General information
Are you able to supply matcha at the moment?
Yes, we currently have matcha in stock and available in limited quantities due to the high demand across the industry.
What types of tea do you offer for wholesale?
We provide a wide range of teas, including green teas (matcha, sencha, genmaicha,…), black (wakoucha), oolong, herbal (sakura tea). We provide loose leaf tea but some teas are available in tea bags format.
Are you the farmer?
Yes, most of the teas on the website are farmed and processed by Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms. Certain teas are produced by different farmers like Nakai-san who provides all of our organic teas.
What is your production amount per year?
Tea is an agricultural product and as such the production amount can differ year to year. However we average approximately 8 tonnes of tea per year.
How many farmers do you work with?
We work with 3 tea farmers excluding Akky, our president, and also not counting all of the Obubu Staff Members who also harvest and produce tea.
How long are your price lists valid for?
Pricing is subject to change without notice but we aim to keep a notice period of 1 month or more.
Can I visit Obubu Tea Farms?
Yes. Obubu Tea Farms hosts tours during which guests visit our factory, one of our fields and try different types of Japanese teas. For more information and to book a tour, click HERE.
How can I intern at Obubu?
Obubu Tea Farms hosts interns for periods of 3 months at a time throughout the year. Read more about the internship program and apply HERE.
Do you offer organic teas?
Yes, we have a selection of certified organic teas, however this website is not yet prepared to facilitate the sale of Organic Tea due to the nature of the certification process. We aim to be able to accept orders of Organic Certified tea within this year.
Matcha Updates
How do I reserve Ceremonial Matcha Production?
We are currently processing and have created a page to guide you through the process. It is very important to note that any order containing a Production Reservation Matcha will not ship until all of the order has been packed and created. Furthermore, if you would like to receive in 25g Packet, 100g Packet or 25g Tin then you must select the packaging and add to cart e.g. 1kg of production reservation needs 40 x 25g Packets or 10 x 100g Packets added to the cart to pack into that size. If it is not added to the cart then the matcha will be shipped in a 1kg Ziploc Packet by default. FULL EXPLANATION HERE
What is the current situation with the Ceremonial Grade Matcha?
We are currently accepting Ceremonial Matcha Reservations for November and December and will look to open reservations next year towards November time.
Is there an alternative Matcha I can purchase right now?
Yes! We have introduced Spring Blend Matcha, a Drinking Grade Matcha suitable for preparing with water, just like ceremonial grades. It is available now at a lower price point, offering an excellent interim option while Ceremonial production reservation have already been reserved.
Are Cooking Grade Matchas Available?
We are restocking these grades as we receive stock every 6 weeks or so. Once that stock has sold we will not restock until the tea arrives with us. These are ideal for culinary use, lattes, baking, and blending.
Why is there a shortage of Ceremonial Matcha?
Several factors have contributed:
- Limited grinding facilities and a shrinking number of grinding stone craftsmen have made production capacity increasingly restricted.
- Declining number of tea farmers in Japan has reduced tencha (matcha base material) production.
- Inflation and a weaker yen have fuelled greater global demand and driven up costs.
Will this issue continue long-term?
We are actively addressing this. As tea farmers ourselves, Obubu is increasing production year-on-year, we now have a stable monthly reservation process for Ceremonial Matcha and Culinary Grade Matcha and Tea Powder Stocks are updated monthly. We will continue to release more availability for Production Reservation so please make sure to book your Matcha needs in advance.
Customisation and Branding
Can you provide custom packaging with our logo?
No, due to the high demand and increase in the number of orders we are not currently able to accept custom packaging orders. We can provide the tea without labelling and this is a selection choice on the product pages.
Can you do powder blends?
No, unfortunately, we are unable to create blends on request.
Do you sell matcha in tea tins?
We offer all of our Ceremonial Grade teas in 25g tin sizing with our new Spring Blend Matcha also being offered in 25g Tins.
Can you sell a specific tea to my company exclusively?
No, we are unable to offer exclusivity on specific teas.
Do you provide point of sales material?
We have prepared some images available for download from the website as a downloadable product. We are not able to provide more than this for wholesale customers at this time.
Shipping and Delivery
USA Shipping – what changes have been made how does this affect shipments?
Due to recent changes in US import regulations, we have updated our shipping procedures for orders sent via DHL:
- Prior Notice Form:
No longer required. Providing our FDA FFR Registration Number is sufficient.
This number is now printed on both the shipping label and the customs invoice. - $800 De Minimis Rule:
The De Minimis rule has been repealed for FDA-regulated goods, including tea. This means:- All shipments—regardless of value—may require FDA Prior Notice.
- Customs may charge duties and require full documentation, even for small orders under $800.
- Shipping Address Requirements:
- For shipments under $800:
- DHL will only accept shipments addressed to individual customers.
- Orders under this value will be shipped as retail shipments.
- For shipments over $800:
- Shipments can be sent to a business address but will undergo stricter customs documents checks.
- For shipments under $800:
- EIN Requirements for Business Shipments:
If shipping to a business and the order total is over $800, an EIN (Employer Identification Number) must be provided during checkout and included with shipping documents. - Tariffs on Green Tea:
Although the 2019 U.S.–Japan Trade Agreement grants reduced or zero tariffs on green tea (HS code 0902.10), we are currently seeing:- Flat 10% tariffs sometimes applied at customs, depending on port and documentation. We expect changes to this in October.
- We recommend declaring product origin and harmonised codes clearly to minimise risk:
- HS Code: 0902.10.9050 (US ONLY)
- Country of Origin: Japan
- Shipping Delays:
Customs inspections are taking longer than usual due to the high volume of shipments from around the world which must be processed. Please allow for a few extra days in shipping time.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes, we ship to many countries worldwide. Shipping fees and times vary based on location. Please see all live shipping rates in the checkout.
What areas do you currently ship to?
We currently ship to the majority of countries around the world with a few exceptions due to consistent issues experienced during the customs transition in the country of delivery.
What is the lead time?
From the completion of the order we aim to ship orders within 10 working days but operationally we are averaging 5 working days. We will ask for customers to expect longer wait times during times of low stock or particularly busy periods, for example during the Spring Harvest or in times of high demand.
Which carriers do you ship with?
For wholesale we are currently shipping the majority of our shipments with DHL.
What is your return policy for wholesale orders?
In general, all sales on this website are final. However, we may accept returns and/or refunds on a case by case basis if your package has arrived damaged or defective in some way. Please be sure to take photographic evidence and contact us immediately.
Can I track my order?
Yes, tracking information will be provided once your order has been dispatched.
How long does shipping take?
DHL shipments generally take 3-10 days, but may take longer depending on the time of year and your region. If you have not received your item within 17 business days, please contact us.
Ordering and Payments
There are no payment options at checkout and the browser says this website is unsecured?
This is happening when users are on our website but have not accessed the website with the full url. This website has SSL security and this issue will be resolved by using the https url of the website here – https://www.wholesale.obubutea.com
Can I request samples before placing a bulk order?
All samples are to be purchased through our retail site if the minimum order quantity of ¥30’000 cannot be met.
How can I place a wholesale order?
You can place an order directly through our website or for custom orders please contact our sales team at info@obubutea.com
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept payments credit/debit cards. Other payment methods including via bank transfer may be available upon request.
What is the minimum order quantity (MOQ) for wholesale pricing?
To take advantage of wholesale prices, a minimum order is ¥30’000.
Do you accept preorders?
We can accept preorders for specific products and this functionality is being prepared on this website.