Obesity increases the risk of diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

For this reason, it is very important to prevent obesity in advance in order to have a healthy body.

In fact, drinking green tea is an effective way to prevent obesity.

In this article, I’m going to introduce the ingredients and how to drink green tea to prevent obesity.

The risk of obesity

Obesity increases the risk of the following diseases: high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, gout, and cholelithiasis.

They are all horrible diseases, but the causes of obesity are hereditary constitution, overeating and lack of exercise.

Although it is true that the “obesity gene” does exist, the ratio between environment and heredity is said to be “7: 3”.

In other words, there is a lot of potential to improve obesity through diet.

Green tea ingredients to prevent obesity

The catechins contained in green tea have the effect of suppressing obesity.

This is because catechins have a function to inhibit the production of “glucose” which is the cause of obesity.

For example, when obese men with a high BMI were asked to drink multiple green teas with different amounts of catechins, studies have shown that those who continued to drink the higher catechin green tea lost fat faster.

This means drinking green tea that is high in catechins can effectively prevent obesity.

It’s not just the catechins!

Catechins are effective in preventing obesity, but they do not have such a great effect on their own, and it is thought that the synergistic effect with caffeine improves the preventive effect.

Therefore, if you drink green tea to prevent obesity, be sure to choose a green tea that has caffeine in it.

How to drink green tea to prevent obesity

Here are three ways to drink green tea that can help prevent obesity.

Use hot water

The obesity-inhibiting catechins and caffeine are easily soluble in hot water.

Therefore, when drinking green tea to prevent obesity, it is a good idea to brew tea with hot water.

Choose Nibancha or Sanbancha.

Green tea leaves are classified as Ichibancha (first picked tea), Nibancha (second picked tea) and Sanbancha (third picked tea) depending upon the harvest time.

While Ichibancha is generally said to have good quality and aroma, it is the Nibancha and Sanbancha that provide a good dose of catechins.

This is because catechins, which are produced by the action of light, are abundant in Nibancha and Sanbancha that grows during long hours of sunlight.

Their astringency is stronger than that of Ichibancha, but it is recommended that you choose Nibancha or Sanbancha when drinking tea to prevent obesity.

Make use of FOSHU tea

Some teas that are designated as Food for Specified Health Uses (FOSHU) by the Secretary General of the Consumer Affairs Agency also have an effect on obesity.

Since FOSHU teas are only approved if they are scientifically recognized as having health benefits, they are only commercialized if they have already been proven to be effective.

When drinking FOSHU tea to combat obesity, it's a good idea to choose a product such as Lemon Tokucha (Suntory), which is described as “helping to reduce fat”.

Have green tea to prevent obesity

In this article, I have explained the ingredients of green tea to prevent obesity and how to drink it effectively.

If you are suffering from obesity, how about trying these healthy preventative measures.

High blood pressure is a problem that one in two Japanese people over the age of 20 has.

However, you can prevent your high blood pressure by drinking green tea.

In this article, I’m going to introduce the basic knowledge of high blood pressure and how to prevent it by drinking green tea.

The risk of high blood pressure

High blood pressure can cause diseases such as thyroid and adrenal glands, and is at risk of death in the worst case.

The causes of such high blood pressure are drinking, excessive salt intake and stress. Some people are also more prone to high blood pressure due to heredity.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, one in two Japanese people over the age of 20 currently suffer from high blood pressure.

Green tea prevents high blood pressure

Green tea contains following ingredients that prevent high blood pressure.

Catechin

Catechins in green tea have the effect of suppressing the action of “angiotensin I converting enzyme” which causes high blood pressure.

In fact, one study found that people who drink green tea are 35% less likely to die from a stroke in men and 42% lower rates in women than those who don't drink it.

GABA

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is an ingredient that is formed by changing glutamic acid contained in tea leaves.

GABA has the function of inhibiting a substance called “noradrenaline” that constricts blood vessels, and prevents the rise of blood pressure.

Theanine

Theanine is a type of amino acid that is specific to green tea and helps prevent high blood pressure by dilating blood vessels.

Taking theanine relaxes your body and improves your blood circulation, which can be beneficial when you want to concentrate on your work or studies.

How to drink green tea to prevent high blood pressure

I will introduce how to drink green tea effectively to prevent high blood pressure.

Use hot water

Catechins, which prevent high blood pressure, have the property of being easily dissolved in hot water.

Therefore, it is possible to take in more catechins by brewing tea with hot water.

On the other hand, water makes it difficult for catechins to leach out, so if you want to get a lot of catechins, you should avoid brewing tea with water.

Choose Gyokuro or Matcha

Theanine, an ingredient that prevents high blood pressure, is contained a lot in fine teas such as Gyokuro, Matcha and high grade Sencha (steeped green tea).

This is because theanine is also an ingredient of the umami, and it is found in fine teas where the umami is important.

Brewing them with ice water will help reduce the leaching of the stimulant caffeine. So you'll feel the effects of theanine more clearly.

