Exploring the history of Japanese tea cultivation
Exploring the History of Japanese Tea Cultivation Tea has been an integral part of Japanese culture for centuries - along with the history and cultivation of tea comes a lot of traditions, customs and cultural etiquette. Today, Japan is renowned all over the world for the high quality of tea production and its unique flavourings. In this article, we look at the history and culture of tea in Japan, and explore the processes of tea cultivation, production, and consumption that make tea such an important part of the country's cultural identity. Ancient History of Tea in Japan Tea has been part of Japan's culture since the 8th century, when it was brought over from China by Buddhist monks. According to the legend, a Buddhist monk called Eisai Zenji (also known as Yosai) first brought tea seeds to Japan from China’s Shaanxi and Fujian provinces, and planted them in Kyoto. In the 13th and 14th century, Zen Buddhism spread through Japan, and with it, tea ceremonies. Practitioners wo...