The Japanese tea industry is focusing on expanding overseas sales channels due to a decline in domestic consumption amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Major production areas, such as Kyoto Prefecture, are undertaking new initiatives in sales and production: In February last year, a seminar about Japanese tea was held in Hollywood, Calif. Akio Matsumoto, a sommelier at a Japanese restaurant in New York, explained to attendees from companies that operate local restaurants that new dining experiences can be offered by pairing a wide variety of Japanese teas with meals.
The seminar was organized by the Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center (JFOODO), which operates under the auspices of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). Some 16 Japanese companies, including tea manufacturers from the major tea-producing prefectures of Kyoto, Shizuoka and Kagoshima, participated in the seminar. JFOODO also held the event in New York.