Choose Gabalong tea

GABA, an ingredient that prevents an increase in blood pressure, is produced by leaving raw tea leaves in an anoxic conditions for several hours.

Green tea made in this way is called “Gabalong tea”.

If you choose Gabalong tea, you can take in more GABA, so it is recommended when you are worried about your blood pressure.

Methylated catechin, an ingredient in green tea, is effective in relieving allergy and hay fever (pollen allergy).

In this article, I’m going to introduce the basic information and efficacy of methylated catechins, as well as green tea cultivars that contain a lot of methylated catechins.

Green tea health benefits: the effect of anti-allergy

Green tea has various health benefits, but some tea has an effect of anti-allergy and good effect for hay fever (pollen allergy).

Green tea has such effects because it contains an ingredient called “methylated catechins”.

What are methylated catechins?

“Methylated catechins” are a kind of catechins.

Green tea contains several kinds of catechins, such as “epigallocatechin gallate” and “epicatechin”.

Methylated catechins refer to compounds in which the “epigallocatechin gallate” contained most in green tea has changed.

Efficacy of methylated catechins

Methylated catechins have the effect of preventing the release of histamine and other substances that cause allergic symptoms.

This is because methylated catechins prevent the brain from receiving signals that trigger allergic reactions.

For example, there is even an experimental data showing that when green tea containing methylated catechins is given to animals with allergies, nasal discharge, tears, edema, etc. are improved (SAITO Kieko (2018) ‘Characteristics of Tea Catechins and Their Effective Utilization’ Agriculture and Horticulture. No.932, pp.108 -115).

In other words, if you take green tea that contains a lot of methylated catechins, you can effectively relieve allergic symptoms.

Green tea containing methylated catechins and its drinking method

Green teas that contain a lot of methylated catechins include “Benifuki”, “Benifuji” and “Benihomare”.

All of cultivars were originally developed for black tea, but when processed into black tea, methylated catechins change into other compounds.

For this reason, in order to take methylated catechins efficiently, you should buy those labeled “green tea” instead of “black tea”.

When having these green teas, it is best to brew them for about 5 minutes before drinking them to take in more methylated catechins.

Aren't methylated catechins water-soluble?

Methylated catechins are not water-soluble, so it has no effect unless you take in whole tea leaves into your body.

For this reason, most of the Benifuki available on the market as a “measure against hay fever (pollen allergy)” is made from powdered tea leaves.

Does "Yabukita" contain methylated catechins?

"Yabukita" is a representative cultivar of green tea, but it does not contain much methylated catechins.

I recommend you to choose a different tea such as "Benifuki" because you can't expect much effect on allergy and symptoms of hay fever (pollen allergy).

Green tea has a good effect for hay fever

I have introduced “methylated catechins” which are effective in alleviating the symptoms of allergies and hay fever (pollen allergy).

Why don't you have green tea containing methylated catechins in the season when you are suffering from hay fever?

Tea antioxidant effect is one of the health effects of tea. Tea can reduce the risks of Alzheimer's, rheumatism, cancers, etc. This article introduces the basic information and process of tea antioxidant effect and the types of tea that have strong antioxidants.

What are antioxidants?

The health functions of tea include antioxidant effects. Tea can prevent cancers, rheumatism, tissue aging, etc., and maintain immunity.

Mechanism of antioxidants

Let us take a brief look at the process of antioxidant activities. As you know, the human body has the natural mechanism of “inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide.” However, if this cycle stops well-functioning due to mental stress and smoking, oxygen remains in the body as “active oxygen.” Active oxygen is also called bad oxygen because it is one of the factors to damage cells and cause diseases such as rheumatism, hepatitis, and arteriosclerosis. Antioxidants play roles of preventing the generation of active oxygen, which behaves badly, and eliminating existing active oxygen.

How do antioxidants benefit the body?

Antioxidant effects are important functions so that it is said “they lead to the prevention of all diseases.” They can reduce the risks of acquiring the following diseases:

• Rheumatism
• Hepatitis
• Cancers
• Arteriosclerosis
• Alzheimer’s

*Reference: Kyoji Yoshino et al. (2017). Antioxidant Activities of Various Health Beneficial Teas. National Institute of Technology, Numazu College Research Annual.

Any of these diseases sounds scary, but you can reduce the risks of them by drinking tea. Also, antioxidants can prevent the aging of cells themselves and maintain immunity.

Tea ingredients with antioxidant activities

Among tea ingredients, “catechins” have the strongest antioxidant effect. Vitamin C and vitamin E also have antioxidants, but the antioxidant effect of catechins is several times or even dozens of times stronger than them. Catechins are unique to tea, and drinking tea benefits you with efficient antioxidant activities.

Which tea has strong antioxidants?

Now, let’s think about what kind of tea we should choose to enjoy the benefits of antioxidants more efficiently? Here are two choices:

Choice 1: Second picked tea, third picked tea

The tea picked with fresh buds is called first picked tea (Shincha). The tea picked afterward is called second picked tea, third picked tea and so on in sequence. In general, first picked tea gives off the best aroma and is considered high-graded. However, second and third picked teas have stronger antioxidants. It is because they contain a lot of catechins, which act as tea antioxidants.

