Where Does Matcha Come From? Japan vs Global Origins
Where Does Matcha Come From? Japan vs Global Origins
Matcha comes from Japan, where it has been produced for centuries using shaded tea cultivation, careful steaming, and stone milling. While a growing number of countries now produce “matcha-style” green tea powders, authentic ceremonial matcha is still defined by Japanese growing regions—especially Uji, Kyoto.
In this guide, we explore where matcha originally comes from, why Japan remains the global benchmark for quality, and how matcha produced outside Japan differs in flavour, colour, and production methods. Understanding these origins helps explain why true Japanese matcha looks brighter, tastes smoother, and behaves differently in the bowl.
From the shaded tea fields of Kyoto to emerging matcha-style producers around the world, let’s explore how geography, climate, and craftsmanship shape what ends up in your cup.
Japan: The Origin of Modern Matcha
When most people say “matcha”, they’re talking about shaded, steamed, and stone-milled green tea – a process perfected in Japan over centuries.
What makes tea “true” matcha?
In Japan, high-quality matcha starts with carefully shade-grown leaves (tencha). The plants are covered before harvest to boost chlorophyll, amino acids, and umami.
After picking, the leaves are steamed (not pan-fried), dried, de-stemmed, and finally stone-milled into an ultra-fine powder. Each step affects colour, aroma, flavour, and mouthfeel.
Many “matcha” powders overseas skip parts of this process – for example, using unshaded leaves or pan-firing – which creates a very different tea.
Climate, cultivars & craftsmanship
Japan’s main matcha regions have cool nights, gentle sunlight, and well-draining soils. Specific tea cultivars (such as Ujihikari, Gokō, Samidori, Okumidori and others) are bred for shading and grinding.
Skilled tea farmers and tea masters adjust shading times, harvest timing, and blending to achieve consistent flavour profiles – from bright and refreshing to deep, umami-rich ceremonial grades.
Not all Japanese matcha is equal. Lower-priced autumn or summer harvest powders, minimal shading, or very fast machine milling can all create a more bitter, coarse result – even if the label says “Japanese matcha”.
Uji, Kyoto – The Heart of Ceremonial Matcha
Uji, just south of Kyoto city, is considered the cradle of shaded tea in Japan and the benchmark for high-grade matcha.
Why Uji is so highly regarded
Uji combines misty river valleys, gentle slopes, and centuries of tea-growing knowledge. Farmers here specialise in tencha – the raw material for matcha – and use long shading periods to build sweetness and umami.
The result is a vivid green powder with a creamy mouthfeel and balanced flavour: ideal for straight ceremonial bowls, as well as high-end lattes.
Even within Uji, quality varies. Single-cultivar, first spring harvest lots are rare and command higher prices than generic blends or later harvests.
Why Premium Health Japan chooses Uji
Our core range is built around single-origin and single-cultivar Uji matcha: carefully shaded, stone-milled in small batches, and packed fresh in Kyoto. This origin gives us the depth of umami, aroma and colour our customers expect from true ceremonial grade.
If you’re looking for matcha that feels “silky” rather than sandy and stays bright green when whisked, Uji is usually the best starting point.
Global demand for Uji matcha is now so strong that many farmers have shifted land from sencha to matcha production. This increases supply, but it also means careful selection is essential if you want consistent, high-grade results.
Other Matcha Regions Within Japan
While Uji is the classic origin, several other prefectures in Japan also produce excellent matcha with their own regional character.
Nishio
Nishio in Aichi Prefecture is known for its large-scale matcha production, including organic options. Matcha from this area is often smooth and mild, making it popular for everyday drinking and food service applications.
Top lots can be excellent, but much of Nishio’s volume is blended for café use, so flavour and colour can be more “everyday” than ultra-premium.
Shizuoka
Shizuoka is Japan’s largest tea-growing region. Although it is best known for sencha, some producers also specialise in matcha. Flavours tend to be clean and lightly sweet, with a strong sense of the surrounding mountain landscape and ocean air.
Because Shizuoka has a long history with the Yabukita cultivar (traditionally used for sencha), some matcha from this area can taste a little more robust or bitter compared with softer Uji cultivars.
Kagoshima
Located in southern Kyushu, Kagoshima’s volcanic soils and warmer climate produce matcha with a slightly bolder profile. It’s often used in blends for café drinks where a stronger flavour is desired.
