Matcha shortage in Japan felt globally, including in S'pore

For those heading to Japan soon, you might want to rethink the souvenirs you want to buy back.

There is currently a matcha shortage over there, and some stores have temporarily suspended the sale of some matcha products.

Surge in demand

One matcha brand, Ippodo Tea, announced on Oct. 30 that it would temporarily suspend the sale of certain matcha products due to a supply shortage.

The store explained that its production has been unable to keep pace with the recent surge in matcha demand.

In an update on Nov. 19, the store added that it will temporarily suspend the sale of specific products until the beginning of 2025.

Ippodo Tea added that its other matcha products are low in stock.

Customers are limited to one item each under these circumstances.

Another store, Marukyu Koyamaen, shared that it has been receiving "an unexpected high volume" of orders over the past few months, which has led to the shop limiting the availability of all its matcha products.

Matcha store Horii Schichimeien had also suspended their online shop due to delays in receiving materials from manufacturers.

While it resumed sales for a while, there were more customers than expected, leading to sales being suspended again from Nov. 1 onwards.

Some stores in Japan have also put up signs explaining the difficulty of buying matcha.

In a TikTok video, one user filmed a sign stating that it "sold too much" from June through September and ran out of raw materials.

Due to stricter purchase restrictions, the store had very limited supply.

As such, the store stated that purchasing matcha would be "extremely difficult" until the new year's harvest, which it estimated to be in June 2025.

"This situation is the same in Kyoto, Tokyo and everywhere else," the sign added.

@runawaywithk not y’all came to Japan and wiped out the Marukyu Koyamaen matcha for the next 6 months! #matchalover #matchatok #japanvlog #matcha ♬ Yasashi - CXSPER

What's happening?

A Japanese tea store, Sazen Tea, detailed a round table discussion between the President of Horii Shichimeien and Sazen Tea on why there is a shortage in supply.

Sazen Tea noted that the sudden surge in demand for matcha "took everyone by surprise", and manufacturers have struggled to keep up.

The store noted that most tea manufacturers are small, family-run businesses that rely on traditional processing methods.

To maintain its quality, the tea is ground using granite stone mills, which have limited production capabilities.

In addition, matcha is made from specific shaded tea leaves, tencha, and its supply has run out.

Even though the leaves can be stored in freezers for years, the rising demand has quickly depleted existing stocks, Sazen Tea said.

"The solution to these challenges seems simple: manufacturers need to process and store more tencha while expanding their facilities. However, implementing this requires time and significant investment."

Could it affect Singapore?

The matcha shortage seems to be impacting the world.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that some cafes in Australia are affected by it.

One tea shop told the Australia media that it has struggled to keep up with demand, as it would often wait up to three months for a new shipment from Japan.

A representative from Ippodo Tea told Sydney Morning Herald that there is only one high-quality harvest in Kyoto each year, and grinding the leaves into the coveted matcha powder takes time.

"For the time being, we've decided to limit the varieties and quantities available to maintain our strict quality standards."

According to The Straits Times, the shortage impacted some supermarkets in Singapore, and some have raised product prices by 10 to 15 per cent since mid-October.

However, FairPrice, Meidi-Ya and Isetan Singapore said they have ample matcha stock and will not raise prices or impose sales restrictions, ST added.

Matchaya, a matcha cafe in Singapore, told ST that the shortage has temporarily made certain products out of stock.

To manage it, they had to order in smaller, more frequent batches, which resulted in higher shipping costs.

ST added that Matchaya has not decided on price adjustments or purchase limits.

Top photos via Unsplash