Japanese tea is distinguished by its fresh, green character, the result of steaming rather than pan-firing. The tradition took root during the Nara period and was shaped by monks such as Eisai, who introduced matcha in 1191. Sencha emerged in 1738 and remains the most widely drunk tea in Japan today.

Kagoshima has been the largest tea region in Japan since 2024, with Shizuoka in second place. Uji, near Kyoto, is regarded as the cradle of Japanese tea culture and has been a centre for matcha and gyokuro for over 800 years. The Yabukita cultivar forms the basis for around three-quarters of all Japanese tea plants.

Read more about tea in Japan.