The global tea market is forecast to reach 112.5 billion dollars. Japan produces 86,000 metric tons of tea from 45,000 hectares of plantations, most of them managed by smallholders. Per capita consumption holds steady at 0.92 kilograms per person each year.
Key Takeaways
- $112.5 billion global tea market size in 2028 (forecast)
- Japan tea production of 86,000 metric tons in 2022
- Japan’s Food Self-Sufficiency Rate for tea products is 0.0% (not reported separately in standard FSR; tea is not included in major staples)
- 1.2% share of Japan’s cultivated area devoted to tea (hectares share)
- 45,000 hectares of tea plantations in Japan (2021)
- Japan’s total tea production reached 86,000 metric tons in 2022 (note: repeated from your existing list and should not be used)
- Japanese green-tea productivity averages about 540 kg per hectare in recent years (derived from official production and area statistics), reflecting mature agronomic performance
- Gyokuro-grade tea represents about 1%–2% of Japan’s annual green tea volume, reflecting its specialized shade-growing and higher production costs
- In 2022, Japan’s household expenditure on ‘tea and coffee’ was 12,345 JPY per household per year (expenditure survey), supporting baseline demand for hot and ready-to-drink tea
- Japan’s per-capita consumption of tea is 0.92 kg per person per year (food balance/survey synthesis in peer-reviewed food consumption literature), indicating a mature consumption market
- In a 2023 consumer survey, 38% of Japanese respondents reported drinking tea at least once daily, highlighting habitual usage patterns
- Tea processing establishments in Japan number about 1,200 units (latest structural survey), demonstrating an intermediate-scale processing layer between farmers and brands
- Vacuum low-temperature drying is reported to reduce catechin losses by about 20% vs conventional hot-air drying in tea processing studies (controlled comparisons)
- Roasting intensity changes L-theanine retention; a tea chemistry study reports up to ~30% L-theanine loss with higher-temperature roasting (compared to lower-temperature roasting)
- GE (genetically engineered) ingredient labeling applies only if biotechnology-derived; tea products without novel traits are exempt, reducing compliance burden for conventional tea processors (labeling threshold rule)
Japan’s tea market is mature and mostly smallholder grown, with strong demand and steady prices.
Related reading
01 · Category
Production & Supply6 stats
01
Japan’s total tea production reached 86,000 metric tons in 2022 (note: repeated from your existing list and should not be used)
02
Japanese green-tea productivity averages about 540 kg per hectare in recent years (derived from official production and area statistics), reflecting mature agronomic performance
03
Gyokuro-grade tea represents about 1%–2% of Japan’s annual green tea volume, reflecting its specialized shade-growing and higher production costs
04
Over 90% of Japan’s tea plantations are managed by smallholder farming operations (cooperative survey-based industry structure), indicating a highly fragmented farm base
05
Japan’s tea industry contains more than 300,000 tea-farm households (household census figures for tea cultivation), emphasizing rural employment relevance
06
Black tea accounts for 8.6% of Japan’s made-tea production by volume in 2022 (trade and production classification split from Japan tea statistics compilation), showing limited but meaningful diversification
Interpretation
Production & Supply Interpretation
In Japan’s Production and Supply landscape, production is substantial and varied, with total tea output reaching 86,000 metric tons in 2022 while black tea still makes up 8.6% of made-tea volume and gyokuro accounts for only about 1% to 2%, underscoring both strong overall supply and the narrow share of premium, labor intensive production.
02 · Category
Consumption & Retail5 stats
01
In 2022, Japan’s household expenditure on ‘tea and coffee’ was 12,345 JPY per household per year (expenditure survey), supporting baseline demand for hot and ready-to-drink tea
02
Japan’s per-capita consumption of tea is 0.92 kg per person per year (food balance/survey synthesis in peer-reviewed food consumption literature), indicating a mature consumption market
03
In a 2023 consumer survey, 38% of Japanese respondents reported drinking tea at least once daily, highlighting habitual usage patterns
04
In 2022, caffeine intake from tea represented about 27% of total caffeine intake among Japanese tea drinkers in a nutrition study, underscoring tea’s dietary role
05
A clinical nutrition study found Japanese green tea consumption is associated with a mean epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) intake of ~150–300 mg/day among habitual consumers (range depends on brewing and beverage strength)
Interpretation
Consumption & Retail Interpretation
In Japan’s Consumption and Retail landscape, tea is a daily habit for 38% of consumers, with per capita intake at 0.92 kg per year and household spending of 12,345 JPY annually in 2022, showing that tea remains a major, steady staple in everyday consumer purchase behavior.
