Japanese Agriculture Minister Visits Tokyo Matcha Cafe Amid Middle East Tensions
Japanese Agriculture Minister Norikazu Suzuki visited Matchamon, a matcha cafe in Tokyo, to discuss the impact of Middle East tensions on tea production and the cafe's overseas expansion plans. The cafe's executives reported no current issues with raw material procurement but have postponed plans to open new locations in the Middle East due to regional instability. Japan's green tea exports, including matcha, reached 72.1 billion yen in 2025, marking significant growth. The minister emphasized the importance of promoting matcha globally through both exports and international cafe operations. 
