1
00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:07,800
Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.

2
00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:12,240
Speaker 2: Jasmin Smith is a designer living in Japan. She and

3
00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:15,280
Speaker 2: her sister Freya make videos about their everyday life in

4
00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:16,880
Speaker 2: Tokyo in their spare time.

5
00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,200
Speaker 1: Welcome back to Dan life living in Tokyo today.

6
00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:23,000
Speaker 2: And there's one thing they love about living in Japan.

7
00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:26,599
Speaker 2: Japanese green tea, also known as.

8
00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:30,080
Speaker 1: Macha Macha just tastes amazing. We both used to be

9
00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,240
Speaker 1: coffee drinkers, actually, but at some point matcha just took

10
00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,319
Speaker 1: over as our go to caffeine source and it's been

11
00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:38,120
Speaker 1: part of our morning routines ever since.

12
00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:42,040
Speaker 2: They started posting videos on TikTok in twenty twenty two,

13
00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,280
Speaker 2: sharing their favorite macha cafes, daily morning routines and telling

14
00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:49,400
Speaker 2: their thousands of TikTok followers where they can get the

15
00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:53,200
Speaker 2: best macha powder online and in Tokyo. But a couple

16
00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:55,560
Speaker 2: of months ago, they were surprised when they went to

17
00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:58,600
Speaker 2: get their usual macha fix at this tiny store in

18
00:00:58,640 --> 00:00:59,840
Speaker 2: their neighborhood.

19
00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,440
Speaker 1: Just run by an elderly woman, and she told me that, yeah,

20
00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:07,319
Speaker 1: she has nothing to sell to me unfortunately. And recently

21
00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:09,959
Speaker 1: she told us that a lot of foreigners, a lot

22
00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:13,559
Speaker 1: of young people are visiting her shop, so every time

23
00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,520
Speaker 1: she restocks, she instantly sells out, which never used to happen.

24
00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:21,959
Speaker 2: Bloomberg reporter Mia Glass, who's based in Tokyo, also noticed

25
00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:25,040
Speaker 2: this happening at macha stores around her.

26
00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,760
Speaker 3: Macha has just completely blown up overseas. People come to

27
00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,280
Speaker 3: Japan and they know about macha from social media, They've

28
00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:34,679
Speaker 3: studied it, and they really want that high quality type

29
00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,160
Speaker 3: of macha when they come here. So there's a huge

30
00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:38,720
Speaker 3: shortage of macha in Japan.

31
00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:44,959
Speaker 2: Welcome to The Big Take Asia from Bloomberg News. I'm Wanha.

32
00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:47,680
Speaker 2: Every week we take you inside some of the world's

33
00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:51,600
Speaker 2: biggest and most powerful economies and the markets, tycoons and

34
00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:55,480
Speaker 2: businesses that drive this ever shifting region. Today on the

35
00:01:55,520 --> 00:02:00,320
Speaker 2: show the Macha Mania, what's driving this macha boom and

36
00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:09,720
Speaker 2: why can't macha makers in Japan keep up? Mia, It's

37
00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:11,519
Speaker 2: great to have you, thanks for joining us.

38
00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,000
Speaker 3: Thank you so much for having me so.

39
00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:17,160
Speaker 2: Because today's episode is all about macha. I've got a

40
00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:19,720
Speaker 2: cup of cold macha with almond milk here with me

41
00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,440
Speaker 2: in the studio in Hong Kong. Mia, what are you drinking?

42
00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:24,880
Speaker 3: So I got an iced Macha latta, which is my

43
00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:27,079
Speaker 3: go to order, and I got it from this Macha

44
00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,040
Speaker 3: cafe that's actually near our office building. It's by this

45
00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,520
Speaker 3: amazing family run Japanese tea company that's been around for

46
00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:34,680
Speaker 3: like three hundred years.

47
00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:38,720
Speaker 2: Oh that's amazing. Now, shall we give these macha drinks

48
00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:39,240
Speaker 2: a taste?

49
00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:40,160
Speaker 1: Yes?

50
00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:42,240
Speaker 3: Cheers?

51
00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:46,360
Speaker 2: Hmm. This one is not quite bitter enough for me.

52
00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,280
Speaker 2: I think it's been It has too much almond milk unfortunately.

53
00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:51,280
Speaker 2: But I can still get the flavor of the macha,

54
00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:51,520
Speaker 2: you know.

55
00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,200
Speaker 3: I just love how unique the taste is, kind of

56
00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,560
Speaker 3: like this mix of umami but also bitter, sometimes a

57
00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,280
Speaker 3: little sweet. So it's just a flavor you can't really

58
00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:02,360
Speaker 3: get from anything else.

