Chosen by experts: A chat with a Tea Master

An exquisite and premium brew, Horai matcha delivers a decadently light sweetness with a soft, yet deep umami flavour. Loved for its low astringency, it’s at its best when prepared as a light and frothy usucha (thin tea) or koicha (thick tea), but is also beautiful in a milky latte.

We sat down with Tea Master, Tatsuo Sano, to talk about the refined art of producing Horai matcha.

How long have you been producing matcha for T2, and what has the journey looked like?

We began producing matcha for T2 more than 10 years ago, long before the current global matcha boom. Since then, we have continuously refined quality and worked to deliver a matcha experience that T2 customers can truly enjoy.

What does Horai mean to you in the context of matcha?

Horai is one of the highest-grade matcha expressions we can offer. It represents our pursuit of what we believe ‘the very best matcha’ can be.

What’s the difference between a good matcha and a super premium matcha like Horai?

Great matcha is often made from carefully handled spring-harvest tea. Horai stands out even among these, with exceptional balance of taste, aroma, vivid green colour, and overall harmony.

How would you recommend customers prepare Horai Matcha?

Horai is a ceremonial grade matcha. It elevates matcha lattes and desserts with outstanding taste, aroma, and colour. At the same time, it is refined enough to enjoy in a traditional way as well.

Is matcha produced like single-garden specialty tea? If not, how is it different?

Single-garden tea offers transparency and a strong story, which is very attractive. However, the quality of a single garden can vary year to year due to climate and field management. For Horai, we select the best-performing fields and cultivars each year to build a stable, consistent quality and flavour profile.

Has matcha’s surge in popularity changed matcha culture in Japan?

Yes. International demand has energised the Japanese tea market. Similar to how sushi evolved globally, creative matcha menus developed overseas are now influencing Japan as well—almost like a reverse import—and expanding matcha culture beyond traditional ways of drinking it.

What challenges do matcha producers face going into 2026?

In 2025, matcha production reached its limit. Demand is expected to grow further in 2026, so shortages are a real concern. Production cannot be expanded dramatically within a single year, so a key challenge is to communicate matcha’s value properly and deliver it steadily to the customers who truly appreciate it.