The catechin content of tea leaves depends on the length of sunshine hours, so second and third picked teas, which are cropped late, contain more catechins. For this reason, it is recommended to choose these teas if your priority is antioxidants.

Choice 2: Persimmon tea, loquat tea

The research by Kyoji Yoshino’s team compared the strength of antioxidant activities of 9 kinds of commercial health beneficial teas. The results showed persimmon and loquat teas have particularly strong antioxidant activities. In contrast, Job's tears tea had weak antioxidant activities. It is written that some types of teas including green tea, rooibos tea, and ashitaba tea showed a consistent relationship between the weight and antioxidant activity strength. This means an increased amount of tea leaves actually strengthens the antioxidant activities of green tea and rooibos tea. Overall, it is recommended to choose persimmon tea or loquat tea, or you can brew tea with an excessive amount of leaves.

Some people may be particular about tea leaves and/or techniques to brew tea, but how many of you even care about how to store tea leaves right?

The storage of tea leaves is very important to prevent the cause of flavor deterioration.

What happens to tea leaves after opening?

It may be thought that the quality of tea leaves would hardly change because they are dry, but that’s totally wrong. It does deteriorate drastically as soon as the bag/package is opened.

Once tea leaves are exposed to the air, the aromas would change as the aromatic components volatilize. Also, moisture causes flavour deterioration because tea leaves are vulnerable to humidity.

Causes of flavor deterioration

Flavours and aromas of tea leaves would drastically deteriorate if tea leaves are not stored properly.

In short, they would be able to be kept well to the end if tea leaves are stored right.

The deterioration of tea leaves is mainly caused by these three; oxigen (oxidation), sunlight and moisture.

Oxigen (oxidation)

Oxigen causes the flavor deterioration as it oxidizes the compounds of tea such as catechin and vitamin C. It also affects the color of tea and tea leaves, which makes them look worse.

Therefore, it is important to make sure to seal the bag/package thoroughly as squeezing the air out from the bag/package before sealing.

Sunlight

UV rays and sunlight fade the pigment chlorophyll that makes tea leaves green, which changes the color of tea and tea leaves from green to brown.

Also, sun exposure may cause the sun-struck flavor on tea leaves as tea leaves have a characteristic to easily absorb odors from others.

Therefore, tea leaves should be stored either in a dark place with no sun exposure or a container that blocks sunlight.

Moisture

The oxidation of tea leaves would accelerate as tea leaves get more moist, which significantly affects the taste, colour and flavor of tea. So, leaving the bag/package of tea leaves is a big no-no.

Make sure to store tea leaves either in a dehumidified place or an air-tight container.

No refrigerated after opening?

Many people may refrigerate tea leaves after opening, that’s actually not good.

Refrigeration seems to be the best way to store tea leaves as it blocks sunlight, has no moisture and maintains a low temperature. However, refrigeration may cause tea leaves to absorb odors from other foods in the fridge, as mentioned before, tea leaves have a characteristic to easily absorb odors from others.

Besides, tea leaves may absorb moisture from the mist made in the fridge while the fridge opens and closes and that causes the temperature gap.

When taken out of the fridge, the freshness of tea leaves would also be deteriorated drastically as tea leaves absorb the moisture beads caused by the temperature gap.

Therefore, make sure to store tea leaves in a dark and dehumidified place like a cabinet instead of the fridge.

But it would be no problem storing unopened tea leaves in the fridge or freezer.

Suitable tools to store tea leaves.

Chadutsu (tea caddy)

Chadutsu (tea caddy) is the most suitable tool to store tea leaves.

It becomes air-tight as the body and lid are thoroughly sealed, which keeps tea leaves away from the air and moisture and blocks sunlight.

There are so many sizes of tea caddies, but we recommend the size for the amount of tea leaves that you can finish in a month. If the size is too big, the tea leaves would be exposed to the air in the caddy and that accelerates the deterioration.

Caddies made out of glass and plastic should be avoided because they let sunlight through.

Aluminum bag

Aluminum blocks the sunlight and moisture from the outside. You can store tea leaves in aluminum tea-leaf-storage bags that have lately been sold in stores.

There are also tea leaves sold in aluminum bags. If you purchase tea leaves in an aluminum bag, it can be stored as-is as long as it’s air-tight sealed.

Have you ever thought about the contents of the water that we usually drink?

In fact, there is compatibility between tea and water, and tea would taste significantly different according to the water to use.

In this article, we are going to introduce soft water and hard water that considerably affect the taste of tea.

Difference between soft water and hard water?

Water is mainly categorized in two types: soft water and hard water.

The scale that measures the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in water is called hardness.

The water whose hardness is lower than 120mg/l is soft water, higher than 120mg/l is hard water.

Water in Japan is mostly soft water.

The water we Japanese are used to is soft water.

Tap water is also soft water, and bottled mineral water sold in stores is mostly soft water as well.

