Matcha is extremely sensitive to heat and humidity, so no matter where you live, it is best kept in the refrigerator. If it comes into contact with water or even slightly humid air, it will instantly clump, resulting in a bitter taste.

For this reason, sifting your matcha before preparation is highly recommended to minimize clumps that could ruin the flavor experience.

Once opened, it is best consumed as quickly as possible. After measuring your portion, reseal the bag or tin immediately—this is the best way to preserve its peak quality for as long as possible.

Since matcha is a 100% natural ingredient containing no preservatives, it naturally has a shorter best-before period. 

Depending on the producer, it is usually a few months. For Marukyu Koyamaen, the shelf life is approximately 6–7 months from the production date, while for Gion Tsujiri, it is about 4–5 months.

Can it be consumed past the best-before date?
It is always best to enjoy your tea before its best-before date. However, a best-before date indicates peak freshness rather than an absolute expiration date—unlike perishable goods like milk, matcha does not spoil or become undrinkable overnight. As long as it has been stored properly in the refrigerator, its flavor can remain completely unchanged even a few weeks past the date.

How can I tell if the tea has gone bad?
After the shelf life expires, the tea gradually begins to lose its freshness, which becomes noticeable in its aroma, the vividness of its green color, and its overall flavor profile.

Matcha is not a mass-produced commodity: to this day, its production requires an immense amount of time, care, and manual labor. 

Matcha has always been considered a luxury good in Japan, meaning the land dedicated to tea fields is strictly limited. Consequently, fully supplying the global market with high-quality matcha is nearly impossible. Every authentic Japanese brand offers tea only in limited quantities, as total production volume is finite.

Now you can see why our online store enforces ordering limits and why certain products are occasionally out of stock. Although shipments arrive regularly at our warehouse and we update stock levels on the site multiple times a week, available quantities always depend on the producer's current capacity.

We kindly ask for your understanding if an item is temporarily unavailable or cannot be ordered in your desired quantity. In such cases, please check our site regularly at different times, as restocks happen at varying hours throughout the week. We are continuously working to serve as many customers as possible.

Please refrain from placing multiple orders within a short time frame, or bulk orders, as such transactions will be automatically canceled!

Orders placed for business purposes or intended for unauthorized resale are strictly handled and firmly rejected.

About the Flavors
Authentic Japanese teas contain no artificially added flavors—such as fruit, cocoa, or nuts—meaning there are only subtle, natural nuances between individual teas.

This is best compared to wine: every wine tastes like wine, yet each one is unique. It is the same with matcha: every matcha tea tastes like matcha, yet each differs slightly from the next.

So what makes their flavor different?
Every producer has their own tea fields with a unique microclimate, and each follows their own dedicated processing methods. Producing matcha tea powder involves dozens of steps (e.g., harvesting, steaming, rolling, drying, etc.), which every producer carries out in their own style using their own specialized equipment. As a result, the final outcome and taste profile will naturally vary.

About the Grades
Matcha teas are categorized into two main types: thin tea (Usucha) and thick tea (Koicha). Thin matcha is what we enjoy in daily life, and it represents the majority of items in our webshop. Thick matcha is generally quite expensive, requires a different preparation method, and is primarily used during very high level traditional tea ceremonies in Japan.

Within both categories, there are different grades that vary in sophistication and depth of flavor. These grades are reflected in the prices as well: the higher the grade, the higher the price, and the more refined, clean, and silky the taste profile becomes.

It is worth noting that even the most affordably priced matchas available in our webshop are lightyears ahead in refinement and flavor compared to imitation products sold outside of Japan.

For beginners, we recommend ordering and tasting two different grades to experience and appreciate the subtle differences firsthand!

(Note: The following serves as a general guide only and does not constitute medical advice. Products are consumed at the user’s own risk.)

Matcha is an extremely healthy, natural beverage packed with vitamins and antioxidants. However, it is also known for its high caffeine content, so excessive consumption is not recommended. 

Enjoying a cup every day is a wonderful routine. As for how many cups per day are completely safe? The producer notes that 2–3 cups should certainly cause no issues, but going beyond this limit is generally not advised. If you wish to consume more than this on a regular basis, please do so at your own discretion or consult a physician or specialist beforehand.

The high-quality Japanese sweets available in our webshop have a relatively short best-before period. As food items, they are naturally sensitive to storage conditions, especially heat. When placing an order—particularly during the summer season—we strongly recommend choosing the DHL Express shipping option.

Exceptions to this include the UK (where international postal service is exceptionally fast based on our experience) and the Asian region (due to its geographic proximity to Japan). For these destinations, parcels shipped via Japan Post also generally arrive within one week.