Seishin Tougei, a company based in Seto, Aichi Prefecture that plans, manufactures, and exports growing kits, is releasing "Matcha Bowl Moss Bonsai" (product code: GD-1063, suggested retail price: ¥1,600 before tax), a moss bonsai growing kit shaped like a matcha bowl, on September 14, 2026.
Why Matcha Bowls, Now
According to Ministry of Finance trade statistics, Japan's green tea exports reached roughly ¥72 billion in 2025 — about double the previous year and a new record for the sixth consecutive year. Matcha is spreading beyond food and drink into lifestyle products as a whole.
Seishin Tougei has been developing growing kits since 1999, marking its 27th year in the category. Building on this trend, the company is proposing a new kind of Japanese lifestyle-goods category that combines an "appreciation vessel" with a moss bonsai.
From a Bowl for Drinking to a Bowl for Admiring
A matcha bowl carries a culture of appreciation that goes beyond drinking — admiring its shape, glaze, foot, and the maker's mark on the base. This product recreates that in miniature, measuring roughly W7.6 × D6.5 × H9 cm. The finger marks that suggest hand-thrown shaping, along with the natural waviness and unevenness unique to matcha bowls, are carefully reproduced, condensing the culture of appreciating a tea bowl into a small world of its own. A maker's mark is designed even on the underside of the ceramic bowl, which comes with real sunagoke moss.
Three Matcha Bowl Colors to Choose From
01 Black
02 Brown
03 White
| Color | Glaze Name | Impression |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 黒金星 | Rich and weighty — brings out the moss's green the most |
| Brown | 飴釉 | Warm tone with a strong affinity for earth and natural materials |
| White | 白窯変 | Clean look that suits both Japanese and Western interiors |
As the glaze melts, the reddish clay underneath shows through, so no two bowls come out exactly alike, even in the same color. Black in particular develops crystals that look like gold leaf, further setting off the moss's green. Each piece has its own one-of-a-kind texture. The tatami edging on the included mini tatami mat is made of masking tape, but the pattern is an original design — care went into both the bowl and the tatami mat.
A Moss Bonsai Kit That's Easy to Display, Even for Beginners
The set includes five pieces: a mini matcha bowl, mini tatami mat, sunagoke moss, sponge, and instruction manual. Just place the moss as shown in the manual to complete the display, making it approachable even for those with no experience growing plants. Its compact size fits into limited spaces on a desk or shelf, and it works equally well for everyday use or as a gift. The package is designed around a tea-room motif, with an illustration shaped like a snow-viewing window and a lattice pattern reminiscent of tatami, so it can bring a touch of Japanese atmosphere to a shelf or tabletop even unopened. Peek inside the box and a hanging-scroll illustration appears, offering a glimpse of a miniature tea room. The kit is also designed to be given as a gift just as it is.
Product Overview
Product Name: Matcha Bowl Moss Bonsai
Product Code: GD-1063
Launch Date: September 14, 2026
Price: ¥1,600 (tax excluded)
Size: Approx. W7.6 × D6.5 × H9 cm
Colors: Black / Brown / White
Contents: Mini matcha bowl / Sunagoke moss / Sponge / Mini tatami mat / Instruction manual
Where to Buy: Variety stores and souvenir shops nationwide, and Seishin Tougei's official online shop, SEISHIN PLUS+
Product URL: https://seishin-plus.ocnk.net/product/572