Hard water in Japan is only available in some areas such as Nishinomiya, Kobe.

Compared to hard water, soft water contains less minerals like magnesium and calcium. However, those who are weak/fragile such as seniors and babies can drink soft water since the pressure that gives on your stomach is mild.

Besides, soft water has great characteristics: it allows laundry detergent and shampoo to lather well, doesn’t create soap scum easily, and is gentle on your hair and skin. Some people even bother to use soft water to do dishes in those countries whose tap water is hard water.

Water in Europe and the US is hard water.

Some people may get their hair dry and have a stomachache when visiting Europe and/or the US, that’s because of the calcium and magnesium contained in hard water.

But hard water does have benefits: It removes the unpleasant smell of cooking ingredients and makes scum come out easily, and the rich calcium and magnesium in hard water can prevent arteriosclerosis.

Suitable water to brew tea?

Soft water tastes light and smooth, whereas, hard water tastes heavy and slightly bitter.

Those who are used to soft water may feel odd when drinking hard water.

The suitable water to brew tea is soft water.

Water with high water hardness can hardly extract the tea ingredients and that would ruin the perfect balance of umami, bitterness and sweetness of tea.

Soft water, on the other hand, can extract the tea ingredients well without ruining the tea flavor itself.

Compared to teas brewed with soft water, teas with hard water tend to look cloudy because the minerals in the hard water get combined with thannine contained in the tea leaves.

You can enjoy tea at any time of the year. However, do you know that there is a difference in the tea harvest time depending upon the tea cultivar and the growing area?

In this article, I’m going to introduce the tea harvest time.

When is the tea harvest time?

Tea harvest time is from late March to early October.

However, the time of picking tea leaves differs little by little depending upon the cultivar of tea, latitude, altitude, and hours of sunlight.

If all tea leaves are picked at the same time, farmers will not be able to keep up with their work, and there is a risk that the tea leaves will grow too much and lose their flavor, or the leaves will harden and become unmarketable.

By shifting the time of picking, the burden of farm work is dispersed, and tea leaves can be picked in the best condition for drinking.

Therefore, it is very important that the harvest time is dispersed.

What are “early ripening tea” and “late ripening tea”?

There are more than 100 tea cultivars, and the harvest time varies depending upon the cultivar.

Among them, there are “early ripening tea” and “late ripening tea ”.

Early ripening tea is a cultivar that picking time is early, and tea cultivars classified in this category are called early ripening cultivar.

Late ripening tea, on the other hand, is a cultivar that the harvest time is relatively late. Cultivars classified in this category are called late ripening cultivar.

Farmers can extend the harvest time by around 10 days by cultivating a combination of early ripening, medium ripening (a cultivar that is used as a standard for picking such as Yabukita) and late ripening cultivars.

That makes it possible to pick all the tea leaves at the best time.

Are there many “ early ripening tea” in Kagoshima?

Taking advantage of the mild climate, tea is picked at the end of March in Kagoshima. It is well known as “Hashiri-Shincha (Early-First picked tea)”, the fastest tea on the market.

In Kagoshima, it is customary to produce cultivars of early ripening tea and send them to the market as soon as possible. This is why many of the early ripening “Yutakamidori” are grown.

Representative cultivars of early ripening tea

There are many cultivars of early ripening tea, such as Sayamakaori, Tsuyuhikari, and Kuritawase, but the representative cultivars are Midoriyutaka and Saemidori.

Sayamakaori

It ripens 0-2 days earlier than Yabukita. Characterized by its rich aroma, it is grown mainly in Shizuoka, Saitama and Mie Prefectures. Contains a lot of catechin, so it has a relatively bitter taste.

Tsuyuhikari

It ripens 2 days earlier than Yabukita. The tea leaves are bright green and beautiful. It is grown especially in Shizuoka. It features a refreshing taste that brings out the flavor and sweetness in the astringency.

Kuritawase

This is a cultivar called “very early ripening” and, its picking season is particularly early among the cultivars of early ripening tea. It is grown in warm regions such as Tanegashima (an island of Kagoshima). It has sharp bitter and fresh sweet tastes.

Yutakamidori

Yutakamidori is fertile and has a high yield. It is the second largest cultivar in Japan. It is especially grown in Kagoshima because it is sensitive to cold. The unique cultivation and processing method produces a rich and sweet taste with less bitterness.

Saemidori

This is a premium cultivar that combines “Yabukita” which is easy to grow and has a well-balanced flavor, and “Asatsuyu” which is also called natural Gyokuro and has a strong sweetness and flavor. It has elegant taste with well-balanced taste of “Yabukita” and sweetness and umami of “Asatsuyu”.

Representative cultivars of late ripening tea

Cultivars of late tea ripening include Kanayamidori, Harumidori, and Okuhikari, but the representative cultivars are Okumidori and Benifuki.

Kanayamidori

It ripens 4 days later than Yabukita and is mainly grown in Kagoshima and Shizuoka. It has a characteristic milky aroma.

