Reflections from Japan as Tea Producers Prepare for Harvest

I’ve just returned from two weeks in Japan visiting tea producers. The primary purpose of the trip was to conduct interviews and research for a new book I’m working on (more details to come soon), while also spending time with our growing partners to discuss the year of tea ahead in 2026. Spring is just around the corner, and we had several days with temperatures hovering in the high 60s. While the tea buds have not yet begun to push upward, the plum blossoms were in full bloom — a reminder that the season is shifting.

Although it feels like we are at the beginning of the tea season, much of the work for 2026 has already taken place throughout the end of 2025— pruning, fertilizing, and garden management. Visiting in February offers a rare window. Tea makers have the space to pause, reflect, and speak at length — time that becomes increasingly precious and scarce once April arrives and the harvest begins.

The takeaway for me, after speaking at length with many producers, is that there’s a cautious optimism in the air. “Nothing can be as crazy as last year, right?” one tea maker in Uji quipped, half laughing. I hope that proves true. Even with bank balances reflecting record sales, 2025 was a stressful year for the Japanese tea industry. The strain of unprecedented demand, the hyper-focus on matcha, and a rapidly shifting landscape that asked more of farmers than ever before left many exhausted — and with more questions than answers. Now, with some of that turbulence in the rearview mirror, there is a renewed willingness to return to the rhythm of the annual cycle. Farmers are once again putting their best foot forward, embracing the quiet discipline of preparation that defines this season.