59
00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:06,280
Speaker 2: Mia. Tell us exactly what is macha?

60
00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:10,440
Speaker 3: Yeah, so, macha is a Japanese word. It means powdered

61
00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,240
Speaker 3: tea and Japanese. So it's a type of green tea

62
00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,919
Speaker 3: where the entire leaf is grounded into this powder.

63
00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,680
Speaker 2: This way of making green tea originated from China in

64
00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,639
Speaker 2: the twelfth century. A Japanese monk who was traveling there

65
00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:26,440
Speaker 2: was so impressed with the energy boost the drink gave

66
00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:28,680
Speaker 2: him that he brought it back with him to Japan.

67
00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:32,160
Speaker 2: It's said that Japanese monks used to drink macha to

68
00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:36,840
Speaker 2: stay awake during long meditation sessions, and today macha is

69
00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,000
Speaker 2: at the center of Japanese tea ceremonies that are performed

70
00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:41,960
Speaker 2: for cultural and religious purposes.

71
00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:45,520
Speaker 3: Depending on the tea ceremony, there will be different types

72
00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,480
Speaker 3: of macha, like a thinner macha or a thicker one.

73
00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:52,000
Speaker 3: There's specific steps that they have to go through. It's

74
00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:55,040
Speaker 3: carefully whisked into this frothy drink that you drink at

75
00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:58,000
Speaker 3: the end, and it's a practice that emphasizes a lot

76
00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:02,440
Speaker 3: of Japanese values like mindful illness, harmony, tranquility, respect of

77
00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:03,640
Speaker 3: those kinds of things.

78
00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,520
Speaker 2: And macha isn't just for traditional ceremonies. You'll find it

79
00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:09,200
Speaker 2: everywhere you go in Japan.

80
00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,119
Speaker 3: In Tokyo, there's a macha cafe on like every block here.

81
00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:18,000
Speaker 3: Everything is macha now, bubble tea, cakes, cookies, even in

82
00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,560
Speaker 3: coffee shops here they usually have macha now, so you

83
00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:23,320
Speaker 3: can pick between the two.

84
00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:26,799
Speaker 2: Japan is one of the world's largest producers of macha.

85
00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:30,000
Speaker 2: The country made about four thousand tons of the powdered

86
00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:33,600
Speaker 2: tea in twenty twenty three. That's almost a threefold increase

87
00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:36,279
Speaker 2: from two thousand and eight and an all time high,

88
00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:41,560
Speaker 2: and in recent years it's becoming more popular overseas. Last year,

89
00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:45,440
Speaker 2: Japan's export of green tea, which includes macha, reached a

90
00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:48,200
Speaker 2: record high of about two hundred and forty five million

91
00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:52,360
Speaker 2: US dollars. That's a roughly quarter increase from the previous year.

92
00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:56,840
Speaker 2: But despite the record level of production, Japan has a

93
00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:00,240
Speaker 2: macha shortage. Shops sell at a macha as as soon

94
00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:02,719
Speaker 2: as they hit the shelves, forcing people to go out

95
00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,480
Speaker 2: of their way to find the tea powder, and some

96
00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:08,480
Speaker 2: of the most prominent macha producers have also stopped selling

97
00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,600
Speaker 2: certain products and limits the number of cans of macha

98
00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:15,400
Speaker 2: customers can buy at a time. Mia says there's one

99
00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:18,400
Speaker 2: clear driver for the increasing demand.

100
00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,320
Speaker 3: People on TikTok and Instagram and other social media platforms

101
00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,599
Speaker 3: have really made an esthetic out of macha. It has

102
00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:29,320
Speaker 3: this bright green color that is really attractive for social media,

103
00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:32,320
Speaker 3: and so people will show off that bright green macha

104
00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:36,680
Speaker 3: lte or desserts, and people even have macha stations complete

105
00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:40,120
Speaker 3: with traditional mugs and whisks and strainers and things like that,

106
00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:43,120
Speaker 3: and they will decorate it. So it's really this aesthetic

107
00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:45,520
Speaker 3: that people have jumped on, and then of course there's

108
00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:47,320
Speaker 3: a nutritional aspect as well.

109
00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,560
Speaker 2: The craze for macha comes at a time when there's

110
00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:53,960
Speaker 2: been a growing interest in health and wellness products. You'll

111
00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:58,200
Speaker 2: hear social media influencers talk about the health benefits macha offers.

