T4IS2026 Strategy Dialogue: 'The Global Matcha Boom is Disrupting and Destroying Japanese Tea' - The Paradox of Bankruptcies Amidst a Boom

At the Tech for Impact Summit 2026 hosted by Socious Inc., Yunomi Life presented on the structural crisis facing the Japanese tea industry. Although green tea exports have doubled, reaching the 150 billion yen goal five years early, tea farmers have declined by 94% in a generation. The social media-driven matcha boom requires sencha factories to invest about 100 million yen in tencha equipment. This sudden shift has caused a decades-high rate of bankruptcies among debt-ridden tea companies facing cash flow shortages despite paper profits. Furthermore, the outflow of non-tencha powdered tea labeled as 'matcha' raises serious authenticity and trust issues.