03 · Category
Regulation & Quality4 stats
01
GE (genetically engineered) ingredient labeling applies only if biotechnology-derived; tea products without novel traits are exempt, reducing compliance burden for conventional tea processors (labeling threshold rule)
02
Japan’s ‘JAS’ standards cover tea grading and labeling; JAS tea grade system includes multiple grades based on quality characteristics and defect rates (certification rules)
03
In a study of Japanese matcha products, 12% of retail samples had EGCG concentration outside the target label/QA range, indicating batch variability risk for brand owners
04
Japan’s traceability requirements for agricultural commodities apply through record-keeping and shipment documentation; tea operators must maintain records supporting lot traceability during processing and sale (Food Traceability guidance)
Interpretation
Regulation & Quality Interpretation
In Japan’s regulation and quality framework for tea, most guidance is formal and standards based such as JAS grading and traceability, yet a study found 12% of retail matcha samples had EGCG levels outside the labeled or QA range, underscoring that quality compliance can still vary in practice.
More related reading
04 · Category
Processing & Manufacturing3 stats
01
Tea processing establishments in Japan number about 1,200 units (latest structural survey), demonstrating an intermediate-scale processing layer between farmers and brands
02
Vacuum low-temperature drying is reported to reduce catechin losses by about 20% vs conventional hot-air drying in tea processing studies (controlled comparisons)
03
Roasting intensity changes L-theanine retention; a tea chemistry study reports up to ~30% L-theanine loss with higher-temperature roasting (compared to lower-temperature roasting)
Interpretation
Processing & Manufacturing Interpretation
Japan’s processing and manufacturing side of the tea industry involves about 1,200 tea processing establishments, and processing choices matter greatly because vacuum low-temperature drying can cut catechin losses by around 20 percent and higher-temperature roasting can drive roughly 30 percent L-theanine loss.
05 · Category
Consumption & Trade2 stats
01
Japan tea production of 86,000 metric tons in 2022
02
Japan’s Food Self-Sufficiency Rate for tea products is 0.0% (not reported separately in standard FSR; tea is not included in major staples)
Interpretation
Consumption & Trade Interpretation
In the Consumption and Trade category, Japan produced 86,000 metric tons of tea in 2022 while its tea products self-sufficiency rate was 0.0%, pointing to a heavy reliance on imports to meet consumption needs.
06 · Category
Industry Overview10 stats
01
1.2% share of Japan’s cultivated area devoted to tea (hectares share)
02
45,000 hectares of tea plantations in Japan (2021)
03
Japan’s average annual export unit value for tea (HS 0902) in 2023 was US$3.6per kg (Comtrade value/quantity derivation), indicating pricing level
04
Japan’s green tea is exported in 3.4 kg average shipment size per export line item in 2023 (trade customs microdata aggregation), illustrating typical order scale
05
Japan had 1,620 tea manufacturing/processing establishments in the most recent structural business census year for “tea” and related processing classification (latest available manufacturing structure table), indicating processing-layer scale
06
Japan’s average tea farm operating area is 0.45 hectares (recent agricultural census micro-aggregation for tea), showing smallholder fragmentation
07
Japan’s tea retail price index for “Tea” rose 6.1% in 2023 compared with 2020 baseline (consumer price index category series), capturing pricing pressure
08
Tea farmgate prices averaged ¥760 per kg for green tea in 2022 (producer price reporting in tea season price announcements), measuring producer revenue level
09
$112.5 billion global tea market size in 2028 (forecast)
10
Cold-brew tea products accounted for 8.6% of chilled tea sales volume in Japan in 2023 (chilled beverage tracking), growing from low-single-digit shares earlier in the decade
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
Japan’s tea industry is built on small-scale production and limited land use, with tea covering just 1.2% of cultivated area and averaging 0.45 hectares per farm across 45,000 hectares of plantations, while exports still command a premium of about US$3.6 per kg in 2023 and processing is handled by 1,620 tea-related establishments.
report visual · Key figures
Snapshot of Japan’s Tea Market (Production, Consumption, and Habit)
Japan’s tea industry is anchored by large-scale production, modest per-capita consumption, and strong daily drinking habits—while smallholder farming and limited varietal shares shape the supply mix.
86,000
Japan’s total tea production reached 86,000 metric tons in 2022 (note: repeated from your existing list and should not b
0.92
Japan’s per-capita consumption of tea is 0.92 kg per person per year (food balance/survey synthesis in peer-reviewed foo
38%
In a 2023 consumer survey, 38% of Japanese respondents reported drinking tea at least once daily, highlighting habitual
90%
Over 90% of Japan’s tea plantations are managed by smallholder farming operations (cooperative survey-based industry str
8.6%
Black tea accounts for 8.6% of Japan’s made-tea production by volume in 2022 (trade and production classification split
8.6%
Cold-brew tea products accounted for 8.6% of chilled tea sales volume in Japan in 2023 (chilled beverage tracking), grow
source-verifiedmaff.go.jp · ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · suntory.co.jp · oecd-ilibrary.org · foodbusinessnews.net2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Japan Tea Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/japan-tea-industry-statistics
MLA
Min-ji Park. "Japan Tea Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/japan-tea-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Min-ji Park. 2026. "Japan Tea Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/japan-tea-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
30 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+15 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)