112
00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,400
Speaker 2: It's rich and antioxidant, same caffeine, which some saudies suggests

113
00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:05,760
Speaker 2: can help boost energy and lower risk of diseases. And

114
00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:09,240
Speaker 2: on top of these viral social media videos contributing to

115
00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:12,240
Speaker 2: the shortage, Mia says, there's just a lot of people

116
00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:15,440
Speaker 2: traveling to Japan and buying macha in person.

117
00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:19,760
Speaker 3: There are so many tourists in Japan right now, mainly

118
00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:22,560
Speaker 3: thanks to the week yen, so basically everything is on

119
00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,159
Speaker 3: sale once you get to Japan, and there's also just

120
00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:28,800
Speaker 3: generally more interest in Japan. Last year, thirty seven million

121
00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,280
Speaker 3: people visit the country, which is a record, and it's

122
00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,480
Speaker 3: up forty seven percent from twenty twenty three. A lot

123
00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,320
Speaker 3: of videos on TikTok and Instagram show a lot of

124
00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,920
Speaker 3: people recording macha. I saw a few videos of people

125
00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:44,800
Speaker 3: literally having a suitcase full of macha, you know, from

126
00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:47,760
Speaker 3: different stores to try the different flavors and stuff like that.

127
00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:50,360
Speaker 3: Because they're only in Japan for you know, a week

128
00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:52,520
Speaker 3: or two, they're like, oh my god, I have to

129
00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,720
Speaker 3: buy up all this macha while I'm here. So people

130
00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:58,720
Speaker 3: definitely are buying a lot of macha, and that's definitely

131
00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:00,000
Speaker 3: contributing to the shortage.

132
00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:04,400
Speaker 2: While Japanese have been drinking less green tea over the years,

133
00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:09,760
Speaker 2: outside of Japan, the appetite from macha is expanding. Cafes

134
00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,600
Speaker 2: and tea stores as far as Sydney and Australia have

135
00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:17,240
Speaker 2: seen sales skyrocket, forcing owners to limit customer purchases because

136
00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:19,640
Speaker 2: they're unable to source more of the tea powder from

137
00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:26,440
Speaker 2: Japan After the break, Why can't Japanese tea producers just

138
00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:42,400
Speaker 2: make more macha? Growing fine quality macha has a lot

139
00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:45,040
Speaker 2: to do with the land and the climate. The plant

140
00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:48,000
Speaker 2: needs to be shaded, the soil needs to drain well

141
00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:51,400
Speaker 2: but also retain a decent amount of water. And while

142
00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,160
Speaker 2: macha is produced in a variety of regions in Japan,

143
00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:58,600
Speaker 2: there's one particular place renowned for this highly prized tea.

144
00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:02,240
Speaker 3: So the most famous region is Uji, which is on

145
00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:05,760
Speaker 3: the southeast border of Kyoto, and that's where macha farmers

146
00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:09,000
Speaker 3: have master techniques of growing and harvesting the best macha

147
00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:10,800
Speaker 3: and they've been doing this for centuries.

148
00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:14,920
Speaker 2: Mia, can you walk us through the life cycle of macha?

149
00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:16,120
Speaker 2: How is macha made?

150
00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:20,800
Speaker 3: So it's a very long process. So basically in a farm,

151
00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:24,440
Speaker 3: you have just rows and rows of tea plants in April,

152
00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:27,000
Speaker 3: the first shoots of the season are going to appear,

153
00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:30,400
Speaker 3: and then the tea plants are gradually shaded over time,

154
00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:34,280
Speaker 3: so that blocks the direct sunlight for the plants. That

155
00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:38,000
Speaker 3: gives it that chlorophyll, that bright green color, and it

156
00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:42,440
Speaker 3: also enhances the taste and also gives it antioxidants which

157
00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:44,160
Speaker 3: gives you that nutritional component.

158
00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:48,600
Speaker 2: The highest grades of macha are usually grown in almost

159
00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:52,360
Speaker 2: darkness before they're harvested around late April or May. The

160
00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,680
Speaker 2: green tea leaves are handpicked and hours after they're harvested,

161
00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:57,880
Speaker 2: they have to be steamed for less than a minute.

162
00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:01,480
Speaker 2: That stops the oxidation process and keeps the leaves green.

163
00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:04,640
Speaker 2: Then the leaves are left to dry, they're de stemmed

164
00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:05,520
Speaker 2: and deveined.

165
00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:08,840
Speaker 3: At this point they are called tensa. So this tensa

166
00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:12,600
Speaker 3: will be blended together basically to make different flavor profiles.

