「八女市」で外国人観光客が爆増中　「抹茶ブーム」で煎茶の価格も上昇　九州でインバウンド増加率1位

According to Navitime Japan, the city with the highest increase in foreign tourists in Kyushu last year was Yame City in Fukuoka Prefecture, famous for its tea. The number of foreign tourists more than doubled in one year, and is several times higher than before the pandemic. The reason for this surge is the global "matcha" boom. Due to its photogenic appeal on social media and growing health consciousness, matcha has become extremely popular overseas, including in the United States and Hong Kong, and many foreigners are visiting Yame City in search of authentic flavors and cafes. Japan's green tea exports also reached a record high last year. In response to this boom, and coupled with the decline in Japanese teapot use, local tea plantations are shifting from producing "sencha" (green tea) to "tencha" (the raw material for matcha). While the price of sencha has risen due to reduced production, this has been a boost for producers, who are using matcha as a springboard to further spread Japanese tea to the world. May 20, 2026 ▼Daily news delivered: TVQ News Site https://www.tvq.co.jp/news/ #YameCity #ForeignTourists #Matcha #MatchaBoom #SNS #HealthConscious #Fukuoka