While in the rest of the world, boba has grown in popularity, Japan seems to not follow this massive trend.
Bubble tea, or tapioca tea has been steadily gaining popularity throughout the world. From kids to adults, many enjoy the taste of various tea with chewy tapioca pearls. One appeal of boba shops was that they were quick. Compared to a traditional sit-down cafe, boba shops were grab-and-go establishments, where customers could quickly grab a sweet treat anytime of the day.
Origins:
Boba tea originated in Taiwan around the 1980s. Initially, boba tea was popular only in Taiwan, but it quickly spread throughout East Asia in the 1990s.
The “creator” of boba tea is argued between two tea houses–Chun Shui Tang, in central Taichung, and Hanlin Tea Room in southern Tainan–both claiming the invention around 40 years ago.
The Chun Shui Tang tea house claimed to have discovered boba while experimenting with different mixtures of drinks and toppings. An employee supposedly mixed milk tea with their favorite childhood snack, tapioca balls, thus creating–what the tea house claims– the first cup of boba tea.
On the other hand, the Hanlin Tea Room’s founder claimed to have discovered tapioca tea when he spotted white tapioca balls on sale at his local market. The founder had a flash of inspiration and decided to swap out the water that the tapioca balls were in traditionally with tea, creating the beverage.
Both tea houses were in a fierce lawsuit for almost a decade, each arguing that boba tea was their own invention. Ultimately, it was ruled in 2019 that since neither tea house has patented boba tea, it did not belong to either tea house.
Chun Shui Tang vs Hanlin Tea Room
Personal observations:
When I went to Japan, I noticed that there were fewer boba shops compared to the US. In the US there would always be at least three boba shops in the area however, in Japan, there were very few.
Of course in the main cities like Tokyo and Osaka, there are major chain boba shops like GongCha and Tiger Sugar, with plenty of customers flocking in and out. However, outside of the main cities, such as Atami, there were only a few boba shops.
While researching about boba popularity trends in Japan for this blog, many articles written around 2018-2020 claim that boba was a huge trend in Japan during that time. Articles wrote about how this new drink had taken Japan by storm, and many boba shops were opening nationwide. Due to the high number of articles written about boba right before COVID-19, it may be safe to assume that as boba tea was taking off in popularity in Japan, the sudden pandemic may have caused many upcoming boba shops to go out of business.
What about the US?
On the other hand, the number of boba tea shops in the US seem to be increasing. According to a Michigan Journal of Economics,
"According to research from IBISWorld, the number of bubble tea shops in the US has reached 3,096 as of 2022, marking a substantial increase of 23.4% from the previous year, with the upward trend appearing to continue unabated."
According to this journal, boba has taken the drink market by storm by offering a reduced caffeine option, making it popular with younger customers. This large age range appeal has turned boba shops into great places for relaxing, socializing, and studying, similar to a traditional coffee shop.
My opinions:
As a Japanese-American high schooler living in America, I find the contrast of boba tea popularity between Japan and America interesting. I noticed that in the area that I live, there is at least one boba tea shop near a high school or middle school, making it very appealing as quick lunch pick-me-up or afterschool snack. I always enjoy getting boba with friends, after school or after practice, and it makes for good opportunities to socialize.
Kitty Bubble Cafe & Bar in Columbus, OH has an area to sit-down and socialize (you can pet and adopt cats here as well!) - Photo by Susan Post for Columbus Underground
However, I also believe that this difference in popularity is a result of different trends at different times. For example, a little over 5 years ago, (when I was a elementary/middle schooler) Japanese/Asian cuisine was not very appealing to non-Asians. Many Asian-American students can relate to the experience of being criticized for the concept of raw fish in sushi, or the strong, unfamiliar smell of Asian food. However, currently, Asian food is very popular, and many Asian and Asian-fusion restaurants have been built throughout cities in America. Similarly, boba tea may have been very popular in Japan at one point, but simply had fallen off over time.
Comments