Flower of the Cameria Sinensis plant

Chinese discovered tea trees more than 2000 years ago. Chinese found that these trees could make a drink and made huge plantations. They created a good tasting drink. Green tea was introduced to Japan in approximately the 6th century and was thought to be used as medicine rather than a drink. By the 9th century it had become a drink that was very popular among the high society in Japan.

Japanese Priests, including Zen priest Myoan Eisai, who were sent to China to study its culture are thought to have brought back green tea and seeds with them. Zen priest Myoan Eisai later wrote the famous book "Kissa Yojoki (health benefits of Tea)" which detailed the health benefits one can receive when drinking green tea.

Zen priest Myoan Eisai

A few centuries (13th-16th centuries) later the Samurai society were introduced to drinking green tea by priests. The priests insisted that green tea had great health benefits, so it became very popular among the Samurai society. The Samurai invented a game called "To-cha" which was a game where Samurai tasted various green tea and had to guess which area of Japan it was from, often involving heavy betting.

The "Chanoyu" (The Japanese tea ceremony) came about in the Muromachi period (1392-1573) many green tea tools and cups began to be produced and many Japanese green tea gardens were established. The green tea culture flourished.

Ordinary people began to enjoy green tea from the Edo period (1600-1867). Also green tea production had developed and become more wide spread in the Edo period. Green tea was produced in many places and started spreading nationwide and most ordinary people (even the poor) could drink green tea.

The green tea sold in Edo (Tokyo) was produced in Sunsyu (Sizuoka prefecture), Sinsyu (Nagano prefecture), Yasyuu (Saitama prefecture) and Osyu (Touhoku prefecture). Production areas and production relationships begun to exist.

In the 18th century a new way of making Sencha emerged. Rather than the green tea being ground and boiling it was now pressed, rolled, dried and sold as loose leaf tea.

By the 19th century machines started to take the place of handmade green tea. This reduced the labour which was needed in the processing stage and increased the production efficiency.

Various PET bottle green tea drinks

Present day Japan has seen the emergence of many new green tea drinks in the form of bottled drinks. They are available in cold or hot PET bottles. You can find these bottled green tea drinks in every convenience store and in vending machines which are scattered all over Japan.

Green tea is part of daily life for most Japanese people, is an indispensable part of their life, and is thought to be one of the reasons for Japanese people's longevity. It is regarded as being superior than any other tea on the market and is still prized as being a very special beverage.