Japan Tries to Assuage Tea Growers’ Oil Concerns

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:57 JST, April 10, 2026

All possible measures will be taken to ensure a stable supply of heavy oil, said Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Norikazu Suzuki on Thursday, seeking to assuage the concerns of green tea producers.

Suzuki made the remarks during a visit to a matcha beverage shop in Tokyo’s Asakusa district, an area popular with foreign tourists. He then spoke with the shop’s operator about expanding matcha exports.

Speaking to reporters after the visit, Suzuki said, “If people gain an appreciation for matcha at the shop, it will generate revenue for all of Japan, including matcha producing regions.”

Thanks in part to the popularity of Japanese cuisine abroad, exports of green tea, including matcha, brought in a record ¥72.1 billion in 2025. The government plans to further expand exports.

However, due to the situation in the Middle East, concerns have been raised among some green tea producers about the availability of heavy oil, which is used for processing, such as when steaming harvested tea leaves, according to the Japan Tea Central Public Interest Incorporated Association.

“It is crucial for sufficient fuel oil to have been supplied when tea production begins,” said Suzuki.