Tea manufacturing industry shipment value in Japan 2015-2021

In 2021, the shipment value of the tea manufacturing industry in Japan amounted to around 314.1 billion Japanese yen. Japanese tea manufacturing is dominated by green tea production, with the industry supplying the domestic market with a variety of blends.

Tea varieties in Japan

Tea products consumed in Japan are mainly made by processing raw tea leaves, with green tea, black tea, and oolong tea being the most important varieties. While not made with tea leaves, roasted barley infusions (mugi-cha) are sold as herbal teas within the domestic beverage market. Made from roasted barley kernels, bottled barley tea is popular in summer as a cooling beverage.

Tea in the soft drink market

Tea is widely available in Japan, sold as loose leaves, tea bags, or ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages. Bottled RTD teas, in particular, are a popular refresher for on the way, propelling the beverage to the top of the non-alcoholic beverage market. Apart from its uses as a beverage, tea leaves are processed in the food industry, with ground green tea (matcha) being the most prominent example. Mixed into desserts as a natural ingredient, matcha-flavor has grown to be a consumer favorite for cakes, chocolate, and ice cream among others.