Japan Registers ‘Japanese Tea’ Under Nationwide Geographical Indication Protection

Japan’s agriculture ministry registered “Japanese tea” under its geographical indication system on July 10, 2026. The step marks the first time an agricultural, forestry, fishery or food item produced anywhere in the country under the ministry’s jurisdiction has received such protection. The GI system normally applies to goods from specific regions.

Japanese tea becomes only the second product eligible for protection regardless of production area, following Japanese sake, which falls under the National Tax Agency. The ministry also registered “Hamanako unagi” eels farmed around Lake Hamana in Shizuoka Prefecture and “Kaga renkon” lotus roots produced in Ishikawa Prefecture on the same day.

These additions raised the total number of Japanese agricultural, forestry, fishery and food products covered by the GI system, excluding alcoholic beverages, to 170.

Green tea exports reached about ¥72.1 billion in 2025. Agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki said at a news conference that he hopes the registration “will give an additional push to the strong exports” of Japanese tea. The ministry said the nationwide GI status for Japanese tea is intended to address intellectual property infringement by imitation products amid rising global demand for matcha.

Representatives of organizations behind the newly registered products, including Japanese tea, posed with Vice Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yuhei Yamashita at the ministry on Friday.