Our Story
A Journey Across Europe
From 2021 to 2026, I spent five years traveling across Europe as a digital nomad, living in different countries and experiencing their cultures firsthand.
Throughout my journey, I noticed a growing interest in Japanese culture and cuisine. Matcha, in particular, had become increasingly popular.
Cafés served matcha lattes, bakeries offered matcha desserts, and store shelves were filled with products labeled as Japanese matcha.
Matcha had always been a part of my own life. While living in Japan, I enjoyed drinking matcha lattes and even making homemade matcha cheesecakes.
The Question That Started Everything
As I visited cafés across Europe, I began to question the matcha being served.
Many cafés proudly claimed to use Japanese matcha. Yet authentic Japanese matcha is produced in limited quantities, while global demand continues to grow rapidly.
If genuine Japanese matcha is limited, how could it be available in nearly every café I visited?
Curious, I began asking café owners where they sourced their matcha and whether I could see the products they were using. They kindly shared their matcha powders and packaging with me.
What I discovered was often very different from the matcha I knew in Japan.
Many powders had a pale yellow-green color instead of the vibrant green associated with high-quality matcha.
Their origin was often unclear, and their color, aroma, flavor, and overall quality differed significantly from the authentic Japanese matcha I had experienced in Japan.
Looking Beyond the Label
My curiosity didn't stop at cafés. I also began looking more closely at the matcha sold through major European online stores.
Many products were marketed as Japanese matcha at surprisingly low prices.
However, importing genuine Japanese matcha into Europe involves far more than the cost of the tea itself. International shipping, import duties, VAT, distribution, and retail margins all contribute to the final price.
That raised another question.
How could authentic Japanese matcha be sold so cheaply after traveling thousands of kilometers from Japan?
Some products may genuinely contain Japanese-grown tea. However, Japanese origin alone does not guarantee high quality.
Matcha made from later harvests or blended for large-scale production can differ greatly from carefully produced first-harvest matcha in color, aroma, umami, sweetness, and bitterness.
Yet consumers are rarely given enough information to understand where their matcha comes from, how it was produced, or what truly influences its quality.
The Beginning of Matcha Lab
Those experiences stayed with me.
I realized that people across Europe genuinely wanted to enjoy authentic Japanese matcha, yet many had never been given the opportunity to experience its true quality.
As a Japanese person, I felt a responsibility to help bridge that gap.
That realization became the beginning of Matcha Lab.
Visiting to Uji, Kyoto
After returning to Japan, I traveled to Uji, Kyoto, one of the world's most respected matcha-producing regions.
I visited producers, tasted a wide range of matcha, and carefully selected products based on their color, aroma, flavor, texture, and production methods.
Those experiences became the foundation of Matcha Lab.
Our Mission
Today, we work directly with trusted producers in Uji, Kyoto to carefully source 100% Uji matcha and deliver it to customers around the world.
Our mission is simple:
To bring authentic Uji matcha from Kyoto to World with greater quality, transparency, and respect for Japanese craftsmanship.
We believe every customer deserves to know where their matcha comes from, how it is produced, and what makes it truly exceptional.
Through every cup of matcha we share, we hope to introduce the craftsmanship, tradition, and authenticity that have defined Japanese tea culture for generations.