As geographic indication (GI) registration for Japanese tea advances, the establishment of the Japanese Tea GI Promotion Committee has marked the start of full-scale intellectual property protection efforts. Momentum is accelerating to expand exports and strengthen the industrial base.
The landscape surrounding Japanese tea is reaching a turning point with the expansion of GI registration and the establishment of the Japanese Tea GI Promotion Committee, moving toward stronger protection as intellectual property.
While Japanese tea exports are growing rapidly on the back of the global matcha boom, counterfeit products falsely claiming overseas origins have become a serious issue. Nationwide GI registration could serve as a means of ensuring quality in response.
Going forward, it is considered important to raise the value of Japanese tea and strengthen the production base by building an all-Japan framework with stronger collaboration between the relevant government authorities, while advancing the transmission of the tradition and culture to the next generation.