50年前普洱茶如何以减肥功效征服日本市场 | 云南普洱茶日本营销战
20世纪70年代中期，香港茶商将具有消脂解腻、温和养胃功效的普洱熟茶试销日本，意外引爆日本消费市场。然而当中国茶商试图扩大市场份额时，却遭遇日本茶叶经营者的重重阻挠。中日双方围绕"霉菌事件"和"功效实证"等问题展开激烈博弈，上演了一段鲜为人知的茶叶贸易战。
In the mid-1970s, Hong Kong tea merchants introduced Pu'er ripe tea with fat-reducing and stomach-nourishing effects to Japan, unexpectedly igniting the consumer market. However, when Chinese tea companies attempted to expand their market share, they encountered strong resistance from Japanese tea operators. The two sides engaged in fierce debates over issues such as the "mold incident" and "efficacy verification", unfolding a little-known tea trade war.
云南普洱茶进入日本的契机
The Opportunity for Yunnan Pu'er Tea to Enter Japan
1972年，中国土产畜产进出口总公司云南茶叶分公司（云茶司）成立，获得茶叶自主经营权。为开拓市场，云茶司技术人员赴广东学习普洱茶发酵技术，成功研发出普洱熟茶。这种以大叶种晒青茶为原料的发酵茶，因其特殊的药理作用，成为打开日本市场的关键。
In 1972, the Yunnan Tea Branch of China National Native Produce & Animal By-Products Import & Export Corporation (Yunnan Tea Company) was established, gaining autonomous rights in tea operations. To expand the market, Yunnan Tea Company technicians went to Guangdong to learn Pu'er tea fermentation technology, successfully developing ripe Pu'er tea. This fermented tea made from sun-dried large-leaf tea became the key to opening the Japanese market due to its unique pharmacological effects.
香港利丰公司的林芝铭女士敏锐捕捉到普洱茶的减肥功效，将散装熟茶重新包装为"美的青春茶"试销日本，由此开启了普洱茶在日本市场的传奇。
Ms. Lin Zhiming of Hong Kong's Li & Fung Company keenly recognized Pu'er tea's weight loss benefits and repackaged bulk ripe tea as "Beautiful Youth Tea" for trial sales in Japan, thus beginning Pu'er tea's legendary journey in the Japanese market.
日本市场的热烈反响
Enthusiastic Market Response in Japan
1970年代的日本已成为世界第二大经济体，民众面临肥胖、高血脂等富贵病困扰。具有特殊保健功效的普洱熟茶一经引入，立即引发抢购热潮。日本商家以"中国古代神秘茶叶"为卖点大肆宣传，声称"上等普洱茶需发酵三年以上，产量有限"，进一步刺激了消费需求。
By the 1970s, Japan had become the world's second largest economy, with its people facing health issues such as obesity and hyperlipidemia. Pu'er ripe tea with its unique health benefits immediately sparked a buying frenzy upon introduction. Japanese merchants heavily promoted it as "an ancient mysterious tea from China", claiming that "premium Pu'er requires over three years of fermentation with limited production", further stimulating consumer demand.
1978年起，每届广交会上的普洱茶订单几乎被二十多家日本商社一抢而空，包括丸成商事、神户东荣等知名企业。据日本大藏省统计，1980年中国发酵茶进口量预计达2000吨。
Starting in 1978, Pu'er tea orders at each Canton Fair were almost completely snapped up by over twenty Japanese trading companies, including well-known firms like Marusei Shoji and Kobe Toei. According to Japan's Ministry of Finance statistics, China's fermented tea imports were projected to reach 2,000 tons in 1980.
日本茶叶行业的反击
The Japanese Tea Industry's Counterattack
面对中国发酵茶的冲击，日本茶叶经营者发起反击。他们利用媒体大肆宣传"普洱茶含大量霉菌，饮用可能致癌"的言论，导致普洱茶销量暴跌。日本进口商纷纷向中茶公司驻日代表处投诉，最终促成了中日普洱茶大论辩。
Facing the impact of Chinese fermented tea, Japanese tea operators launched a counterattack. They used media to widely spread claims that "Pu'er tea contains large amounts of mold and may cause cancer if consumed", leading to a sharp decline in Pu'er tea sales. Japanese importers complained to the China Tea Company's representative office in Japan, ultimately prompting the Great Sino-Japanese Pu'er Tea Debate.
这场博弈不仅关乎普洱茶在日本市场的存亡，更成为中国传统茶叶国际化的重要案例。尽管遭遇阻力，普洱茶凭借其独特功效最终在日本市场站稳脚跟，为后续中国茶叶出口积累了宝贵经验。
This battle was not only about the survival of Pu'er tea in the Japanese market but also became an important case for the internationalization of traditional Chinese tea. Despite encountering resistance, Pu'er tea ultimately gained a foothold in the Japanese market due to its unique effects, accumulating valuable experience for subsequent Chinese tea exports.
