A Novice Tea Master Plunges into the World of Matcha
In 1973, the year of the oil shock, I stepped into the tea industry. At that time in Kyoto, high-grade hand-picked tencha (raw material for matcha) was mainstream, while cheaper scissor-cut tencha was sourced from the Mikawa region. Purchasing directly from producers in East Uji through a method called "iritsugi" was common, and my knowledge was limited to East Uji's tencha.
Struggles at Kyoto's Tea Market: Battling Veteran Tea Masters
In 1989, I participated in the Kyoto Tea Market auction for the first time, but for the first few years, I could hardly buy anything. The auction hall was filled with industry moguls, and their buying style was impressive. As a newcomer unfamiliar with production areas and producers, I was no match for them.
A Turning Point: The Rise of Scissor-Cut Tencha
Around 1994-1995, I finally became able to buy at auctions, and simultaneously, scissor-cut tencha began to increase. However, the real turning point came in 1996.
The Häagen-Dazs Shock: A Major Event Shaking the Matcha Industry
In the spring of 1996, right after I had transferred old stock tencha to a colleague, a surprising situation unfolded. At the auction, one tea garden started buying up tencha at abnormally high prices. The cause was a large order from Häagen-Dazs. Scissor-cut tencha that had been 5,000 yen the previous year jumped to 7,000 yen.
The Arrival of the Matcha Boom: Structural Changes in the Industry
Following this Häagen-Dazs shock, many producers shifted from producing regular tea to tencha. The demand for matcha increased rapidly, and the entire industry began to change significantly. This event became a crucial turning point for us tea masters, foreshadowing the future of matcha.
