The custom of drinking tea began in China about 5000 years ago. According to legend, a Chinese emperor discovered tea while sitting in front of a camellia tree with a pot of boiling water. Leaves from the tree fell into the water and the resulting aroma caused the emperor to drink what he called a "heavenly brew". In fact, by the T’any Dynasty (618-907) tea drinking in China was already a well established custom.

Tea drinking in Japan dates back to the early 8th Century when a famous Chinese priest first introduced medicinal herbs including tea to the Japanese Emperor. This early form of tea called, tancha, consisted of tea leaves packed into blocks and dried. Tancha was either steeped or chewed. During the Heian period, a form of tea called matcha emerged which was made by drying the tea leaves and grinding them into a fine powder. Later, this form of tea came to be used in the tea ceremony as it is still used today. Throughout these early years, because of its high caffeine content, tea drinking became popular among religious priests so that they could stay awake to study and meditate for long periods of time. Over the years, tea drinking gradually gained in popularity among the general public, as well.

The Japanese priest Eisai (ll41-1215), who studied in China, founded the Zen sect in Japan, and with it introduced the Chinese custom of ritualistic tea presentation. Over the years, the drinking of tea and the customs of Zen became intertwined, however it was not until the 16th century when Sen-no-Rikyu (1521-1591) perfected the tea ceremony as we know it today.

"The Way of Tea is naught but this: first you boil
water, then you make the tea and drink it. However, this
can only be appreciated after strict training in the Way."

Sen-no-Rikyu

While the tea ceremony is a time honored spiritual tradition in Japan, in fact the drinking of tea in its many forms is common in daily life. Although in recent times coffee has become a popular beverage , tea is still enjoyed throughout the day. It is typically served with traditional Japanese breakfast, drunk by office workers during the workday, served after dinner both at home and in restaurants and it is almost always offered to visitors who come to call. Japanese tea is typically served hot in cups without a handle and never are sugar or cream added. The tea cup is picked up close to the rim by one hand and supported from the bottom by the other. It should never be gulped down but rather enjoyed by taking little sips. On rare occasions, a tea twig appears upright in the cup which is considered good luck. Traditionally, mugicha was the only tea which was served cold, but recently the drinking of iced green tea has become very popular. Tea is so popular in Japan that it is always found in vending machines together with sodas and bottled water.

How to make Tea

When making tea from dried green tea leaves, hot water is first put into the tea pot in order to warm it up. Once warm, the water is discarded. A large spoonful of tea is placed into the pot, then hot water is added. The tea is only allowed to steep several minutes otherwise it tends to become bitter. The tea is then poured into cups, a little at a time making sure to empty the tea pot completely of all water.

The most popular types of tea include:

Gyokuro: the highest grade of tea usually served at special occasions
Sencha: a medium grade green tea usually served to guests
Bancha: the least expensive grade of tea
Hojicha: tea made by roasting the bancha leaves making the tea a brownish color
Genmaicha: tea made from a combination of tea leaves and popped corn
Mugicha: tea made from roasted barley which is usually served cold
Kobucha: tea made from powdered seaweed
Matcha or hikicha: tea made from tender young tea leaves which is ground into a fine powder and used in the tea ceremony
Tancha: dried tea leaves packed into blocks
Oolong cha: Chinese tea which is popular in Japan
Kocha: English tea