Matcha Restock Trackers & Buying Guides

What buying matcha in Japan is like now: the 2026 shortage, purchase limits, higher prices, which Uji and Kyoto shops to visit, and customs.

What independent heavy-metal testing has and has not found in matcha, why powder differs from brewed green tea, and how to choose a lower-risk brand.

How much caffeine matcha really has versus coffee, what L-theanine does, what recent trials measured, and the real reason some people get queasy.

Horii Shichimeien has grown Uji matcha since 1879 on the last surviving garden of the historic Uji Shichimeien. Its history, grades and pricing.

Hoshino Seichaen has grown Yame, Fukuoka matcha since 1946, in six grades from about $0.10 to $1.05 per gram. How to pick one and where to buy it.

Kanbayashi Shunsho, a 460-year-old Uji house, sells matcha from about $0.26/g entry usucha to $2.16/g premium koicha. What each tier means.

Rocky's Matcha is a US-curated brand (founded 2022) sourcing Uji, Yame, Kagoshima and Shizuoka producers, priced $1-4.40/g. What you're paying for.

There is no single best Uji matcha brand. Ippodo wins on reliability, Marukyu Koyamaen on ceremonial tradition, and Nakamura Tokichi on value and depth.

Ippodo is the more consistent, easier-to-buy pick; Nakamura Tokichi trades distribution and shelf life for a deeper, more traditional Uji character.

Nakamura Tokichi runs six named matcha grades from Fuji-no-Shiro entry usucha up to Ato Mukashi koicha. Here is what each tier tastes like and costs.

Nakamura Tokichi is the easier, better-value pick that ships worldwide; Marukyu Koyamaen offers deeper tradition and a wider koicha range.

Nakamura Tokichi sells authentic Uji matcha through its official global store, its Uji honten and branch shops, and a small set of authorized importers.

Which Ippodo grades are in stock now, which sell out in hours (Ummon no Mukashi, Kan no Shiro), and how to get a Discord alert when they restock.

Grade-by-grade Marukyu Koyamaen stock status — Unkaku, Wako and Tenju sell out within hours. See what is available now and get alerted on the next restock.

All 10 Marukyu Koyamaen grades compared — Aoarashi to Tenju — by flavour, price tier and how fast each sells out. Plus the 4 matchups buyers actually face.

Yamamasa Koyamaen: small-batch, stone-ground Uji matcha. Samidori and Ogurayama flavour profiles, why it sells out fast, and how to get a restock alert.

Ippodo sold out again? The closest matches for Ummon no Mukashi, Ikuyo and Sayaka from other Uji houses — plus how to catch the next Ippodo restock.

Ippodo sells out in hours. Every authorised place to buy it outside Japan in 2026 — US, EU, Australia — with live stock notes by grade and restock alerts.

Every authorised source for Marukyu Koyamaen in 2026 — Japan store, EU distribution, US retailers — plus the Soju/Meiju/Oju series explained and stock notes.

When Ippodo, Marukyu Koyamaen and Nakamura Tokichi actually restock in 2026 — the patterns, why it is unpredictable, and how to be first when it happens.

Every Marukyu Koyamaen grade explained — Aoarashi, Isuzu, Wako, Unkaku, Tenju — flavour, who it is for, price, and how to secure one when it sells out.

Every Ippodo blend explained — Sayaka, Ikuyo, Ummon no Mukashi, Kanza — flavour, who it is for, and how to get an alert when the sold-out grades restock.

Every Nakamura Tokichi grade explained — Sho no Mukashi, Seiko no Mukashi, Uji no Mukashi — their Urasenke endorsements, flavour, and where to buy in 2026.

800 years of Uji matcha — from Eisai in 1191 and the shogun's seven gardens to Sen no Rikyu and the 2026 shortage. Why it is still Japan's most prized tea.

The exact water temperature, whisk technique and ratios for Uji matcha — so a $60 tin of Ippodo or Marukyu Koyamaen actually tastes the way it should.

The 2026 matcha shortage is real — Ippodo and Marukyu Koyamaen sold out for months. Why it is happening, when grades restock, and how to actually get some.

How to track authentic Uji matcha from Kyoto — which producers to watch, what makes Uji ceremonial grade different, and how to catch rare restocks in 2026.

How to never miss a premium matcha restock in 2026 — which brands to track, how restock timing works, and the fastest way to get notified when stock drops.

15 Japanese tea houses serious matcha drinkers should know — Ippodo, Marukyu Koyamaen, Nakamura Tokichi and 12 more — what each is known for and where to buy.

Ippodo vs Marukyu Koyamaen — taste, price, product lines and availability compared, so you know which legendary Kyoto house to buy from (and track).