167
00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:16,520
Speaker 3: So that's also a part of the farmer's experience and knowledge.

168
00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:19,640
Speaker 3: They know how to blend the macha to make certain flavors,

169
00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:23,120
Speaker 3: and then after it's been stored in a refrigerator, it's

170
00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:25,760
Speaker 3: going to get grinded to turn into the maucha powder

171
00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:26,959
Speaker 3: that we know in stores.

172
00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:30,559
Speaker 2: So that does sound like a long and arduous process,

173
00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:34,400
Speaker 2: but certainly not impossible, right, Why can't supply just.

174
00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:37,240
Speaker 3: Keep up with the demand. Yeah, so the whole process

175
00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:39,920
Speaker 3: that I just described, it only happens once a year

176
00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:43,679
Speaker 3: for the most premium types of macha, so farmers can't

177
00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:47,280
Speaker 3: harvest more on demand. The annual supply is usually determined

178
00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:51,080
Speaker 3: well in advance, and it's obviously a really slow precise

179
00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:55,160
Speaker 3: process as well. So the traditional stone mills only grind

180
00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:59,000
Speaker 3: about forty grams of macha per hour, and specialized macha

181
00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:03,640
Speaker 3: processing machines are super limited in number, so increasing production

182
00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:07,440
Speaker 3: speed would definitely compromise the quality of the macha. And

183
00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:11,360
Speaker 3: also a lot of these types of produce are pretty

184
00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:15,520
Speaker 3: much made by family run businesses in Japan, and obviously

185
00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:19,080
Speaker 3: Japan has a declining population, it's asing and there's not

186
00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,600
Speaker 3: enough people to take over those farms in the future,

187
00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:25,760
Speaker 3: so there's really just a decline and supply for that

188
00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:26,600
Speaker 3: reason as well.

189
00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:30,839
Speaker 2: Another reason for the macha crunch is that Japanese tea

190
00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:36,719
Speaker 2: producers tend to prioritize long standing customers. Marukio Koyamin, one

191
00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:39,520
Speaker 2: of the leading brands of macha in Japan, says it

192
00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:42,320
Speaker 2: needs to restrict sales to make sure there's enough supply

193
00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:45,959
Speaker 2: for customers at temples, shrines, and other venues that use

194
00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:50,720
Speaker 2: macha for religious or ceremonial purposes mia. Is there any

195
00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:54,800
Speaker 2: protective policy in place here? Why can't Japan just import,

196
00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:58,360
Speaker 2: for example, fresh tea from overseas and process it at home.

197
00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:02,720
Speaker 3: There's definitely some national or cultural pride ut play here.

198
00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:06,439
Speaker 3: It's not like Japan has any rules about importing from

199
00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:10,080
Speaker 3: other countries or regulations, but it's really more just about

200
00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:13,600
Speaker 3: what people want. I think a lot of people in

201
00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:17,640
Speaker 3: Japan really just love Japanese macha and they really trust

202
00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:21,160
Speaker 3: the quality that these Japanese farmers bring because they've just

203
00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:23,839
Speaker 3: been doing it for centuries. So I think a lot

204
00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:27,120
Speaker 3: of Japanese people, although they'd be fine with drinking macha

205
00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:31,120
Speaker 3: that's imported from other countries, they probably want to have

206
00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:32,360
Speaker 3: that Japanese macha.

207
00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:36,800
Speaker 2: Mia says. Farmers in other countries like the US, South Korea,

208
00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:39,920
Speaker 2: and China are trying to make more of their own macha,

209
00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:42,760
Speaker 2: but it's hard to replicate the kind of macha you

210
00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:45,440
Speaker 2: get in Japan, and that's because of a combination of

211
00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:48,679
Speaker 2: climate and soil so specific to the country, not to

212
00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:51,960
Speaker 2: mention the centuries Japan is spent on perfecting the growing

213
00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:56,520
Speaker 2: and processing techniques. Mia, is there anything that the Japanese

214
00:11:56,559 --> 00:11:59,520
Speaker 2: government can do to help the macha supply catch up.

215
00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:05,079
Speaker 3: The government is basically promoting more farmers to make tensha

216
00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:07,560
Speaker 3: rather than other types of teas right now, because that

217
00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:10,680
Speaker 3: can be turned into macha, and they're also supporting the

218
00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:14,359
Speaker 3: tea industry as a whole through various subsidies and programs

219
00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:18,360
Speaker 3: to encourage tea growing and also just promoting research in general.

