Abstract
Matsutake (Tricholoma matsutake) is one of the most expensive mushrooms in the world. Its flavor and texture has long attracted the Japanese, especially the aristocracy, making them feel the autumn aroma. It normally grows in the sunny pine forests throughout the Japanese archipelago. There used to be more than 6,000 tons of domestic matsutake production in the early 1950s. However, since the 1960s, its production has been sharply decreasing, and Japan currently only produces 70 tons of matsutake. Imported matsutake fills the gap between supply and demand. For example, from 2012 to 2016, Japan imported matsutake from 9 countries, whereas, its average self-sufficient ratio was only 4.4 percent. Chinese matsutake dominates with about 60 to 70 percent of the total supply in the Japanese market. This paper will first explore two statistics, Trade Statistics of Japan and Non-timber Forestry Production Statistics, to provide general information on the matsutake industry in Japan. Second, the paper will present the development of the matsutake supply chain from Oregon in the US Pacific Northwest, to Japan to illustrate how it is dependent on several contingencies. Finally, the paper will explain the prospects of matsutake supply chain studies as a study of globalization, namely global studies.
