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CNA Correspondent Podcast - China dominates global matcha supply but can Japan protect its premium edge?

21:02 Min

For centuries, Japan has defined matcha through ritual, craftsmanship and the legendary tea-growing town of Uji. But today, China has quietly become the world's biggest producer, supplying around 70 per cent of global output. As global demand soars, which country will shape the future of matcha? Genevieve Woo speaks to CNA Senior Correspondent Michiyo Ishida in Tokyo and Correspondent Tan Si Hui in Beijing, exploring the growing contest between heritage and scale, tradition and technology, as two neighbours take very different paths to satisfy the world's matcha obsession.

CNA Correspondent Podcast

CNA Correspondent Podcast - China dominates global matcha supply but can Japan protect its premium edge?

12 Aug 2026 08:00am

For centuries, Japan has defined matcha through ritual, craftsmanship and the legendary tea-growing town of Uji. But today, China has quietly become the world's biggest producer, supplying around 70 per cent of global output. As global demand soars, which country will shape the future of matcha? Genevieve Woo speaks to CNA Senior Correspondent Michiyo Ishida in Tokyo and Correspondent Tan Si Hui in Beijing, exploring the growing contest between heritage and scale, tradition and technology, as two neighbours take very different paths to satisfy the world's matcha obsession.

CNA Correspondent Podcast

About the show:

Our host speaks to CNA correspondents on the frontlines to bring you behind the scenes of some of the biggest global news stories from Asia and the world.

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