Japan

●Kinds of tea

In Japan, Japanese tea means green tea. Japanese tea is made from steaming the tea leaf. There is all sort of Japanese tea. Coarse tea, green tea, and superior green tea are the most popular kinds of Japanese tea. There are many other kinds of Japanese tea, too.

● Tea traditions & customs

In the 6th century, tea was introduced into Japan from China. Until the 9th century, tea was enjoyed by the aristocracy. Around the 12th century, the tea spread to the samurai class. The samurai’s tea party was a prototype of the tea ceremony. In the Edo period, manufacturing green tea was invented (the tea meant powdered green tea until then) and green tea spread for use among the common people.

● Tea ceremony

The tea ceremony is performed for an invited guest. The spirit of the tea ceremony is based on Zen ideas. In the Azuchi-Momoyama Period, the tea ceremony was completed by Sen no Rikyu. He served Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyosshi , and made the tea ceremony thrive. After Sen no Rikyu’s death, his adopted son Sen no Shoan succeeded him in maintaining the teahouse. Afterwards, Shoan’s son Sen no Sotan succeeded him and he embodied wabicha. Each of Sotan’s sons established Japanese tea ceremony schools and they have continued to develop. Today those Japanese tea ceremony schools are called sen-Sanke.