Tokyo-based startup globalizing Japanese tea industry

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Tokyo-based e-commerce startup Matcha Latte Media said Wednesday it has sold and shipped Japanese tea to 50 countries around the world through Yunomius, the online marketplace it developed and launched in 2013.

By partnering with Japan Post, Yunomius is able to ship its products to over 120 countries around the world. “In our first 14 months, we’re proud to have attracted buyers from 50 of these countries,” says founder Ian Chun, an entrepreneur originally from Hawaii who is out to globalize the Japanese tea industry.

In a world where the Internet has created borderless communities, obtaining something as simple as good tea leaves from Japan remains a challenge for enthusiasts of the world’s most consumed beverage after water. Tea connoisseurs as well as buyers for tea retailers in North America and Europe will travel all the way to Japan and wander into tea shops looking for an introduction to suppliers.

“It shouldn’t be that hard. I started Matcha Latte Media because cross border e-commerce makes it easy for Japan’s small-scale producers to find overseas customers,” says Ian. “But, language barriers, complex international trade regulations, and difficult shipping logistics still remain even after the technical challenge of starting an online store is overcome. I wanted to help family-run farms like the Morita family, 10th generation farmers. So, I developed Yunomius, a marketplace that connects tea farms and tea enthusiasts.”

Chun said 49% of orders were shipped to the U.S., and 28% to Europe.