Japanese green tea

In short

Where tea is grown

In 2025, the prefectures with the most land growing tea were Shizuoka first, Kagoshima second and Mie third. Together they had about 70% of the country’s tea fields.

Kinds of tea and where they come from

Sencha is made all over the country. Gyokuro comes mainly from Mie, Kyoto and Fukuoka, and kabusecha from Mie, Nara, Shizuoka and Fukuoka.

Tencha, the tea used for matcha, comes mainly from Kagoshima, Kyoto and Shizuoka. Tamaryokucha comes mainly from Saga, Nagasaki and Kumamoto.

The first flush of 2025

In 2025, in the prefectures surveyed, first-flush crude tea came to 20,000 tons, 10% less than the year before. Kagoshima was first in the country for the first time.

Leaves were picked from 22,300 hectares. The yield was lower, mainly because in Shizuoka there were days with low minimum temperatures from early April to early May, which slowed the growth of the buds.

Crude tea (aracha) is tea leaves that have been steamed, rolled and dried, before it is refined into finished tea.

Think about it

• Q1Why do you think tea grows well in some prefectures more than others?
• Q2Days with low temperatures slowed the growth of the buds. How does weather affect other crops you know?
• Q3What kinds of tea do people drink in your country?

There is no single right answer. Talking it over with someone at home is a good way to learn.