Brand Story

The Contradiction Between the World and Japan

Interior of a Japanese matcha processing facility

The world wants Japanese matcha.

From cafes and desserts to wellness brands, demand for authentic Japanese matcha is exploding across industries,
and the global matcha market keeps growing fast.

But back in Japan, where it’s produced,
the reality is grim.

An aging workforce.
No successors.
Outdated equipment.

Production regions are quietly burning out.

The quality is there.
But it’s not reaching the world.

That’s the contradiction we want to change.

Why Is the Matcha You Demand So Hard to Find?

This is the reality overseas buyers face when sourcing Japanese matcha.

Quality is inconsistent

— color, aroma, and flavor shift with every new lot.

Supply is unreliable

— stock-outs happen without warning depending on conditions at the farm.

Information doesn't come through

— details on origin, processing methods, and grades are rarely communicated accurately.

Negotiation is difficult

— the system simply isn't built for direct conversations with producers.

This isn't a quality problem. It's a problem with how matcha gets to the world.

A buyer evaluating matcha quality and fresh tea leaves

We exist to build that system.

Matcha Otaku is not a farm.

And that's exactly why we can do what farmers can't.

Rooted in the Source

Matcha Otaku's founder, Yokota, is the fifth generation of a tea farming family with over 100 years of history in Ashigara, Kanagawa. We know the struggles of producers from the inside. That's why we can identify the manufacturers we truly trust.

Every month, we run farm tours visiting multiple tea growers across Shizuoka Prefecture. Buyers get to meet producers face to face, walk the tea fields, and judge quality with their own eyes and palate. No middlemen. We connect origin directly to the world.

Yokota visiting tea farms with overseas buyers

Close-up of tea leaves during farm inspection

International trade exhibition featuring Japanese matcha brands

Global partners and buyers with Matcha Otaku team

A Track Record That Moves Markets

Yokota has led the development of over 150 brands in the food delivery industry, successfully scaling more than 1,000 locations. That same expertise in marketing strategy and logistics operations now drives his work in matcha exports. He travels to countries around the world,

talks to local partners, and gets a real feel for each market before making recommendations. Today, we export to 58 countries.

Our Promise to Buyers

What we deliver isn't just matcha
— it's confidence in every step of the sourcing process.

Matcha Otaku team with buyers in tea fields

Quality Assurance

We standardize our inspection process for composition, color, and flavor before every purchase.

Together with each buyer, we establish clear quality benchmarks designed to minimize variation between lots as much as possible.

Information regarding grade, origin, and production method is documented and included with every delivery.

Reliable Supply Commitment

We design annual supply plans together with each buyer.

We track farm production capacity in advance and maintain backup supply routes for seasonal fluctuations and weather-related risks.

Through our network of multiple producers and manufacturers, we aim to achieve zero stock-outs.

Partnership

Through a dedicated web catalog, buyers can access product specifications and inventory status at any time.

In addition, through trade shows and farm tours, buyers can experience the matcha firsthand — enabling them to confidently communicate its value to their own customers even after purchase.

We see ourselves not simply as suppliers, but as long-term partners supporting our buyers' success.

Taking Japan to the world.

We are matcha otaku.

An otaku is someone who digs deep into a field with passion, never stopping their pursuit.

The more we learn, the more we discover how much genuine quality is still sitting undiscovered. The more we realize how much value isn't reaching the world — and that makes us restless.

So we can't stop.

There are producers out there, exhausted but proud, making matcha worthy of the world. The moment their work reaches a buyer overseas, and then makes it into the hands of an end customer — that's the moment a "quiet subcontractor" becomes a "hero" who excites fans around the globe.

We keep moving every day for that moment.

We respect Japan's traditions, and as export specialists, we carry their potential to the world.

That is the mission of Matcha Otaku.