Editorial
Matcha Guides
Practical, evidence-backed explanations of how matcha works — what labels mean, how origins differ, how to buy intelligently, and why some bowls taste better than others.
Guide
October 2026 Matcha Stock & Price Report
37 recorded sell-outs, 28 restocks and 17 price changes above 5%. Same-shop, same-pack comparisons through October 5.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
What Ceremonial Grade Really Means
A practical explanation of why ceremonial grade is a retail label, not a regulated guarantee.
Haruka FujimotoRead guide →Guide
Uji vs Yame vs Nishio Matcha: What's the Difference?
Uji, Yame and Nishio matcha compared on flavor, price and stock — standardized flavor scores and per-gram prices from our own tracker, not opinion.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Best Matcha for Beginners: Which Blend to Buy First
Beginners quit over bitterness. These in-stock blends keep bitterness at 3 or below and still taste of something. Here is which to buy first.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
How to Store Matcha
What actually matters for freshness once you open a tin or bag.
Haruka FujimotoRead guide →Guide
Why Some Matcha Tastes Bitter
The main reasons bitterness shows up, and which of them you can actually control.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
The 2026 Matcha Shortage Explained
Why ceremonial matcha is harder to find and more expensive in 2026 — and what the data from 12,541 price snapshots (through September 2026) shows about which brands are most affected.
Haruka FujimotoRead guide →Guide
Matcha Prices in 2026: What Our Data Shows
Price-per-gram analysis across 363 tracked blends and 12,541 snapshots. Where ceremonial matcha sits today, which price tiers still have supply, and when to expect relief.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Where to Buy Matcha In Stock Right Now (2026)
Which merchants and blends have confirmed in-stock status based on our live price tracker — plus which retailers have the most reliable availability during the 2026 shortage.
Ayane ShibataRead guide →Guide
Matcha Sold Out? The Best Alternatives When Your Blend Is Gone
Which blends to buy when your usual matcha is out of stock — matched by flavor profile, price tier, and preparation style. Based on live availability data from our tracker.
Ayane ShibataRead guide →Guide
Okumidori vs Samidori Matcha: What's the Difference?
What Kyoto and Mie prefecture tea sources say about the Okumidori and Samidori cultivars, and which matcha products actually state which one they use.
Ayane ShibataRead guide →Guide
Gokou Matcha: Flavor Profile, Why It's Rare, and Where to Buy
Gokou is the rarest major tencha cultivar — grown almost exclusively in Uji's Shirakawa district, with extreme umami and very limited US availability. What it tastes like, which blends we track, and what to buy when it's out of stock.
Ayane ShibataRead guide →Guide
Best Matcha Under $2 Per Gram: Our Tracker's Top Picks
Which in-stock ceremonial matcha delivers the most at under $2/gram? Ranked by sourced flavor scores across 12,541 price snapshots — not editorial opinion.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Matcha Price Per Gram: Every Brand Compared (2026)
Verified price-per-gram data across 300+ in-stock matcha blends from 60+ brands — from $0.67/g best-value ceremonial to $7.50/g premium single-cultivar. What the tiers actually mean, and which brands deliver at each price point.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Ceremonial Matcha Under $1 Per Gram: In-Stock Picks (2026)
Scored, in-stock matcha under $1 per gram, from $0.13/g practice grade to $0.94/g koicha. Which are truly ceremonial, which are culinary in a nicer tin, and what each bowl costs.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Best Matcha for Lattes Under $50 (In-Stock Picks, 2026)
The matcha that still tastes like matcha through steamed milk, for under $50 a bag — ranked on bitterness and body, the two scores that decide whether a latte works. All picks in stock on 2026-10-07.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Samidori Matcha: What the Cultivar Is and Which Matcha Names It
What Kyoto Prefecture's tea research station says about the Samidori cultivar, and which matcha products name it as their cultivar.
Ayane ShibataRead guide →Guide
Ippodo Matcha Prices: What Every Blend Costs Per Gram
How much Ippodo matcha costs per gram, blend by blend — entry tins to top ceremonial grades, with flavor scores and the storefront each price came from.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Marukyu Koyamaen Matcha: Price Per Gram Guide
How to compare Marukyu Koyamaen matcha by price per gram: which blends we track, why the same tin is priced differently by seller, and where the current prices are.
