How to Import Japanese Tea with Kosher Certification (2026 Updated)

Updated July 2026: This guide has been revised to reflect the current kosher certification landscape for Japan-sourced tea — including which teas actually need a hechsher, the certifiers now working in Japan (OU, OK Kosher, Star-K, Kof-K and KLBD, plus Japan-based bodies such as Kosher Japan K.K. and Japan Kosher Service), the July 2023 removal of the EU's last Fukushima-era import controls, and how JAS-organic Japanese tea can now carry a U.S. "organic" claim without re-certification.

The global food trends are changing, and people are moving towards specific diets that have been followed for years. Apart from taking care of food quality, an increase has been observed in the consumption of Halal and Kosher foods. It may be because of people migrating to other countries and searching for suitable food options. In today’s time, Kosher and Halal are not only followed for religious purposes. People are also adopting these eating habits as a part of a healthy lifestyle and clean eating.

If you are not well aware of Kosher, you might be surprised that it is very different from Halal.

However, both have some specific rules that you have to follow. Let’s tell you everything about Kosher and Kosher Certification in Japan.

What is Kosher?

The word Kosher is derived from its Hebrew root, “kashér,” meaning fit or proper. Kosher is a diet typically followed by Hebrews with the rules and conditions of Kosher food extracted from the Torah (the Holy book of Jews). The rules on which the Kosher diet is based are called “Kashrut.”

To be considered Kosher, not only the ingredients but the methods of preparation also play a major role. Kashrut guides about the basic ingredients being Kosher or not that you can use to produce more products. It also tells you about everything you need to take care of during the manufacturing process. That is why it is thought that Kosher food is easier to prepare at home than the industry, as it requires a high level of vigilance and quality assurance to ensure compliance with Kosher standards.

What are non-Kosher foods?

Non-kosher foods are those which the Jewish religion prohibits eating if you are opting for a Kosher diet. These usually include animals (not all) and processes or products that involve animal products in one way or the other. Animals that you cannot consume in the Kosher diet include

• Rabbits
• Pigs
• Insects
• Reptiles
• Shellfish
• Land animals without split hooves
• Animals that don’t chew their cud
• Scavengers
• Sea creatures without scales or fins

This list of impermissible foods forms the baseline of the Kosher diet. Yet, you have to take immense care while opting for a Kosher diet.

How are Halal and Kosher different?

One of the most significant differences between Kosher and Halal is the consumption of alcohol. Halal eating does not allow alcohol consumption in any form. Most Muslims even avoid medication that has traces of alcohol. On the other hand, Kosher does not stop you from alcohol entirely but only permits alcohol brewed from Kosher-friendly ingredients and methods.

Halal:

• Halal means “permissible.”
• The lifestyle of Muslims that not only guides about permissible Halal foods but all aspects of life.
• Does not allow consumption of pig, alcohol and some animal derived products.
• All fruits and vegetables are considered Halal.

Kosher:

• Kashér means “fit.”
• Kashrut laws guide about which foods to consume and which not.
• Does not allow consumption of pig, insects, scavengers, predator birds, rabbits, shellfish, insects and similar creatures.
• Fruits and vegetables are considered Halal only if free from bugs.
• Grape products made by non-Jews are not kosher.

Is Organic Tea Kosher?

It is common to assume that organic products must be Halal and Kosher as they are free from additives and a healthy option. Though, that’s not always true.

Tea is Kosher as it is produced from a plant source, and none of the abovementioned animal sources are involved in the collection or drying processes. In fact, plain single-ingredient tea — green, black or white leaf with nothing added — is inherently kosher and pareve, so it needs no certification at all. The concern only starts once something is added. If you are looking to import flavored, blended or instant Japanese tea, you must be sure that no non-kosher flavorings are added to the tea, and those products do need a reliable kosher certification: flavor compounds can come from unknown sources, the flavoring and blending equipment may be shared with non-kosher runs, and the pareve-versus-dairy status has to be verified (several certified flavored teas are in fact dairy). If the tea is free from additional flavorings, certification is not required. Flavored tea, at the same time, needs to be evaluated for the ingredients to see if they are Kosher-compliant.

Why should you get Kosher Certification?

Obtaining Kosher certification for importing Japanese Organic Tea enables you to reach more people and expand your business. The global Kosher market was valued at 19.1 billion in 2018 and is expected to grow to $25.6 billion by 2026. By importing products with Kosher certification, you can make the best use of the increasing demand for Kosher products in different countries globally. Demand for the tea itself is climbing too: Japanese tea exports passed 10,000 tons in 2025 for the first time in more than 70 years, with the United States the top market and December 2025 shipments up about 91% year on year, much of it matcha. A kosher credential (often paired with organic) helps Shizuoka and Kagoshima exporters win Israeli, EU and premium U.S. buyers.

