Here's an idea: What if Japan's matcha were protected like France's champagne?

NPR | By Ailsa Chang,

Jeffrey Pierre, Sarah Handel

Published November 12, 2025 at 4:46 PM EST

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with David Fickling, opinion writer at Bloomberg, about his idea for Japan: Treat matcha, the super popular drink, like champagne, and protect its heritage.

Ailsa Chang

Ailsa Chang is an award-winning journalist and a host of NPR’s newsmagazine All Things Considered, as well as NPR’s daily news podcast Consider This.

See stories by Ailsa Chang

Jeffrey Pierre

Jeffrey Pierre is an editor and producer on the Education Desk.

See stories by Jeffrey Pierre

Sarah Handel

See stories by Sarah Handel

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