Japan Registers Japanese Tea to GI System, Counterfeit Products Will Be Taken Action

Japan has included "Japanese tea" into the Geographical Indication or GI protection system. This step was taken to protect green tea grown and processed domestically from counterfeit products circulating abroad.

Kyodo News, quoted on Friday, July 10, reported that the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture on Friday registered three new products in the GI system. In addition to Japanese tea, the other two products included on the list are the Japanese eel of Lake Hamanako from Shizuoka Prefecture and the Kaga lotus root from Ishikawa Prefecture.

Geographical indications or GI are a system of protection of product names that have quality, reputation, or distinctive character due to their geographical origin. Once registered, products can use the GI mark. The government can also crack down on false labeling and other violations.

The protection for Japanese tea applies broadly to all green tea grown and processed in Japan. This is unusual because GIs usually protect product names that are attached to specific production areas.

Similar cases previously only occurred in "Japanese sake". The alcoholic beverage product is registered in the geographical indication protection system for alcohol supervised by the Japanese National Tax Agency.

The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries said this policy was taken when the popularity of green tea increased in the international market. The government wants to distinguish authentic Japanese tea from counterfeit products circulating abroad.

The application for GI protection for Japanese tea was filed last October by the Tokyo-based Japan Tea Central Public Interest Incorporated Association. Concerns over the use of the name without permission were one of the reasons for the filing.

Japanese Agriculture Minister Norikazu Suzuki said the registration is expected to strengthen the competitiveness of Japanese tea as a brand.

He said GI protection can "help promote the strength of Japanese tea brands as a whole, strengthen measures against counterfeit products, and further encourage our strong exports."

The GI protection system for agricultural and fishery products in Japan began operating in 2015. With this latest addition, the number of products that have been registered has reached 170.

Several specific tea products have previously entered the GI system. Among them are steamed green tea in Kikugawa from Shizuoka Prefecture and traditional Yame gyokuro from Fukuoka Prefecture.

Similar systems have been implemented in more than 100 countries. Japan also has reciprocal protection arrangements with the European Union and the United Kingdom. With that scheme, GI-labeled products from Japan can get protection in partner countries.