Tea brewed in a pot tastes great, but preparation and cleaning up can be bothersome. Plastic bottles of green tea offering home-brewed taste have gained popularity in Japan in response to consumer demand for convenience.
A freshly brewed cup of green tea was once the drink of choice in Japan and was served to guests, sipped during work breaks, and enjoyed after meals. Japanese still have a taste for tea, but the introduction of plastic bottles has dramatically altered how people enjoy the national drink.
Green tea in plastic bottles first appeared on the Japanese market in 1990. During the first few years beverage companies voluntarily restricted production to one-liter bottles or larger out of concerns that smaller volumes would increase littering. Such restrictions were lifted in 1996 and products in 500-ml bottles that could be easily carried around led to a sudden rise in consumption of bottled green tea.
A survey of households of two or more persons found that average annual spending on green-tea leaves and tea drinks, including green tea and barley tea in plastic bottles and other containers, has remained steady since 2000 at just over ¥10,000. Clearly, tea remains an indispensable drink for Japanese people.
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Bottled Green Tea Overtaking Home-Brewed as Japan’s Favored Drink
