topic: Ito En increases prices for matcha and green tea products by up to 100%
- Global matcha boom leads to raw material shortages
- 19 Matcha products for tea ceremonies affected
- Prices will increase by up to 100% starting September 1. For example, “Juei no Mukashi” (30 g) will increase from 3,024 yen to 4,536 yen.
- From 1 October, 32 green tea products will also be more expensive
- Causes: rising energy and logistics costs, aging farmers, lack of young talent
- According to Ito En, a stable supply is no longer possible “through entrepreneurial efforts alone”
2. TBS News, August 1, 2025
🔗 Read the article at TBS News
Japanese excerpt:
日本で生産する1割以上が海外向けになりました。
Topic: Worldwide Matcha shortage worsens – prices double
- Matcha delights international tourists – popular in the USA, Korea,
- Matcha exports have been rising steadily for five years, with over 10% of production going abroad
- In Japan this leads to noticeable shortages
- Producers are increasingly converting tea fields to Tencha (Matcha raw material) – often from 30% to 70%
- Problem: lack of drying ovens for tea leaves, further increase in production difficult
- Cultivated area has shrunk by 20% in ten years
3. Bloomberg Japan, July 31, 2025
🔗 To the Bloomberg article
Japanese excerpt:
茶会用などの抹茶製品19品の価格は最大で２倍にする。価格改定は９月１日から.
Topic: Global demand for Matcha continues to grow – price increases inevitable
- 19 Matcha products: Prices doubled from September 1
- 32 green tea products: Price increase between 3.3% and 50% from 1 October
- Reasons: increasing domestic demand from tourists, social media hype (e.g. TikTok videos)
- 2025: Over 4,600 price increases in the beverage segment in Japan – 70% more than in the previous year