Kagoshima Tea

What Kagoshima Tea does

Kagoshima Seicha Co., Ltd. (鹿児島製茶株式会社), operating in English as Kagoshima Tea, is a privately held Japanese tea manufacturer founded in 1881 and formally incorporated in 1947, headquartered in Kagoshima City, Japan. The company processes, blends, and sells authentic Japanese green tea (sencha, matcha, hojicha, black tea, and flavored varieties) sourced from contracted farmers across Kagoshima Prefecture — Japan's #1 green tea producing prefecture by raw volume since 2024. Operations are vertically integrated across procurement, blending, roasting, and temperature/humidity-controlled storage, with FSSC22000, ISO22000, JAS Organic, and USDA Organic certifications supporting both domestic and international buyers. The product portfolio spans traditional loose-leaf teas, premium gift sets, a bottled RTD green tea (Satsuma Homare, launched 2017), and an innovative freeze-dried instant tea product (Chiran Tea CUBE, launched 2024).

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market model: direct-to-consumer through 10+ own-brand 'Birouen' (お茶の美老園) retail stores across Kagoshima Prefecture and Nagasaki plus an online shop (birouen.com); B2B wholesale to hotels, restaurants, retailers, and food manufacturers through a dedicated domestic sales department; OEM/private label manufacturing for international clients under the Smile Tea brand platform; and direct export to North America, Europe, and Asia through an international sales department and overseas e-commerce channels. Customer base includes ingredient supply to branded food manufacturers (Honbo Shoten's FamilyMart-distributed Chiran Tea Sweet Roll, Kobayashi Jin's tea noodles, Kuon Chocolate), with growing international revenue supported by participation in World Tea Expo, Summer Fancy Food Show, and Food & Hotel Thailand. The company employs 126 staff including a Tea Master 10th Dan (the highest Japanese tea qualification) as president, and has been recognized with multiple awards including the 2023 MAFF Export Bureau Director Award and the 2024 NIPPON OMIYAGE AWARD.

Name

Kagoshima Tea

Legal name

鹿児島製茶株式会社

Website

https://kagoshimaseicha.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kagoshima Seicha is a 140+ year-old Japanese tea manufacturer based in Kagoshima, producing authentic certified-organic green tea, matcha, and sencha sold through 10+ retail stores, B2B wholesale, OEM/private label, and growing export channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Japanese Green Tea Manufacturing

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Tea (Leaf, Bagged, Instant, Concentrates) (CRADAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tea Blending & Flavoring (AFAFADAG), Specialty Coffee & Tea (Single-Origin, Micro-lot, Premium) Processing (AFAFADAJ), Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI), Tea Rooms & Tea Cafes (THAFADAF), RTD Iced Tea Production (AFAFABAD)

Keywords

• Japanese green tea
• Matcha production
• Tea wholesale
• Private label tea
• Organic tea

Headquarters

HQ city

Kagoshima

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Tea Sales (Direct-to-Consumer): Sale of green tea, sencha, matcha, hojicha, black tea, and flavored teas through the company's own retail stores under the 'お茶の美老園' (Birouen) brand and through the Birouen online shop (birouen.com). Products include packaged teas, gift sets, and specialty items.
2. B2B Wholesale and OEM/Private Label Manufacturing: Wholesale supply of tea products to corporate clients ( hotels, restaurants, retailers, and food manufacturers) and private label/OEM manufacturing through the Smile Tea brand platform for international clients. The company supplies tea ingredients for third-party products such as the Chiran Tea Sweet Roll (produced by Honbo Shoten).
3. Bottled Green Tea Product Sales: Sale of the company's own branded bottled green tea product 'Satsuma Homare' (さつまほまれ) — a 500ml PET bottle green tea made from 100% Kagoshima-grown 'Saemidori' tea leaves. Launched in 2017; sold at Birouen retail stores.
4. International Export Sales: Export of matcha, sencha, and other Japanese teas to America, Europe, and Asia. The company operates an international sales department and sells through e-commerce channels to overseas customers. Organic teas are a key export driver. Exports have been growing especially since 2020 through overseas e-commerce sites.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Kagoshima Seicha manufactures and distributes authentic Japanese green tea products — including sencha, matcha, hojicha, black tea, and flavored/infused teas — sourced from contracted farmers across Kagoshima Prefecture. The company sells through 10+ company-owned retail stores under the Birouen (お茶の美老園) brand, a direct-to-consumer online shop, B2B wholesale to hotels, restaurants, retailers, and food manufacturers, and private-label/OEM manufacturing through the Smile Tea brand for international clients. Certified organic, JAS Organic, and USDA Organic teas form a key part of the export portfolio.

Product overview

Kagoshima Seicha is a Japanese tea manufacturer founded in 1881, operating primarily through its retail brand 'お茶の美老園' (Birouen) with 10 physical stores and online sales. The product portfolio centers on authentic Japanese teas sourced from Kagoshima Prefecture, including premium matcha, sencha, hojicha, and black tea products. Key products include the innovative 知覧茶CUBE freeze-dried instant tea cubes, the award-winning サツマルシェ gift sets, and the かごしま抹茶 premium matcha. The company also operates a private label/OEM platform called Smile Tea for business customers, offering certified organic teas (JAS Organic, USDA Organic). The product line ranges from traditional loose-leaf teas to modern convenience products like bottled tea and freeze-dried cubes, all emphasizing Kagoshima's tea heritage and quality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• サツマルシェ (Satsumarche): Gift set featuring 7 varieties of tea bags using tea leaves from Satsuma region and local citrus fruits (Sakurajima Komikan, Yuzu).
• 知覧茶CUBE
• Smile Tea Brand