Harumidori

A cultivar born from Kanayamidori that ripens six days later than Yabukita. It is a high-class tea with extremely high quality as Sencha (steeped green tea).

Okuhikari

This is a rare cultivar that can be grown in cold regions such as mountainous regions. Its scent is strong and the taste is clear.

Okumidori

It has the third largest cropping area in Japan, mainly in Kagoshima, Mie, Kyoto and Shizuoka. Okudmiori has a natural sweet and mild taste. Its aftertaste is refreshing.

It also has a good fragrance, so it is recommended for people who want to enjoy the aroma of tea.

Benifuki

It is the cultivar registered in 1993, which is short in history compared to other cultivars, but it is famous not only for green tea but also for Japanese black tea. It contains a lot of methylated catechin, so it has become a hot topic as a green tea with an anti-allergic effect.

In this article, I’m going to introduce “Saemidori”, a cross cultivar of “Yabukita” and “Asatsuyu”.

Characteristics of “Saemidori”

The characteristic of Saemidori is its excellent quality.

Cross cultivar of “Yabukita” and “Asatsuyu”

Yabukita is easy to grow, excellent in both yield and quality. Asatsuyu is called “natural Gyokuro” because it is sweet and has a good flavor although the yield is small.

Saemidori is a cross cultivar of these two excellent cultivars.

It is the highest quality cultivar and is sometimes used for Gyokuro. In addition, Saemidori can be said a masterpiece because it has as much yield as Yabukita.

Although the cultivation area is the third largest in Japan, it still accounts for about 2% of the total. Saemidori is a cultivar that has great expectations for the future.

Resistant to cold but vulnerable to frost

Saemidori is strong against cold but weak against frost damages, and it is not so strong against diseases.

Saemidori prefers warm regions, so it was grown mainly in Kagoshima and southern Kyushu at the time when it appeared, but recently it is also grown in Shizuoka and some other region.

Early ripening cultivar

The plucking time of Saemidori is about 5 days earlier than Yabukita, and Shincha (First picked tea) is often picked from late April to early May.

However, Saemidori which is grown in warm southern areas such as Kagoshima, is sometimes picked in late March. If you want to buy its Shincha(first picked tea), you should start checking tea shops from the end of March.

Taste of Saemidori

Saemidori is well inherited the good balance of taste of Yabukita and the taste of Asatsuyu with strong sweetness and umami.

Its fragrance and taste are relatively refreshing. Its taste is less astringent and strong with sweetness and umami. The elegant taste of Saemidori can be a real luxury for those who drink it.

In addition, Saemidori is a beautiful green with a bluish tinge, so it is also recommended to serve important guests.

It is relatively unknown that Kagoshima Prefecture’s tea production is the second most in Japan. Its volume is increasing year after year and getting close to the production of Shizuoka Prefecture. In 2017, it produced 26,600 tons, about 32% of the domestic production.

On top “Yabukita,” the prefecture’s main cultivar, others such as “Yutakamidori, “Saemidori,” “Asatsuyu,” and “Okumidori” are also common there. In particular, Kagoshima Prefecture is the largest producer of “Yutakamidori,” the second most popular cultivar in Japan after “Yabukita.”

This article helps you discover Kagoshima Prefecture’s history of tea production and tea-growing areas

Does Kagoshima Prefecture’s Sincha (first flush green tea) come the first in Japan?

Kagoshima Prefecture, as the southernmost tea-growing region of the Japan’s mainland, has a mild climate and long sunshine duration, which permits the earliest shipment of Shincha in Japan.

While Shizuoka or Kyōto’s usual picking season is from mid-April to early May, Kagoshima and Tanegashima start picking tea in early April and late March respectively. Their Shincha is called “Hashiri-shincha” or “Ōhashiri-shincha,” and shipped the earliest to the market.

A long shipping period also features Kagoshima Prefecture. It produces Sencha (steeped green tea) and many other teas from Ichi-Bancha (first tea) in April to Shuto-Bancha (autumn-winter tea) in October.

History of tea production in Kagoshima Prefecture 

There are several views on the origin of tea cultivation in Kagoshima Prefecture.

One of them explains that some fleeing Heike warriors brought tea to Kimpō-chō-Ata-Shirakawa at the beginning of the Kamakura Period. Other says that they ordered tea seeds from Uji and planted them in Yoshimatsu-chō (currently merged into Yūsui-chō) during the Muromachi Period.

In the aftermath, the Shimazu Domain encouraged tea plantation. However, tea cultivation and production began in full scale only after the Second World War.

The late-comer advantage of Kagoshima Prefecture enabled early installment of equipment for a low-cost and mass production through mechanization, which pumped up output. The flat cultivation land also helped mechanization at a large extent.

The advanced incorporation of agriculture and the high number of large-scale farmers are also characteristics of tea plantation in Kagoshima Prefecture. Farms are well-managed municipally so that there are less abandoned farm lands. Its average farm acreage is very large thanks to mechanization.

