How to Store Japanese Tea

Tea's enemies are air, light, heat, moisture and other smells — in that order.

Keep unopened tea in its sealed, nitrogen-flushed pack in a cool dark place. Once opened, press out air, seal tightly, and use sencha within a few weeks and matcha within about a month; matcha is the most fragile because the whole leaf is exposed as powder. Refrigerating opened tea causes condensation when the cold pack meets warm air — if you must refrigerate, let the sealed pack return to room temperature before opening. Never store tea near spices or coffee.

Sources: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) crop statistics; Ministry of Finance trade statistics; Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); prefectural and municipal official information. Checked 5 November 2026.