History of Tea in JapanThe earliest known reference to tea in Japan was in the written text of a Buddhist monk in the 9th century. The first tea in Japan was most likely brought from China in the form of a teacake. In the year 729 C.E. the Emperor Shomu invited a hundred Buddhist monks to have tea at his palace. At that time, was the most precious and costly commodity imported from China. Some believe it was the Buddhist priest Yeisei who brought the first tea seeds from China, but it’s difficult to find any timeline or further reference to Yeisei, who is said to be called the “Father of Tea” in Japan. There is, however, documentation to substantiate that it was the Zen priest, Saicho, who first brought tea seeds to Japan in the year 805, followed by another priest Kukai in 806 after they had been sent to China to learn about its culture.
Subsequently, tea became a drink of the religious classes. It became the drink of the royal classes when the emperor, Saga, encouraged importation of the seeds and growth and cultivation of tea plants began.
In 1214 the Zen priest Eisai introduced tea to the warrior class when he learned the general Samarai Sanitomo Minamoto was prone to drink too much each night. Eisai presented a book he had written to the general. The book, Kissa Yojoki – "The Book of Tea", extolled the health benefits of drinking tea. After that, the custom of tea drinking became popular among Shogun.
Though cultivation and production increased, green tea was still only a staple beverage enjoyed among Japan’s privileged religious and upper classes.
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