Japan's farm ministry announced on Friday that it has newly registered three products, including Japanese tea, under its geographical indication protection system to safeguard brands from overseas imitations.
Once registered, products can be sold with a GI mark, and the government will crack down on false labeling and other violations.
The new designation for Japanese tea applies broadly to all green tea cultivated and processed domestically. It is unusual for a GI, which typically protects brand names tied to specific regions, not to specify a particular production region.
The Japan Tea Central Public Interest Incorporated Association filed the application last October. Farm minister Norikazu Suzuki said he expects the registration will help promote the brand power of Japanese tea, strengthen measures against imitation products and further boost exports.
In addition to Japanese tea, the new registrations also include Lake Hamanako Japanese eel from Shizuoka Prefecture and Kaga lotus root from Ishikawa Prefecture. Japan's GI protection system for agricultural and fishery products began in 2015, and the total number of registered products has reached 170.