A Historical Walk through 800 Years of Japanese Tea

Tea was first introduced to Japan from China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). In Kyoto’s Minamiyamashiro region, tea production techniques were established and different types of green tea were developed. These include the matcha used in the tea ceremony, sencha for daily tea consumption, and gyokuro, which is regarded as one of the finest grades of green tea in the world.
For over 800 years, people living in this region have developed a wide variety of first-class teas and continue to be leaders in tea production and processing, while also continuing to make important cultural contributions to the lasting traditions of the tea ceremony. Visitors to this region can experience the different developmental stages in the history of tea production through the beautiful tea fields, rows of wholesale shops and tearelated festivals.