Tea-growing areas in Kagoshima Prefecture

Located in the southernmost tip of Kyūshū, Kagoshima’s warm climate and long sunshine duration make tea cultivation easier in many areas of the prefecture. Minamikyūshū City, in particular, is the nation’s top municipality in tea production, even beyond any municipality in Shizuoka Prefecture, and the largest tea producer.

Teas grown in Kagoshima Prefecture are called Kagoshima tea collectively. Among them, Chiran tea is a well-known tea brand.

Chiran Tea

Chiran tea originally refers to a tea produced in Chiran-chō of Minamikyūshū City. However, three different brands of Chiran, Ei, and Kawanabe teas fell together in the category of Chiran tea due to the municipality merger in 2017

Kagoshima Prefecture’s long sunshine duration makes thick tea leaves with bitterness and astringency. To ease these flavors, preharvest cover culture was introduced and Fukamushi-Sencha (deep-steamed steep green tea) with prolonged steaming yielding a mild flavor became common. As a result, the liquid comes in its most characteristic dark green color.

Eisai was called “father of tea”. However, Eisai was not the first person to bring tea into Japan. So why is Eisai called “father of tea”? I will explain the reason through the relationship between “Zen” and “tea”.

About Eisai

Eisai (1141-1215) started studying the teachings of the Tendai sect as a teenager and visited China twice to study it more deeply.

After returning to Japan, Eisai became the founder of the Rinzai sect in Japan.

Eisai had been exposed to the wonders of tea in China and brought back the seeds to Japan.

He propagated the Rinzai sect and at the same time spread tea cultivation methods and the culture associated with tea.

While being persecuted by the Tendai sect, he endeavored to propagate the Rinzai sect and wrote books such as Kozen Gokoku-ron and Ichidai Kyoron Shaku.

Achievement of Eisai, the Father of tea

In this chapter, I will introduce how Zen monk Eisai was involved in tea.

Bringing tea culture to Japan and spreading it

Tea had been brought to Japan since before Eisai was born. So why is Eisai called Japan's “Father of the”?

That's because Eisai brought the tea culture to Japan for the first time.

By the way, the tea brought in by Eisai at that time was Tencha (matcha before grinding), which was popular in China.

The method of making and drinking tea was introduced to Japan, and Tencha became a substitute for Heicha, which had been drunk before, and became the basis of green tea culture.

In China, however, Tencha was later obsolete due to the change of power.

Furthermore, Eisai brought back with him the ”Sarei (ritual)” of the Zen sect of drinking tea. It is to drink tea prepared in a kettle several times a day between practices or at bedtime. It means to practice with one mind.

In a larger event, all participants gathered together to share a kettle of tea. This Sarei would lead to the tea ceremony later.

Trigger the full-scale cultivation of tea

Eisai created the opportunity to create an authentic tea garden. Eisai brought back knowledge about tea seeds and tea cultivation when he returned from China and promoted tea cultivation in temples.

This is because the awakening effect of tea was very effective in the strict ascetic practices of the Zen sect.

The seeds and knowledge of tea spread in this way were passed on to Myoe Shonin in Togano, Kyoto, and it developed into an authentic tea garden.

The tea from this tea garden was so popular that Togano’s tea was called “honcha (real tea)”, while the tea from other regions was called “hicha (not real tea)”.

Spread the Rinzai sect in Japan

Eisai spread the Zen Buddhism, Rinzai Sect as well as tea cultivation and culture. Tea and Zen were closely linked, and the philosophy of Zen had a great influence on the person who made the history of tea.

The relationship between the tea masters and Zen monks of the Rinzai sect, such as MURATA Juko and IKKYU Sojun, TAKENO Jouo and DAIRIN Soto, and SHOREI Sokin and SEN-no-Rikyu, has become an essential part of the history of the tea ceremony.

Wrote KissaYojoki, the first book specialized in tea in Japan

Eisai wrote Kissa Yojoki (Drinking Tea for Health care) to promote tea.

This book, consisting of two volumes, was the first specialized book on tea in Japan, and it describes not only the medical effects of tea learned in China, but also the tea cultivation in detail.

According to the history book Azuma Kagami, Eisai presented Kissa Yojoki to the third shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate, MINAMOTO no Sanetomo, with tea when he was suffering from a hangover.

Tea culture from the Heian to the Kamakura period

During the Heian period, tea was used in religious events and ceremonies in the Imperial Court.

Tea was a special drink and medicine that only monks and aristocrats could drink.

After that, it gradually changed to something to “enjoy” drinking at waka and renga (Japanese poetry) recitations.

In the Kamakura period (1185-1333), tea ceremony rituals called “Sarei”, which Eisai brought back from China, began to be held in Zen temples.

On the other hand, drinking tea became popular among the samurai class as a social tool.

The “Cha-yoriai”, gathering to drink tea began to take place, and in the late Kamakura period, “Tocha” the game of guessing the place of origin by drinking tea, became popular. However, gambling took place at the same time as Tocha, and it became so radical that the Shogunate finally banned Tocha.