Ayane ShibataRead guide →Guide
Aiya Matcha: Price Per Gram Across the Full Lineup
Aiya is the world's largest matcha manufacturer — 1,000+ stone mills, four factories, JONA organic certified since 1997. All 10 tracked blends in stock, $0.54/g to $2.63/g. None carry flavor scores yet — here's what the price data alone tells you.
Haruka FujimotoRead guide →Guide
Horii Shichimeien Matcha: Price Per Gram and Where to Buy
Horii Shichimeien farms the Okunoyama garden in Uji and developed the Horii-style tencha dryer in 1924. Per-gram prices for its tracked blends are below; check each blend page for current offers.
Ayane ShibataRead guide →Guide
Nakamura Tokichi Matcha: Price Per Gram Across the Uji Lineup
Nakamura Tokichi has operated in Uji since 1854 and counts endorsements from Urasenke and Omotesenke tea masters. Seven tracked blends, $0.42/g to $2.94/g, all in stock — though only one carries flavor scores.
Haruka FujimotoRead guide →Guide
Matcha Cost Per Serving: What a Daily Bowl Actually Costs
Price per gram doesn't tell you what matcha actually costs you. At a standard 2g usucha serving, here's the real per-bowl and per-year cost across our tracked price tiers — and where the jump in price per gram stops buying a proportional jump in quality.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Koicha matcha: Best blends for thick tea
Compare koicha blends by body and bitterness. Check current offers on each blend page.
Ayane ShibataRead guide →Guide
The 2026 Matcha Shortage: Current Status, Root Causes, and Recovery Timeline
The 2026 matcha shortage is structural, not cyclical. Here's what's driving it, how deep it goes, and when supply is expected to stabilize — backed by sourcing data and industry statements.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Kagoshima vs Uji Matcha Supply in 2026: What's Different and Why It Matters
Kagoshima is now Japan's largest matcha-producing prefecture, but it can't replace what Uji makes. Here's the supply situation for both regions in 2026, including production volumes, price differences, and what buyers actually get from each.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Which Premium Matcha Brands Are Still In Stock in 2026?
Not all premium matcha brands are equally affected by the 2026 shortage. Here's a brand-by-brand breakdown of current availability, restock patterns, and where to reliably buy ceremonial matcha right now.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Matcha Price Spike Data: How Much Have Prices Actually Risen?
Matcha prices rose 15–100% depending on grade and brand between 2023 and early 2026. Here's the sourced data behind the spike — wholesale auction prices, retail price-per-gram movement, and what different tiers actually cost now.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Ippodo Matcha In Stock 2026: Current Availability — Here's What to Order
Ippodo has held close to full catalog availability through the 2026 matcha shortage — 6 of 7 blends in stock at its own US store as of September 2026, one (Kuon) temporarily out. Complete lineup with flavor scores, price per gram, and which blend fits your brewing style right now.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Marukyu Koyamaen Matcha In Stock 2026: Full Availability Tracker
All 7 blends in Marukyu Koyamaen's own retail lineup are in stock as of September 2026 — the full availability breakdown, where to buy each one, and which blend to order first.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Marukyu Koyamaen vs Ippodo: Matcha in 2026
Marukyu Koyamaen vs Ippodo in 2026: two premium Uji brands, each with stock gaps (Marukyu Yugen, Kinrin; Ippodo Kuon). Tier scores, value and best blends.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Best Place to Buy Matcha in 2026: Ippodo vs Marukyu vs Sazen
Compare three premium matcha merchants with controlled out-of-stock rates, using availability, price, shipping and flavor data from 12,541 tracked checks. Choose by how you drink matcha.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Best Matcha for Daily Drinking in 2026 — Protocol-Scored, In Stock, Under $2/g
The best matcha for daily drinking isn't the most expensive — it's the blend that delivers high umami and low bitterness at a price you can sustain. Here are the top picks by price tier, all in stock in 2026.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Certified Organic Ceremonial Matcha in 2026 — What's Actually Available and Worth Buying
Certified organic ceremonial matcha is harder to find in 2026 — Uji organic lots are nearly gone, but Kagoshima organic fills the gap. Here's what's certified, what it costs, and whether the premium is worth it.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →Guide
Best Matcha for Daily Drinking in 2026 — Protocol-Scored, In Stock, Under $2/g
The best matcha for daily drinking isn't the most expensive — it's the blend that delivers high umami and low bitterness at a price you can sustain. Here are the top picks by price tier, all in stock in 2026.
Mio TakasugiRead guide →