Matcha, or “powdered green tea” in Japanese, is usually considered a special sort of powdered green tea produced in Japan (Flint & Kavaliunas, 2017). It has gained popularity overseas and has become not just a worldwide product, but a symbol of Japanese culture. Culture refers to a shared way of thinking, feeling, and behaving among a specific group of people (Jang & Shin, 2019). Expanding matcha to other countries is not just expanding the tea market, but also expanding and spreading Japanese culture. Global companies, such as Starbucks, have added matcha to their menus not just in Japan but also in the United States, Thailand, and Indonesia, among other countries. Matcha appears almost everywhere, from chain bakeries like Arome, supermarkets in department stores, to dessert buffets in five-star hotels (Ho, 2016). China may have the biggest green tea market, but when matcha became widespread, it slowly replaced traditional Chinese tea culture with Japanese tea culture, especially among the youth. The purpose of this paper is to explore how matcha can promote Japanese culture and expand into the global market. The focus is to explore how something like matcha can change an entire culture’s position on the global market and how a product that expands worldwide can cause a surge in the market back home. The findings of our research enable businesses to learn from the matcha case to further their cultural understanding and growth overseas.

Authors:
Yangyang Liu, Musashino University, Japan
Kevin Saifon Green, Musashino University, Japan
Evan Ramli, Musashino University, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Mr Yangyang Liu is a University Undergraduate Student at Musashino University in Japan

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

Bookmark