Eisai is not the first person to bring tea back to Japan. However, Eisai brought Zen and tea that he had learned in China back to Japan and spread them throughout the country, leading them to combine and develop into the present Chanoyu. This is why Eisai is called the “Father of tea”.

SEN-no-Rikyu was a charismatic master of tea ceremony in the Sengoku period.

What did Rikyu pursue throughout his life, and how did he live his life? I will explain the life of a charismatic man.

Life of SEN-no-Rikyu

SEN-no-Rikyu (1522-1591) was born to a wealthy merchant family in Sakai, Osaka.

Sakai at that time was a town that prospered through trade and was controlled by merchants.

Rikyu began learning tea ceremony at the age of 17 and studied under TAKENO Jouo.

As a merchant, he devoted himself to his family business and made a fortune, while pursuing the art of Chanoyu, he studied Zen under SHOREI Sokin.

When Rikyu was 50 years old, ODA Nobunaga focused on Sakai's wealth and made it his direct domain, employing Rikyu and two others as tea masters.

After Nobunaga’s death, he served TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi, and he presented tea to Emperor Ogimachi, at the “Court Tea Ceremony” commemorating Hideyoshi's inauguration to Kanpaku.

He was granted “Rikyu Kojigo (a name given to a Buddhist layman)” and became the greatest master of tea ceremony both in name and reality.

Hideyoshi's younger brother Hidenaga's words, “Rikyu knows all about confidential matters, but Hidenaga knows all about public matters.” show that Rikyu was at the center of the Shogunate.

However, he later incurred Hideyoshi's wrath and ended his life with ritual suicide.

Completion of Wabicha in the teahouse “Taian (National Treasure)”

The spirit of Wabicha that Rikyu perfected is condensed into the tea room designed by Rikyu, called “Taian (National Treasure)”.

“Taian” is a two tatami mat size teahouse designed based on the aesthetics of Rikyu by removing unnecessary elements to the utmost extent.

In particular, the spirit of the tea ceremony that Rikyu valued the most is expressed in the creation of the “nijiri-guchi (entrance)”.

It is a narrow entrance located in a low position. Even high class samurai cannot enter unless they are in a posture that makes them crawl by taking off their swords and lowering their heads.

Nijiri-guchi shows that everyone who attends Chanoyu is equal regardless of their social status.

Chanoyu in samurai society

Nobunaga encouraged his vassals to participate in the tea ceremony. Only the vassals who were given permission were allowed to hold tea ceremonies, and they were given expensive tea bowls as rewards for their military exploits.

He made it a status of samurai to have famous tea utensils and to be proficient in Chanoyu.

As a result, the value of famous tea utensils has come to be equal to the lives of warlords as well as to the country.

When Nobunaga, who had an advantage in the battle with a warlord, told that his life would be saved if he handed over his famous teakettle, that warlord said “I cannot give you my teakettle” Then, the warlord put an explosive in his teakettle and blew himself up. This was an unbelievable story that showed Chanoyu had become the status of the samurai.

Episodes of “SEN-no-Rikyu”

Rikyu left behind many episodes that tell us about his personality and his way of thinking about the tea ceremony.

What can and cannot be changed in Wabicha

Nobunaga, who had Rikyu make tea, noticed that Rikyu's way of making tea was simplified.

When Nobunaga asked Rikyu, “Why?” he answered, “People today would be reluctant to do it according to the old ways because they have no patience. That’s why I made it simple”.

Judging from Rikyu's flexible attitude that was willing to change the manners of Wabicha according to the times and his attitude that did not allow any compromise with the spirituality of the aesthetics and hospitality that Wabicha required, we can see what Rikyu valued in “Wabicha”.

Morning glory tea ceremony

One early summer morning, Rikyu invited Hideyoshi to a tea ceremony, saying, “The morning glories are beautiful”.

When Hideyoshi came to see the morning glories in full bloom, all the morning glories in the garden were gone.

Sadly, when Hideyoshi entered the teahouse, he found a single flower of morning glory in the tokonoma (alcove) where the light shines in.

It is said that Hideyoshi admired the beauty of the morning glory, which stood out because it was a single flower, and Rikyu's sense of masterfully producing it.

Rikyu’s seven roles

When Rikyu was asked by his disciple, “What is Chanoyu?” he replied, “Rikyu’s seven roles”.

“Brew tea just as good as it is for the guests, put the charcoal so that the water boils, be cool in summer and be warm in winter, let flowers be as they are in the fields, be on time, even if it doesn't rain, be ready for rain, and be mindful with your guests.”

To this the disciple replied that he could understand that much, and Rikyu replied, “If you can do it well enough, I will be your disciple.”　

It conveys Rikyu's sincere attitude that ordinary things are difficult and should not be neglected.

The birth of charismatic tea master, Rikyu

At a tea ceremony commemorating Hideyoshi’s inauguration to Kanpaku, Rikyu was granted the title “Rikyu” by Emperor Ogimachi.

After that, he presided over “Kitano Grand Tea Ceremony” and firmly established his position as “the greatest tea master in the world” both in name and reality.

