We Have Identified a Product Closely Resembling Kanbayashi Shunsho Honten Matcha
We would like to alert our readers that a counterfeit product, believed to have been made outside Japan, has been identified in connection with matcha from Kanbayashi Shunsho Honten in Uji.
We have also outlined the differences between the counterfeit product and the authentic packaging, so please review them carefully before making a purchase.
This happened only a few days ago.
A customer who regularly purchases matcha from our shop showed us a photograph in the store and asked,
“Do you carry this matcha?”
An acquaintance had asked them to buy it.
This was the photograph:
The product name appears to read “Toku no Mori.”
Kamibayashi Shunsho Honten does sell a matcha called Aya no Mori, but I had never heard of a product called Toku no Mori.
Because the packaging seemed suspicious, I contacted the manufacturer directly.
“This is not one of our products.”
That was their response.
At last, it had appeared:
a tin designed to resemble an authentic product, despite not being genuine.
Below, we compare it with photographs of authentic products sold by our shop.
Please purchase Japanese matcha only from retailers you can trust.
The Most Obvious Difference Is the Design of the Tin
(Photo 1: The counterfeit product we identified)
(Photo 2: An authentic tin and paper box)
At first glance, the counterfeit product looks convincing. A closer look, however, reveals clear differences.
Let us examine them one by one.
The image supplied by the customer is not high-resolution, so some fine details are difficult to confirm.
Even so, the differences become quite apparent when the packages are compared carefully.
- On the right side of the authentic package, the white characters read 上林春松 謹製, meaning “Made by Kanbayashi Shunsho.”
On the product we identified, however, the third character after “上林” is different. Instead of the character “春,” it appears to resemble two “考” characters placed together.
Please note that the packaging design was updated in the latter half of last year, and an authentic version using the hiragana text “かんばやしの” also exists. - Compare the characters 御抹茶 on the right side.
On the authentic package, the left-hand component of “御” is written in a stylized form. On the counterfeit tin, however, it appears to use the water radical “氵.” The character shape does not resemble the standard Japanese form of “御.” - The tea-name label at the lower left appears to read “徳の森” (Toku no Mori), but no such tea name exists in the Kamibayashi Shunsho Honten range.
It may have been intended to resemble the authentic product name “綾の森” (Aya no Mori), although we have not been able to confirm its origin.
There are other differences as well, including the overall layout and the position and shape of the purple and black lines.
When the two packages are placed side by side, those differences become visible. Yet if I had been shown only the counterfeit tin, even I might initially have mistaken it for a Kamibayashi Shunsho Honten product.
The design is sophisticated enough to mislead consumers, which makes it especially troubling.
What Concerns Me Most Is That the Quality Is Unknown
We do not know in which country the product was manufactured.
Nor can we verify:
- whether the contents are actually matcha;
- whether they may instead be powdered sencha or another type of tea;
- what raw materials were used;
- how pesticide use was managed; or
- whether appropriate hygiene controls were followed during production.
These are basic questions, yet none of them can be confirmed.
Of course, we cannot make definitive claims about the contents of this particular product.
However, similar concerns have arisen around counterfeit products imitating other prominent Uji tea manufacturers.
When the manufacturer, seller, and quality-control practices cannot be verified,
whether consumers can safely and confidently drink the product becomes an entirely separate issue.
Do You Check Who Is Actually Selling the Product?
When shopping online, many people choose products based mainly on price and reviews.
Matcha, however, is a food product.
For that reason, it is important to check:
- who manufactured it;
- who is selling it; and
- through what distribution channel it reached the market.
Product photographs alone are not always enough to determine whether an item is authentic.
Please purchase matcha from a retailer you can trust.
Precisely Because Matcha Has Become a Global Trend
The growing worldwide demand for matcha is welcome news for the Japanese tea industry.
At the same time, when products closely resembling famous manufacturers or the Uji brand enter the market, the risk of consumers purchasing them by mistake also increases.
If an unauthentic product leads people to think, “So this is what Japanese matcha tastes like,” the damage extends far beyond a single purchase. It also harms the producers and manufacturers who have worked seriously and carefully to uphold the quality of Japanese matcha.
How to Enjoy Matcha with Confidence
To conclude, let us review once more what authentic Kanbayashi Shunsho Honten packaging looks like.
The photograph below shows the genuine products.
At Marutake Ebisu, we sell only authentic products sourced through legitimate channels.
The quality of matcha cannot be judged by appearance alone.
That is why we believe the important question is not only:
Who made the matcha, but also where you purchased it.
That, too, is part of quality.
To enjoy authentic matcha with confidence, we recommend purchasing from a trusted retailer.
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