220
00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:21,959
Speaker 3: Because the problems like the Asian population and also climate

221
00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:25,319
Speaker 3: change heavily affects the production of macha. They're really trying

222
00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:28,320
Speaker 3: to research what's the best method to continue to make

223
00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:29,000
Speaker 3: more macha.

224
00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:32,240
Speaker 2: Those government measures will take some time to bear fruit

225
00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:36,440
Speaker 2: if they ever do. Meanwhile, Mia says, for macha lovers

226
00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:39,840
Speaker 2: living in Japan. Now, the difficulty in getting this unique

227
00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:43,840
Speaker 2: green tea powder is just another inconvenient side effect of

228
00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:46,200
Speaker 2: Japan's tourism boom.

229
00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:49,760
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's definitely one of the ways that the tourism

230
00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:53,080
Speaker 3: issue is manifesting in Japan. I know there are a

231
00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:56,160
Speaker 3: lot of locals who are really angry that there are

232
00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:58,880
Speaker 3: so many tourists in the streets and in shops. I

233
00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:02,120
Speaker 3: also hear complaints about people don't want Airbnbs in their

234
00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:05,360
Speaker 3: neighborhood because of the garbage and the noise and things

235
00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:08,240
Speaker 3: like that. And then I know in Kyoto, for example,

236
00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,200
Speaker 3: the buses have been so crowded that a lot of

237
00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:13,880
Speaker 3: the locals who are going to work have to wait

238
00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:16,560
Speaker 3: for like three buses to pass because there are so

239
00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:20,840
Speaker 3: many tourists, especially with like suitcases. So I think there

240
00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:23,120
Speaker 3: are a lot of locals who are a bit upset

241
00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:25,080
Speaker 3: about the over tourism right now.

242
00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:29,600
Speaker 2: Despite some of these public complaints, the Japanese government says

243
00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:33,480
Speaker 2: it wants to attract more tourists. Its goal is to

244
00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:37,040
Speaker 2: welcome sixty million foreign visitors a year by twenty thirty.

245
00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:39,880
Speaker 2: That's a jump of more than sixty percent from last

246
00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:43,600
Speaker 2: year's record, and that Mia says might add more pressure

247
00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:45,000
Speaker 2: on macha's supply.

248
00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:48,600
Speaker 3: Your macha lattes will probably become more expensive if the

249
00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:51,880
Speaker 3: shortage continues. And I know a lot of new macha

250
00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:54,880
Speaker 3: businesses and cafes, not just in Japan, but all over

251
00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,680
Speaker 3: the world are having a really hard time finding tea

252
00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:01,480
Speaker 3: producers with enough to sell. I've heard that wholesalers and

253
00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:04,640
Speaker 3: Japan just have to turn down new clients because a

254
00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,560
Speaker 3: lot of the macha for the next harvest is already reserved.

255
00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:10,280
Speaker 3: So that's going to cafes and Japan that are trying

256
00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:13,000
Speaker 3: to start out, and cafes abroad. I know a lot

257
00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:15,840
Speaker 3: of cafes in foreign countries are starting to jump on

258
00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:18,800
Speaker 3: this macha tron, but it's almost too late because there's

259
00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:19,520
Speaker 3: just no supply.

260
00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:24,240
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think we should drink our drinks, our macha

261
00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:30,000
Speaker 2: drinks while we can still afford them. Of course, enjoy, cheers, cheers.

262
00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:35,440
Speaker 2: This is the Big Take Asia from Bloomberg News. I'm

263
00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:39,400
Speaker 2: wan ha. This episode was produced by Naomi M Young

264
00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:42,200
Speaker 2: Young and Jessica Beck. It was edited by Grace Jennings

265
00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:45,560
Speaker 2: ed Quist, Patty Hirsh, and Isabella Stegger. It was fact

266
00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,480
Speaker 2: checked by Adriana Tapia and mix and sound design by

267
00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:53,360
Speaker 2: Taka Yasuzawa and Alex Ugia. Our senior producer is Naomi Shaven.

268
00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:57,640
Speaker 2: Our senior editor is Elizabeth Ponzo. Our executive producer is

269
00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:01,760
Speaker 2: Nicole Beemster Bower Sage Bauman Isloomberg's head of podcasts. If

270
00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:04,760
Speaker 2: you like this episode, make sure to subscribe and review

271
00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:07,680
Speaker 2: The Big Tick Asia wherever you listen to podcasts. It

272
00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:11,080
Speaker 2: really helps people find the show. Thanks for listening, See

273
00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:11,680
Speaker 2: you next time.