Photo by Anna Ito

Matcha is everywhere. ‘Performative matcha drinking’ has become a social phenomenon, where people consume matcha as a prop to communicate a status symbol of personal depth, originality and a tolerant nature. Capitalist ventures have feasted on this sudden popularity of matcha, as businesses advertise new, cheaper and flashier versions of matcha products everyday. This liquid of 1000 years of history, hardship and tradition is a treasured cornerstone of Japanese culture. The West has now shifted from using Japanese tradition to discriminate against ethnic minorities to using it as a global money making machine. 

As our city street bins get filled with plastic cups with remnants of watered down matcha, the original values and intentions behind matcha utterly opposes this materialistic display we see today. None of this could have happened without one Japanese monk from the 13th Century. Monk Eisai, otherwise known as the father of Japanese tea, was a Zen Buddhist monk who brought green tea leaves from China to Japan. Since then, Japanese people have kept the tradition of tea ceremonies alive while practicing the years of discipline and dedication it takes to master the art form. The ceremony involves preparing tea in silence to cultivate Zen values to foster inner peace, an appreciation for simplicity and nature as well as a release of ego and materialism. It is abundantly clear that the current mass consumption of matcha and its money-driven nature explicitly contradicts these values.   

As a Japanese person raised in Western environments, I have been conditioned to feel guilty and inferior about my ethnicity. I can clearly recall times not long ago when matcha would be called ‘dirty water’. It is confusing to see the same environment that discriminated against my race now blissfully enjoying and profiting from the fruits of our labour. Other ethnic minorities have shared the sentiment of frustration when gentrification of their cultures disregards the historical context of marginalized communities. Our culture is deep rooted in struggle, history and meaning, and is certainly not validated by the West claiming it as a ‘new discovery’.

Is there a way to consume and participate in cultures of ethnic minorities in a way that does not fall under appropriation? The spread of culture is inevitable and necessary for the development of humanity, and is incidentally a key factor in the origin of matcha. Western communities need to inform themselves on the nuanced and even uncomfortable truths of a holistic culture before profiting from them. It is not a one way effort, forever, as ethnic minorities also have a responsibility to avoid hypocrisy and prejudice against Western communities. Mutual learning and open-mindedness is crucial for cultural preservation and propagation, and will encourage various cultures to form new traditions to be enjoyed. In a community as rich in culture and diversity as UAL, we stand between rare cultural exchanges that shape our global attitudes toward change. Stay curious, and recognize our privilege.