Products and services

• Chiran Tea CUBE (知覧茶CUBE) — Freeze-Dried Green Tea Cubes Freeze-dried tea cubes that dissolve instantly in hot water to recreate teapot-quality tea in seconds. Available in green tea and hojicha varieties, made with 100% Kagoshima-produced tea leaves with no additives. Pack of 10 cubes (green tea ~0.3g each, hojicha ~0.2g each), retail 864 yen (tax-inclusive). Targeted at consumers who do not have opportunities to brew tea in a traditional teapot.
• Satsumarché Assort 49 (サツマルシェ アソート49) Gift set of 49 tea bags covering 7 varieties: Sakurajima small mandarin tea, Kagoshima black tea, Chiran tea, matcha green tea, deep-steamed tea, yuzu green tea, and amber hojicha. 140g total, 5,400 yen (tax-inclusive). Designed as a Kagoshima-themed souvenir and gift set.
• SelectBOX (セレクトBOX) — Chiran Tea / Hojicha / Black Tea Gift Sets Tea bag gift box (15g / 3g × 5 bags) in Chiran tea, hojicha, and black tea varieties, 540 yen (tax-inclusive). Designed as a communication-oriented gift with a teapot-shaped message area.
• Kagoshima Matcha (かごしま抹茶) Premium matcha made with carefully selected Kagoshima-produced tea leaves, featuring vibrant green color and a refreshing yet umami-rich flavor, formulated to be approachable for first-time matcha drinkers.
• Satsuma Homare (さつまほまれ) Bottled Green Tea 500ml Own-branded 500ml PET bottle green tea made from 100% Kagoshima-grown 'Saemidori' tea leaves, producing a mellow umami and refreshing aftertaste. Retail 119 yen (tax-inclusive).
• Tokusen Hōen (特選鳳苑) — Premium Blended Tea Premium blended tea featuring aromatic richness and mellow umami, selected from dozens of tea varieties and carefully blended by master tea artisans.
• Hōshū (鳳秀) — Premium Green Tea Premium green tea product featuring a harmonious balance of high-quality umami and astringency.
• Organic Matcha, Sencha, and Hojicha (Certified Organic Line) Certified organic Japanese teas including JAS Organic and USDA Organic certified matcha, sencha, and hojicha sourced from Kagoshima Prefecture. Positioned for both corporate B2B and individual retail customers as authentic Japanese tea.
• Smile Tea Private Label / OEM Manufacturing Service OEM manufacturing services platform offering private-label tea products for business customers, including certified organic matcha, sencha, and hojicha sourced from Kagoshima Prefecture. Designed for international buyers seeking authentic Japanese tea under their own brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• Kagoshima Prefecture became Japan's #1 green tea producing prefecture by raw tea production volume in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Aiya Co., Ltd. Aiya is one of Japan's largest matcha ingredient suppliers, producing culinary and ceremonial-grade matcha for foodservice, beverage brands, and retail globally. It competes with Kagoshima Seicha's OEM/private label organic matcha business for international buyers, while being more scale-driven and less retail/brand-led.
• ITO EN: ITO EN is Japan's largest dedicated tea company, producing RTD green tea, matcha, and loose-leaf teas for domestic and international markets through retail, foodservice, and OEM channels. It is the dominant incumbent that Kagoshima Seicha competes against in B2B tea supply and premium/green tea SKUs, but at materially larger scale and a much broader portfolio.
• Yamamotoyama Co., Ltd. Yamamotoyama is one of Japan's oldest tea and nori producers with nationwide retail distribution and a broad CPG portfolio including green teas and matcha-based beverages. It competes with Kagoshima Seicha in packaged Japanese tea at retail and in the broader tea category, but at significantly larger scale and with a more diverse food portfolio.

Direct peers

• Lupicia: Lupicia is a Japanese specialty tea brand operating its own retail stores across Japan and an international online shop, selling loose-leaf blends, gift sets, and packaged Japanese teas. It overlaps with Kagoshima Seicha on premium loose-leaf, gift-set merchandising, and overseas DTC, targeting the same gifting and health-conscious consumer segments.
• Ippodo Tea Co. Ippodo is a long-established premium Japanese green tea company based in Uji, Kyoto, operating its own retail stores in Japan, a strong US online presence, and international wholesale. It directly mirrors Kagoshima Seicha's positioning of single-prefecture-origin ceremonial-grade matcha, sencha, and loose-leaf teas sold DTC and to international buyers, making it the closest peer in craft tea and export.
• Maruyama Tea Products Corporation: Maruyama is a multi-generational Japanese tea producer and exporter from Shizuoka Prefecture with US operations (Maruyama Tea Products) and export-led B2B and DTC channels. Like Kagoshima Seicha, it focuses on single-origin Japanese tea, OEM/private label for overseas brands, and dedicated international sales teams, putting it in direct competition for premium Japanese tea export and OEM contracts.

Emerging players

• Obubu Tea Farms (Obubu Chaen): Obubu is a Kyoto-based Japanese tea farm and exporter running tea tours, intern programs, and direct international sales of Wazuka-grown sencha, matcha, and gyokuro. It overlaps with Kagoshima Seicha's export-focused, single-origin Japanese tea positioning, but at much smaller scale and without retail brand or OEM platform.
• Harney & Sons Fine Teas: Harney & Sons is a US-based premium tea company selling loose-leaf teas, packaged tea bags, and gift sets primarily through DTC e-commerce and foodservice. It is comparable as a competing premium Japanese green tea seller in the same export channels as Kagoshima Seicha, including gift-set merchandising and DTC operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kagoshimaseicha
• Facebookfacebook.com/Kagoshima-Seicha-CoLtd-711474522324712
• Instagraminstagram.com/kagoshima_seicha

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kagoshima Tea