Tea Blog

The general consensus today is that tea cultivation and consumption began in China, a country that still produces more tea than any other. One enduring legend claims that tea was accidentally discovered in 2784 BC by a Chinese emperor, though the historical reality is likely more complex.

For many centuries, China was the primary source of tea. Although efforts were made to protect tea knowledge and cultivation practices, tea eventually spread to neighboring countries. One of the earliest of these was Japan, which, while not a large-scale tea producer, is internationally recognized for its high-quality Japanese green tea varieties.

According to tea historians Victor Mair and Erling Hoh, authors of The True History of Tea, tea was first introduced to Japan from China during the Tang Dynasty, likely in the eighth century. The individuals credited with this introduction are two influential Japanese Buddhist monks, Saicho and Kukai.

Saicho traveled to China in the early 800s, studied under a tea master, and returned to Japan with both knowledge of tea cultivation and tea seeds. Around the same time, Kukai studied at a different temple in China and also brought tea knowledge back to Japan upon his return.

Despite these early introductions, tea did not immediately become popular in Japan. Over the next several centuries, its use declined significantly. It was not until the efforts of another Buddhist monk, Myoan Eisai, that tea regained prominence.

Eisai also traveled to China to study and returned to Japan with renewed enthusiasm for tea. He played a key role in promoting tea consumption and distributing tea seeds. Some of these were planted in regions such as Uji, which remains one of Japan’s most prominent tea-producing areas.

In 1214, Eisai wrote Kissa Yojoki, one of the earliest and most influential texts on tea and its benefits. Centuries later, another Japanese figure, Kakuzo Okakura, contributed to tea literature with his well-known work The Book of Tea, further shaping global appreciation of Japanese tea culture.

See more of William I. Lengeman’s articles in this archive of tea history and culture articles.

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