The Hidden Factory Crisis: Why Your Matcha Now Comes in Different Bags

The Crisis Nobody Talks About: Factory Capacity

When people think about the matcha shortage, they imagine empty tea fields or aging farmers. They're right—but they're missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.

Japan doesn't just lack tea and labor. Japan lacks the factories necessary to process and package all the tea that does get produced. It's like having a kitchen full of ingredients, skilled chefs ready to cook, hungry customers waiting—but only one working stove.

The entire supply chain is breaking down at the packaging stage. Producers can grow the tea. They can harvest it, shade it, steam it, dry it, grind it into that perfect jade powder. But then it sits there, waiting for a packaging slot that might not open for half a year.

Why Your Matcha Bags Keep Changing

If you're a regular Lowinsky's customer, you've probably noticed: we've switched from 30-gram aluminum bags to 50-gram bags. Let me be clear—we don't want to force you to buy more. This isn't about upselling or increasing order values.

This is about survival.

Here's what's actually happening behind the scenes: I call my matcha producers in Kyoto or Kagoshima. They have beautiful, fresh tea ready. The quality is exceptional. Everything is perfect—except they can't get it packaged.

The conversation usually goes like this:

• "When can you ship my order?"
• "The tea is ready, but..."
• "But what?"
• "The packaging factory is booked solid for the next six months."
• "Six months?!"
• "Unless you're flexible on packaging..."

The Packaging Lottery

Here's what "flexible on packaging" actually means:

• Different sizes: 50g instead of 30g, 100g instead of 50g, whatever the factory has capacity for
• Different materials: Paper instead of aluminum, plastic instead of paper, anything available
• Different closures: Zip-locks, heat seals, twist ties—whatever the factory can do that week
• Different shapes: Stand-up pouches, flat bags, boxes—based on what machinery is free

It's not ideal. We know customers get used to specific packaging. But the alternative is having no matcha at all.

Inside Japan's Overwhelmed Packaging Industry

To understand this crisis, you need to understand how Japanese tea packaging works.

Most tea producers don't package their own tea. They outsource to specialized packaging factories that serve multiple industries—tea, rice, snacks, supplements. These factories have sophisticated equipment: nitrogen-flush systems to preserve freshness, precision scales for exact measurements, specialized sealers for different materials.

Why Can't They Just Add More Capacity?

The problems compound:

• Equipment costs: A single packaging line can cost millions of yen. It's not something you buy on a whim.
• Labor shortage: Even if they had more machines, they don't have operators. Japan's labor crisis affects factories too.
• Space constraints: Japanese factories are notoriously compact. There's literally nowhere to put additional equipment.
• Demand uncertainty: Is this matcha boom permanent or temporary? Investing millions in equipment for a trend would be catastrophic.
• Lead times: Even if a factory decided to expand today, equipment delivery takes 12-18 months. The crisis would be over before the solution arrives.

The Saturday Night REWE Analogy

I often explain this situation using an analogy every Hamburg resident understands:

Imagine going to REWE at 21:45 on a Saturday night. We all know supermarkets are closed on Sundays in Germany. Everyone needs to shop for Sunday and the following days. Before self-checkout existed, there was usually only one register open.

The line snakes through the store. Everyone's impatient. The cashier is overwhelmed. Some people abandon their carts. Others wait an hour for bread and milk.

That's Japan's packaging industry right now—except it's not just Saturday night. It's been Saturday night for two years straight, the line never gets shorter, and there's no self-checkout option coming.

How We Navigate the Chaos

Just like I avoid REWE on Saturday nights, we've had to develop strategies to avoid packaging bottlenecks:

• Direct communication: I'm in constant contact with producers, getting real-time updates on packaging availability
• Flexibility: We accept whatever packaging is available rather than insisting on specifics
• Forward planning: Ordering packaging slots months in advance, like restaurant reservations
• Multiple suppliers: Working with producers who have relationships with different factories
• Creative solutions: Sometimes we import in bulk and repackage in Hamburg—not ideal, but it works

What This Means for Quality and Freshness

Here's a concern I need to address: Does all this packaging chaos affect quality?

The honest answer: Sometimes, yes.

Aluminum bags with nitrogen flush are ideal for matcha—they protect against light, air, and moisture. But if the choice is between perfect packaging in six months or good-enough packaging now, we choose now. Fresh matcha in paper is better than stale matcha in aluminum.

Our Quality Commitments Despite Packaging Changes

• Freshness first: We'd rather import smaller batches more frequently than wait for perfect packaging
• Transparency: We'll always tell you why packaging changed and what it means
• Storage education: We provide guidance on storing different package types properly
• No compromise on tea quality: The matcha inside might come in different bags, but it's still the same exceptional grade

The Improvised Solutions Revolution

Necessity has sparked creativity across Japan's tea industry. Producers who've been doing things the same way for generations are suddenly innovating:

What Producers Are Trying

• In-house packaging: Some larger farms are investing in basic packaging equipment
• Cooperative solutions: Small producers pooling resources to share packaging facilities
• Alternative materials: Exploring biodegradable options that different factories can handle
• Bulk shipping: Sending tea in large containers for overseas repackaging
• Direct-to-consumer: Skipping traditional packaging entirely for local customers

It's messy. It's imperfect. But it's keeping tea flowing from farms to cups.

The Long-Term Implications

This packaging crisis reveals something deeper about global supply chains: we've optimized everything for efficiency, leaving no room for surge capacity.

What Happens Next?

I see three possible futures:

Scenario 1: Investment Surge
The sustained demand convinces factories to invest in expansion. In 2-3 years, capacity catches up. Packaging returns to normal. This requires faith that matcha demand is permanent, not temporary.

Scenario 2: Market Correction
High prices and limited availability reduce demand. The market shrinks back to pre-boom levels. Existing capacity becomes sufficient again. Many newcomers exit the market.

Scenario 3: Permanent Adaptation
The industry accepts that varied packaging is the new normal. Consumers adapt to buying matcha in whatever form it's available. Standardization becomes a luxury, not an expectation.

My bet? We're heading toward Scenario 3. The days of predictable, uniform packaging are over.

What This Means for You, Our Customer

I know changing packaging is frustrating. You get used to your 30-gram tin lasting exactly two weeks. You have a storage system designed for specific bag sizes. You like the ritual of opening that particular aluminum seal.

I get it. Consistency matters.

But here's what I need you to understand: When we change packaging, it's not because we're trying to confuse you or force different purchase amounts. It's because we had two choices: different packaging or no matcha at all.

Adapting Together

This crisis has taught me something important: perfection is the enemy of good enough.

For years, I insisted on exact specifications. 30-gram aluminum bags with specific closures and precise labels. I thought consistency was professionalism.

But professionalism is actually about solving problems, not maintaining aesthetics. It's about getting exceptional tea to people who appreciate it, regardless of what container it comes in.

How You Can Help

• Be flexible: If we only have 50g bags, consider it—you're getting more value per gram anyway
• Understand the context: Different packaging doesn't mean lower quality or carelessness
• Store properly: Follow our storage guidelines for whatever packaging type you receive
• Communicate: Tell us your packaging preferences—we'll match them when possible
• Be patient: This crisis won't last forever, but it won't resolve tomorrow either

The Unexpected Silver Lining

Here's something I didn't expect: some of these forced innovations are actually improvements.

The 50-gram bags? Many customers prefer them—better value, less frequent reordering. The paper packaging some producers are using? It's biodegradable and some customers love the sustainability aspect. The variety? It's actually helped some customers find their preferred format.

Crisis forces evolution. Not all of it is bad.