How to Import Japanese Tea with Kosher Certification?

To import Japanese tea with a kosher certificate, you first need to apply for kosher certification in Japan. You can contact authorities like Japan Kosher Service to help you obtain the certificate. As of 2026 you have plenty of options. The major international agencies — the Orthodox Union (OU), OK Kosher, Star-K and Kof-K, plus KLBD/London Beth Din for the UK and EU market — all take Japanese clients, and Japan-based bodies such as Kosher Japan K.K. (operating since 1999) and Japan Kosher Service (the Japan representative of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, the route for the Israeli market) can audit a plant on the ground rather than flying a supervisor in. Several Shizuoka tea makers are already certified this way, so a local audit is realistic for Shizuoka and Kagoshima factories.

• Fill and submit the application provided by certification providers.
• They will assign you a rabbinic coordinator to handle the process.
• The designated person will answer all your queries related to the kosher certificate.
• After the evaluation, your application and inspection report will be reviewed by the designated Rabbinic coordinator.
• He will guide you if you can get kosher certification or need any modification.
• The Rabbinic coordinator will issue a contract including all the OU requirements and fees for the kosher certification.
• The contract will be signed and returned to the OU office with a certification letter if you agree with the terms.

Once you get the Kosher certification to import Japanese Organic tea, you can import it to multiple countries and regions.

FAQs

Are all plant-based products Kosher?

While Kosher directly eliminates the mentioned meat options, plant-based meals are not compulsorily Kosher. For example, you may buy a vegetable curry that is cooked in pig fat for frying. As pig meat is not allowed in the Kosher diet, you cannot consume a meal cooked in any part of that animal.

Is Matcha tea Kosher?

Yes, Matcha is Kosher, and you can consume it when on a Kosher diet. One factor you must consider is that the tea is Kosher certified to ensure that the tea has not come in contact with any non-kosher ingredients during manufacturing.

Why do you need a Kosher certificate for import?

If you are thinking of importing food such as organic tea from Japan, it is preferable to have a Kosher certificate to certify your product. Certification from a reputable organization shows that the shipment is permissible for Kosher consumption.

The company we are importing has a Kosher certificate, do I (as an importer) need to obtain a Kosher certificate too?

If you are importing a product that is already Kosher certified, you do not need a Kosher certificate unless that country specifically asks for it.

Does Japanese tea still face radiation or Fukushima import restrictions?

For tea, those barriers are essentially gone. The EU dropped its last post-Fukushima food import controls in July 2023, and by September 2024 Japan’s government reported that roughly 90% of overseas markets — about 49 of 55, including Australia, Singapore and the EU — had already lifted their restrictions. Tea from Shizuoka, Kagoshima and Uji was never on the most-restricted list to begin with. Japan no longer requires a government radiation certificate to ship tea, although some buyers still ask for voluntary lab testing. None of this touches kosher status, which has nothing to do with radiation controls.

Can JAS-certified organic Japanese tea be sold as “organic” abroad without re-certification?

Yes. Under the U.S.–Japan Organic Equivalence Arrangement, tea certified organic to Japan’s JAS standard can be sold and labeled “organic” in the United States without a second USDA audit, provided each shipment carries an NOP Import Certificate stating that it was “Certified in compliance with the terms of the U.S.-Japan Organic Equivalence Arrangement.” The EU recognizes JAS as equivalent as well. So a tea that is both JAS-organic and kosher-certified can carry both claims without repeating either certification — the organic and kosher systems run in parallel.

Does a kosher certificate change the import duty or tax on tea?

No. Customs duty and any sales or value-added tax are set by the destination country and by the tea’s HS classification (green tea falls under HS 0902), not by whether it carries a hechsher. Plain, unflavored green tea enters the United States duty-free, while flavored green tea is dutiable at 6.4%; other markets set their own rates. There is also no separate government “kosher permit” to obtain in Japan — kosher is a private, voluntary certification, so it adds a mark to the pack but changes nothing at customs.

Conclusion

Getting Kosher certification is not necessary to import tea from Japan, yet it allows you to expand your business worldwide. Getting Kosher certification is quite convenient as many organizations in Japan offer the certification with proper evaluation. Connect to one of the options today to obtain Kosher certification and import Organic Tea from Japan

Need Assistance on Japanese Tea Importation?

This shipping and importation of Japanese tea in your country have been a long-standing service that we offer. Therefore, if you are interested in Japanese Tea importation either as a business or you simply want to have a taste of quality, authentic Japanese tea, you may contact us through this website, and we are more than happy to assist you. Click here to contact Green Tea Merchant.

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