Matcha shortage in Japan hits Singapore

Some shops here have raised prices on matcha products by 10 to 15 per cent since mid-October

- Sherlyn Sim

When Ms Jillyn Lee, 19, first tried a matcha drink in 2022, she was captivated by its rich and creamy taste.

The Singapore Polytechnic student has since made drinking matcha - powdered green tea - a daily ritual, enjoying it at least twice a day.

Her obsession with the superfood even led her to Japan in October 2023, when she visited tea shops and returned with 30 tins of matcha worth $900.

However, the global surge in popularity for the green powder, packed with nutrients and antioxidants, over the past year could spell trouble for enthusiasts like her.

BREWING TROUBLE Photos circulating on social media show snaking queues and signs outside tea shops in Tokyo advising customers about out-of-stock products or purchase limits.

In the past month, leading Japanese matcha producers such as Marukyu Koyamaen, Ippodo Tea and Ocha no Kanbayashi began imposing restrictions on the number of products customers could buy.

These limits are expected to last until early 2025.

"Due to a sharp and continued increase in demand on matcha products in the past months, the current demand has already exceeded our production capacity. This results in an extremely low stock of all matcha products at this moment," Marukyu Koyamaen said on its website on Oct 25.