HYOGO, Sep 01 (News On Japan) - Hyogo Prefectural Police School is often called Japan’s toughest. The academy imposes grueling, highly regimented training designed to test aptitude—what the school calls the “kyojo,” a crucible that weeds out those who are not suited to police work.
The goal is to forge fully fledged officers capable of safeguarding public safety across Japan. Recruits face a relentless schedule of physical conditioning, drill, and classroom discipline under hard-driving instructors who demand strict adherence to rules and teamwork.
Our reporting follows trainees through these daily trials and the growth that follows—days of hardship that shape judgment, resilience, and a sense of duty on the path to becoming police officers.
Down a narrow mountain road on the outskirts of Kyoto sits a small tea kiosk that even many Japanese would struggle to reach without a car. One by one, foreign visitors—some arriving by bicycle—file inside with a single purpose: matcha. “Japanese matcha is much more delicious than in Canada,” said one traveler, capturing an unprecedented boom now centered on overseas tourists.
Across town, shop shelves are lined with matcha-themed products, and many foreign visitors pick up packets as souvenirs. Tourists crowd into whisking classes to learn how to prepare the drink, raising a basic question: why has matcha grown so popular among foreigners? The surge in consumption has pushed transaction prices higher, keeping producers busier than ever. While rising sales are welcome, growers say they are uneasy about how far prices have climbed and whether consumers can keep up.
On Kyoto’s streets, tourists from Europe and North America said they now encounter matcha lattes at home more often. A visitor from Barcelona said matcha lattes have become a staple on special outings; a Belgian tourist compared karaoke culture and said she tried matcha at a karaoke bar in Japan. An American traveler sought out “matcha Pocky,” noting that only the chocolate variety is commonly available at home. Others said they mix matcha with coconut milk because they cannot drink dairy. Export data mirror the trend, with a larger share of powdered tea now headed to Western markets, where it is often blended with milk as a latte. Some travelers even carry full tea sets—whisk, scoop, and bowl—and prepare matcha properly on the road.
Many said they choose Japanese matcha for its aroma and taste, which they find superior to local versions overseas. Others framed it as a healthier alternative to coffee or black tea: a hospital worker said she relaxes on difficult weeks by drinking a weekend matcha latte. Since the pandemic, growing health consciousness abroad appears to be turning matcha into a daily habit.
At a Kyoto tea house that has operated for more than 160 years, a couple from Sweden ordered a tasting set of both hot and cold matcha. “The aroma is intense, the mouthfeel is smooth, and the green is beautiful—very Instagrammable,” they said. The shop also sells sets to compare five different teas in hopes of deepening tea culture domestically, yet staff noted a striking shift: in their experience, some foreign patrons now arrive with more knowledge about tea than Japanese customers.
That gap feeds a broader concern that Japan may drift further from tea even as matcha captivates the world. Experiences are replacing simple product purchases: more visitors now pay to whisk and study tea rather than only buying tins to take home. The biggest change, however, is price. With overseas demand surging, Japanese buyers are increasingly crowded out. The average unit price for tea has roughly tripled this year, reflecting a sharp imbalance in supply and demand. Premium matcha has fetched about 400,000 yen per kilogram.
In Wazuka, one of Kansai’s prime tea-growing regions about an hour by car from central Kyoto, veteran farmer Uejima, who has worked the hills for 44 years, said prices have jumped two-and-a-half to three times and last year’s stocks have vanished. “Demand is rising around the world, but tea is a product of nature,” he said, pointing to heat that slows new shoots and fixed limits on yields from each field. Wazuka has roughly 200 tea farms, but with aging growers, the number could halve within ten years.
Hopes that a “matcha bubble” might draw in younger producers have met reality: with output capped, matcha-specific demand is spiking abnormally. Another producer said the long-standing domestic price structure cannot keep pace with inbound and export prices, warning that if high-quality matcha keeps flowing abroad, domestic buyers may no longer be able to afford it.
Hosoi, who has grown tea in Wazuka for 23 years and promotes tea on Instagram, now receives inquiries from around the world. Many ask for price lists and monthly volumes; some want smooth, high-grade matcha with private-label tins carrying their own logos. Early messages were from people who simply wanted to drink matcha, Hosoi said, but now most are business proposals. Inquiries are particularly heavy from the Middle East and Dubai.
Exporters who have exhibited at trade shows such as Gulfood in Dubai report more leads than they can handle, suggesting the boom has spread beyond Europe and North America. Back at a Wazuka shop, visitors from Dubai arrived during our interviews, saying matcha bars are common there and that younger customers now prefer matcha to coffee. Despite the remote location and limited transport, foreign buyers continue to come. Some have even completed internships in Wazuka to learn tea-making before returning home to work in tea-related jobs.
Producers see both light and shadow. They want more people to discover tea’s depth—sweetness, umami, distinctive aromas—and they encourage customers to explore regions across Japan, not just their own brands. They caution against a rush to make only matcha, arguing that preserving each region’s character ultimately serves consumers better. Asked whether the boom is good or bad, Uejima said it is positive: even if people do not always drink matcha in the traditional way, enjoyment in any form is welcome. Forcing a single “proper” style, he added, would only narrow the audience.
Source: KTV NEWS
