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This green drink is always sold out. I visited Japan to find out why

Millie Muroi Economics Writer October 10, 2025 — 12.01am

A decade ago, it was a ceremonial drink that most Australians might have tried once or twice – if at all. Now, it’s almost as common to see someone cupping a “matcha” on their morning coffee run as it is to see grass.

It has become so popular that cafés – and even some of the biggest producers of matcha powder in Japan – are often sold out of the drink and the powder used to make it.

A boom in tourism to Japan, aided by its favourable exchange rate, a growing focus on wellbeing (matcha is said to be a healthier alternative to coffee with a similar caffeine content but steadier release of the chemical), and the drink

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