The “Kitano Grand Tea Ceremony” was held to show Hideyoshi's power, and from peasants to people of high rank, regardless of their social status, could participate in it with just one tea bowl.

It is said that Hideyoshi, Rikyu, and two other tea masters served tea to the guests, and nearly 1000 people attended in one day.

Seppuku (suicide)

Rikyu was ordered to commit seppuku (hara-kiri) by Hideyoshi, but even his last words and actions show the spirit of Chanoyu.

It is said that Rikyu told a messenger who came to convey Hideyoshi's order to commit hara-kiri, “Tea is ready in the teahouse”. After serving tea and entertaining the messenger, Rikyu committed hara-kiri.

Furthermore, in a letter to someone before committed hara-kiri, he wrote, “If only the heart had killed emotions like a rock or a tree, that the city would have been a good place to live”.

Rikyu wrote a poem about his feeling that “I cannot fake my mind (spirit of the tea ceremony), then I will choose death”.

MURATA Juko (1422-1502) was born in Yamato Province (present Nara Prefecture). Juko grew up and entered Shomyo-ji (Temple) of the Jodo sect, but hated becoming a priest and studied under Noami, an artist and tea master in Kyoto.

It is said that he learned Chanoyu (tea ceremony), Japanese and Chinese renku (poetry), Noh (traditional play), Tachibana (flower arrangement) and Karamono (Chinese objects), and became ASHIKAGA Yoshimasa’s tea ceremony instructor on the recommendation of Noami.

He also interacted with IKKYU Sojun, a monk of the Rinzai sect, and learned Zen from him.

Based on these experiences, he discovered the spirit that formed the basis of “Wabicha”. In the time of Juko, the main event was the luxurious tea party (tea of the palace) where people enjoyed tea while loving foreign goods, but the spirit of “New tea ceremony” discovered by Juko was passed on to his disciples even after his death, and eventually led to the present Sadou (tea ceremony).

“Wabicha” aimed by MURATA Juko

Let's take a look at the “Wabicha” that Juko aimed at from his words.

Words related to “things”

Juko left the words, “It is vital to eliminate the sphere of Japanese and Chinese art”.

In contrast to the tendency to favor only Karamono (Chinese objects), he insisted that it was important to pay attention to the simple beauty of Japanese pottery as well, and brought a new sense of beauty to the world of Chanoyu (tea ceremony).

The tea utensils left by Juko are called “Juko Specialty” and there is an anecdote that one of them was used by SEN no Rikyu.

In addition, the words, “It is better to see the moon hidden between the clouds than the shining full moon, which is more beautiful”, indicate a new type of tea ceremony that considers the beauty of lack to be good.

This sense of beauty also influenced the construction of the teahouse, and Juko aimed to create beauty that appeared by dividing the teahouse into a small space of four and a half tatami mats and eliminating decorations.

Words related to “mind and spirit”

Juko, who was influenced by Zen, pursued “the beauty that emerges by eliminating objects to the extreme”. He then sought to make up for the lack of things with “spiritual richness”.

With an emphasis on the “mind and spirit" of Chanoyu, Juko states that the greatest obstacle to the way of the tea ceremony is the “conceit and self-obsession” and preaches that no matter how proficient one may be, one should obediently ask others for instructions and, for beginners, help with the training.

In addition, there is a passage that Juko wrote to his disciples, “Be apart from the mind’s master, and be the master of the mind”. It means “Don't be swayed by a changeable mind, but put yourself in a position to control it.” Juko aimed to make the tea ceremony “a place for spiritual training” where one can control one’s mind and confront oneself.

People who influenced MURATA Juko

How Juko's way of thinking was created. I will introduce two people who strongly influenced Juko.

Noami

Without meeting Noami, Juko could not come up with new ideas.

What he learned from Noami is the first-class culture of the time such as tea ceremony, Japanese and Chinese renku (poetry), Noh (traditional play) and Tachibana (flower arrangement).

By learning these things, he honed his sense of beauty, and by fusing the Zen philosophy described below, the Chanoyu that Juko aimed for was created.

In particular, he seems to have been strongly influenced by the Japanese and Chinese renku. It is easy to imagine that the idea of “eliminating the sphere of Japanese and Chinese art” was born by familiarizing himself with Japanese and Chinese renku, which repeat the responses of Japanese and Chinese poetry.

The idea of fusing both Japanese and Chinese knowledge and developing it into something new was born from here.

Zen monk, IKKYU Sojun

Juko was also greatly influenced by the Zen monk IKKYU Sojun, who is known as the “Ikkyu-san”.

IKKYU Sojun was a Zen monk who pursued freedom and was full of rebellious spirit. Juko learned “Zen teaching that eliminates waste” and “a mind that pursues the essence of something without being particular about anything” from Sojun.

Wabicha was not completed by Juko. However, Juko played the important role in “showing the way Wabicha should aim and go”.

Later, Juko's ideas spread with the support of the rich, and his disciples continued their studies, leading to the completion of the Chanoyu culture.