Kagoshima can offer great value for lattes and blended drinks, especially when you want matcha to stand out against milk or alternative milks.
Mie
Mie is a smaller but growing matcha origin. Its teas can be delicately sweet and refreshing, and are often chosen for blends or as approachable everyday matcha for new drinkers.
Fukuoka & Yame
Fukuoka, particularly the Yame area, is respected for deep, umami-rich teas. Although volumes are limited, some producers apply these techniques to matcha, resulting in powders with a rounded, velvety taste.
Wazuka – Single-Farm Uji Matcha
Wazuka is a small tea-farming village in the hills of southern Kyoto, widely regarded by tea professionals as one of the finest areas for producing tencha for matcha. The combination of cool mountain air, misty mornings, and mineral-rich soil creates ideal conditions for shaded cultivation.
Many of our single-origin Uji matcha lots come from multi-generation tea families in Wazuka who specialise exclusively in matcha production. This village-level traceability is what allows us to offer exceptionally aromatic, umami-rich ceremonial matcha with true depth and balance.
Wazuka-grown matcha in our range includes Wazuka – Single-Farm Uji Matcha and our limited “Signature Uji” releases.
“Matcha-Style” Teas Produced Outside Japan
In recent years, several countries have started producing powdered green tea inspired by Japanese matcha. These products can be interesting, but they usually offer a different flavour and texture.
China
China has a long tea history and now produces powdered green teas inspired by Japanese matcha. Quality ranges widely: at the lower end, powders can be dull in colour and bitter in taste; at the top, a small number of carefully shaded and steamed lots can be surprisingly good.
A handful of Chinese gardens are rapidly improving their techniques, but at present they remain the exception. Traceability and honest labelling are essential when evaluating Chinese “matcha”.
South Korea
Some Korean producers have begun shading their tea and stone-milling it, coming closer in process to Japanese matcha. Flavours are often more grassy and a little sharper, which some people enjoy for everyday lattes or iced drinks.
“Ceremonial” matcha from Korea can look duller in the bowl and taste more bitter than Japanese ceremonial grades, especially when whisked straight with water.
India
India is better known for chai and black tea, but some gardens now produce powdered green tea for the matcha market. These products can have interesting character, though the cultivation and processing methods are still evolving.
Taiwan
Taiwan is famous for high-mountain oolong. A small number of producers also experiment with shaded, powdered teas. These tend to be niche and reflect Taiwan’s oolong heritage as much as Japanese matcha traditions.
Hawaii
Hawaii’s volcanic soils and tropical climate create unique teas, including small-scale “matcha-style” powders. These are very limited in volume and often have a fruity, tropical character that differs from traditional Japanese profiles.
In general, teas labelled “matcha” outside Japan can be very different in style and quality. For ceremonial-style preparation and classic flavour, Japanese matcha – especially Uji – is still the most reliable choice.
As global demand has surged and Japanese supply has tightened, some companies now blend Japanese and non-Japanese powders in their own facilities and sell the result as “Japanese matcha”. This keeps costs down but makes origin less transparent, which is why we place so much emphasis on clear sourcing and documentation.
How to Choose a Matcha That’s Right for You
Origin is important, but it’s only one part of the story. When you’re comparing matcha from different regions or countries, look for:
- Clear origin and producer: Is the growing region (and ideally the prefecture) named on the label?
- Shaded and steamed leaves: True matcha is made from shaded tea (tencha) that is steamed, not pan-fried.
- Harvest season: First spring harvest teas are more limited and usually sweeter and more aromatic than later harvests.
- Cultivar: Uji cultivars such as Ujihikari, Gokō, Samidori and Okumidori tend to give softer, more umami-rich profiles than generic Yabukita used for sencha.
- Milling method: Granite stone mills create a finer, silkier powder than industrial high-heat grinders.
- Colour & aroma: High-grade matcha is vibrant green with a fresh, seaweed-like aroma – not dull or yellowish.
- Intended use: Ceremonial matcha is best for drinking straight; café or “latte” grades are blended for milk and recipes.
At Premium Health Japan, we specialise in Uji matcha produced to these standards, with options for both ceremonial preparation and daily lattes.
Like wine, matcha is becoming more region- and producer-driven. Knowing where your tea comes from – and how it was grown and milled – makes it much easier to choose a matcha that truly fits your taste and budget.