Origin and production

Japanese Tea Regions

Short answer: cultivated area, crude tea output and the reputation of an origin are different measures. In 2025, Shizuoka remained first by tea-growing area, while Kagoshima led aracha output among the main prefectures covered by MAFF statistics.

Reading the 2025 figures

Aracha is unfinished crude tea before final refining. MAFF statistics covering the main prefectures placed Kagoshima at 30,000 tonnes of aracha and Shizuoka at 24,100 tonnes in 2025. By cultivated area, Shizuoka remained ahead of Kagoshima and Mie.

A statistic should always state its year and metric. Simply calling Shizuoka “the leading producing region” is now too imprecise.

Regions to know

Region or prefecture	Useful context
Shizuoka	First by cultivated area in 2025, second for aracha among the main prefectures.
Kagoshima	First for aracha among the main prefectures in 2025.
Mie	A major growing area, notably associated with Ise-cha.
Uji and Kyoto	An important historical origin. The Uji name alone is not a guarantee of product quality.
Yame, Fukuoka	Known in particular for shade-grown teas, with substantial variation between products.
Ureshino, Saga	Associated notably with tamaryokucha and pan-heated tea traditions.
Sayama	A production area near Tokyo, to be assessed by producer and product.

What origin can tell you

A region may provide context about climate, available cultivars, processing traditions and production networks. It does not replace information about producer, harvest, cultivar, shading, steaming, finishing and storage.

For a purchase, ask for a sufficiently precise origin and a harvest date when relevant. For a workshop, ask which teas and producers will actually be presented.

Sources

Institutional sources checked 13 July 2026. Statistics must be reviewed annually.

Last review

Page checked on 13 July 2026 using available MAFF 2025 data.