Matcha Day in Japan Date in the current year: February 6, 2025

Matcha is a fine green tea powder made from tea leaves grown in the shade, which gives matcha its strong umami flavor and bright green color. The main contributor to the characteristic umami flavor of matcha is amino acids, of which it contains twice as much as sencha (whole leaf green tea).

Powdered green tea originated in China, from where it was brought to Japan. However, it was the Japanese who improved its quality by inventing shade cultivation in the 16th century. Growing in the shade increases the amount of amino acids and caffeine in the leaves. It also increases the amount of chlorophyll because the plant needs more of it to capture sunlight and produce energy in the shade, resulting in the characteristic bright color of matcha.

To make matcha, the tea leaves are steamed briefly at 100°C (212°F) to soften the leaves and inactivate the enzymes that cause oxidation. The leaves are then finely ground and dried in a special machine.

There are two main types of matcha: koicha (premium matcha) and usucha. Both are made by mixing the powder with hot water, but koicha requires about three times as much tea to the same amount of water as usucha and is made with water at a lower temperature. In addition, usucha is frothed while koicha is not. As a result, koicha is thicker than usucha and has a more pronounced umami flavor.

Drinking matcha is part of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. The powdered tea is stored in a special container called chaki. Koicha is stored in ceramic chaki called chaire or koicha-ki, while usucha is stored in wood or bamboo chaki called usucha-ki or natsume. Before consumption, matcha is sifted to prevent clumping.

The powdered tea is scooped out of the container with a special spoon called chashaku. It is then placed in a bowl (chawan) with hot water and stirred with a whisk (chasen). As mentioned above, usucha is whisked, while koicha is gently kneaded. One drinks matcha from their own individual bowl.

Japan’s leading matcha producer is the city of Nishio in Aichi Prefecture. Tea has been grown in the area for centuries, but the production of matcha in Nishio took off during the Meiji era (late 19th century). Today, Nishio is the only city in Japan that focuses on growing tea specifically for the production of matcha.

In 1992, the Nishio City Tea Industry Promotion Council established Matcha Day to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the city’s matcha industry. The date, February 6, was chosen because of a play on words common in Japan: the numbers 2 and 6 sound like “furo” in Japanese, and furo is a traditional brazier used to boil water to make matcha.

There are several ways to celebrate Matcha Day – even if you’re not in Japan! You can attend a traditional Japanese tea ceremony or a matcha-making workshop, make matcha at home, buy a matcha latte at your local coffee shop, or enjoy a matcha-flavored dessert.