Monthly Matcha Market & Origin Report – September 2026

National Tea Appraisal Skills Competition Held in Shizuoka

The National Tea Appraisal Skills Competition, held in September at the Shizuoka Tea Market, is an annual event where young tea professionals from across Japan compete in their ability to evaluate tea quality. In 2026, approximately 120 participants from 13 regional organizations took part in the competition.

Members of our team are also part of the Kyoto Prefectural Young Tea Producers Association, where they regularly work to improve their tea appraisal skills. Kyoto has a particularly large number of participants, and earning a place at the national competition requires successfully passing a highly competitive selection process at the prefectural level. Although we were not able to qualify for this year's national competition, the Kyoto Prefectural Young Tea Producers Association proudly won the team championship.

The competition consists of several categories, including:

• Cultivar Identification: Identifying tea cultivars such as Yabukita and Saemidori based on appearance, aroma, taste, and leaf characteristics.
• Harvest Season Identification: Determining whether a tea was produced from the first, second, or later harvests.
• Origin Identification (Appearance): Identifying the production region based on the appearance and characteristics of dry tea leaves.
• Origin Identification (Tasting): Identifying the tea's production region through tasting.

The 2027 National Tea Appraisal Skills Competition is scheduled to be held in Kyoto. As we continue striving to qualify for the National Tea Appraisal Competition, we will further refine our tea evaluation skills and expertise while working to improve tea quality.

The accompanying photograph shows the competition venue on the day of the national event.

Evaluating Kyotango Tencha Quality and Preparing for Future Export Requirements

In September, we participated in a discussion meeting at the JA Uji Tea Distribution Center together with representatives from Fukuki Farm, JA organizations, and local government offices regarding production and export initiatives.

During the morning session, we evaluated 42 samples of aracha harvested this spring, primarily from Fukuki Farm. Aracha is the unrefined tea stage before tencha is processed into matcha.

For this evaluation, an advanced analytical approach was used in which quality-related components such as total nitrogen, theanine, chlorophyll, and catechins were measured using near-infrared spectroscopy and converted into scores. However, tea quality cannot be determined by numbers alone.

In practice, quality evaluation includes both visual assessment and sensory evaluation. Attributes such as leaf shape, brightness, color, aroma, and texture are assessed alongside internal qualities including liquor color and flavor. As a result, teas with higher analytical scores do not always receive the highest sensory evaluations, and the two assessments do not necessarily align.

Among the 42 samples, the highest-quality aracha displayed a vivid dark green appearance with excellent freshness. They exhibited the refined covered-tea aroma characteristic of shaded cultivation and a pleasantly soft, slightly moist texture when handled. The brewed liquor was clear and clean, with little off-flavor, offering an elegant aroma and a well-balanced combination of umami and refreshing bitterness.

In contrast, lower-quality samples often showed a yellowish appearance. Teas with excessive moisture content sometimes exhibited a slightly sharp aroma known as icho-ka (withering aroma), which can be perceived in the back of the nose. When brewed, these teas tended to display stronger bitterness and acidity, with lingering off-flavors in the finish.

During the afternoon session, discussions focused on future export requirements. As several overseas markets are expected to tighten maximum residue limits in the coming years, producers, JA representatives, and government officials exchanged views on cultivation management and potential countermeasures.

We will continue working closely with producers and industry partners to ensure a stable supply of safe, high-quality matcha for customers around the world.

Strengthening Our Matcha Production Capacity

To improve production capacity and further strengthen supply stability, we introduced a new grinding machine and expanded our stone mill operations in September.

Introduction of a New Grinding Machine

At MATCHA DIRECT, only #001B Ceremonial Matcha and the newly released #001C Ceremonial Matcha are produced using machine grinding.

The newly installed grinder uses the same bead mill technology as our existing equipment but contributes to greater production efficiency and improved supply stability.

Expansion of Stone Mill Production

We have also expanded our traditional stone mill operation.

Stone milling is the traditional method of producing matcha by slowly grinding tencha, resulting in matcha with rich aroma and a smooth, refined texture. Through the addition of new stone mills, our stone-milled matcha production capacity has increased by approximately 1.5 times compared with previous levels.

We will continue investing in production capabilities while maintaining our quality standards so that we can provide a stable supply of matcha to our customers worldwide.