Japan The earliest documented reference to tea in Japan appears in the 9th century, in an entry in the concerning the
Buddhist monk , who is believed to have brought tea back from China. According to the entry, Eichū personally prepared and served to
Emperor Saga during an imperial excursion to
Karasaki (in present-day
Shiga Prefecture) in 815. Powdered tea first arrived in Japan around the 12th century. It can be traced back to Tang dynasty China, where Chinese Zen (Chan) monks were the first to grind bricks of tea into fine powder with a pestle and mortar. Japanese monk
Myoan Eisai travelled to China around the late 1180s, and encountered a drink at the temples there that the Chinese called as "mo cha", which involved pouring hot water over powdered tea and whisking it with a bamboo whisk. Eisai was credited to have brought back this
Song dynasty style of tea preparation to Japan. In China, this practise of mo cha however faded over the next centuries during the
Ming dynasty, but it continued in Japan, and become a key part of Japanese Zen Buddhist culture. This method is believed to have been introduced to Japan at that time. However, a major difference is that modern matcha production omits the long roasting process, apart from drying for approximately 30 minutes. At the time, the tea was a brownish-black lump, rather than the bright green powder of modern matcha. It is thought that this lump tea was ground into powder and consumed in a manner similar to modern matcha. In Japan, illustrations of "
matcha jars" (, in this case referring to
tea caddies) appear in the
Kundaikan sōchōki (, literally "Record of Appraising Objects for the Lord’s Viewing Stand"), a
Muromachi-period manual on art connoisseurship and interior decoration compiled by the art connoisseurs
Nōami and
Sōami for the shogun
Ashikaga Yoshimasa. The "Nōami-bon" (1476) and "Sōami-bon" (1511) The characters for matcha () also appear in the Japanese dictionary
Unpo Iroha Shū (1548), compiled during the Muromachi period. The
Book of Agriculture (1313) by
Wang Zhen ( 1290–1333) of the Yuan dynasty includes the terms () and (). One theory suggests that these words were adopted and transformed into the term "matcha" in Japan. However, as this book was published about a century after Eisai, no documentary evidence confirms whether these terms were introduced to Japan or evolved into "matcha" by the 16th century. Moreover, whether read as matcha or suricha, the term literally means "tea that has been ground". In contrast, the terms (mòchá) and (mòzichá) mean "tea reduced to powder," and thus differ not only in characters and pronunciation, but also in meaning.
Eisai's disciple, the monk
Myōe (1173–1232), received a tea urn containing seeds from Eisai and established a tea plantation in Togano'o,
Kyoto, by sowing them there. During the
Kamakura period (1185–1333), Togano'o tea was known as , while teas from other regions were referred to as . During the
Muromachi period (1336–1573), tea spread among the general public. Among the elite, it became fashionable to drink tea using expensive Chinese ceramics known as . In the 16th century, however, tea masters such as
Murata Jukō and
Sen no Rikyū emphasized simplicity, giving rise to the
Japanese tea ceremony. This practice prioritized introspection over ostentation and came to favor simple utensils. The
wabi-sabi aesthetic, which finds beauty in modesty, simplicity, and imperfection, became closely associated with the tea ceremony. It was long believed that the practice of growing
tea plants under shade by covering them with straw or reeds began in Japan in the late 16th century. For example, the Portuguese missionary
João Rodrigues Tçuzu, who arrived in Japan in 1577, wrote about shaded cultivation in his 1604 work,
History of the Japanese Church (). However, recent soil analyses of
Uji tea plantations suggest that the practice began in the first half of the 15th century at the latest. This technique, originally intended to protect tea sprouts from frost damage, led to the development of a unique Japanese matcha () that was bright green and had a distinctive aroma and flavor. By limiting exposure to sunlight,
photosynthesis in the leaves is inhibited, preventing the conversion of
theanine—a component responsible for
umami—into
tannins, which cause bitterness and astringency. As a result, the tea leaves retain a higher umami content. Shaded cultivation also increases the concentration of
chlorophyll in the leaves, resulting in a vibrant green color. Until then, matcha introduced from China was brown in color—hence the Japanese word for "brown", (), literally means "tea color".
Traditions depicting tea picking in Uji, Kyoto. The painting was made by
Hiroshige III (1842–1894). Since the
Muromachi period, the term referred to tea manufacturers and sellers. During the
Edo period (1603–1867), it came to refer specifically to the of Uji, Kyoto, whose status was guaranteed by the
Tokugawa shogunate. Uji tea masters were divided into three ranks: , , and . They were permitted to use their family names and carry swords like samurai. They dealt exclusively with the
shogun, the imperial court, and feudal lords, and did not sell tea to commoners. According to one theory, the name
Baba Mukashi was bestowed by Ieyasu himself. Other well-known brands included and , both of which were also presented to the shogun. and were also well-known. At the time, matcha was shipped in tea jars filled with
tencha (unground leaf tea), which was later ground into powder using a tea grinder. The event of transporting tea jars from Uji to Edo (now Tokyo) for presentation to the shogun was called the , and even feudal lords were required to stand aside when the procession passed. The tradition continued from 1633 until 1866, near the end of the Edo period. The establishment of research institutions, such as the , further contributed to the modernization and quality improvement of matcha production. Throughout the 20th century, matcha remained central to the practice of the
Japanese tea ceremony, preserved by major tea schools such as
Urasenke and
Omotesenke. Its role in cultural education expanded through school tea ceremony clubs and public workshops, maintaining its status as a traditional beverage in Japan. It has been adopted into various products such as matcha lattes, desserts, and confections. The term "matcha" has become widely recognized globally, and Japanese producers have promoted exports of high-quality matcha under regional brands, particularly from
Uji,
Nishio, and
Shizuoka Prefecture. As demand grows, concerns have also emerged about maintaining quality standards and ensuring the authenticity of Japanese matcha. Both the public and private sectors are working to preserve traditional production methods and promote environmentally sustainable cultivation practices. In recent years, some Kyoto-based tea companies have implemented purchase limits on premium matcha due to supply constraints, particularly of first-flush matcha, which was historically reserved for tea ceremonies but is now widely consumed overseas. The labor-intensive nature of production, limited grinding capacity, and a shrinking number of tea farmers have added further strain to the supply chain. In response, both government and industry stakeholders are exploring policy reforms, subsidies, and regional diversification to protect traditional cultivation and meet ongoing international demand. In 2025, Matcha became more popular in Thailand, and its international popularity was seen as part of a trend for "affordable luxury" products.
China Powdered and compressed teas Powdered tea originated in China during the
Tang dynasty (618–907) where tea leaves were pounded and then milled into fine powder before being shaped into "cakes".
The Classic of Tea, written by Chinese tea master
Lu Yu roughly between 760 to 762 CE, had documented the practise of steeping powdered tea in hot water. This involved first roasting compressed tea over a fire and then grinding it in a wooden grinder called a
niǎn (,
Japanese:
yagen), boiling water in a pot, adding salt once it comes to a boil, then adding the tea powder to the boiling water and boiling it until it began to foam. The tea was also sometimes mixed with green onions, ginger,
jujubes, mandarin orange peels,
Tetradium ruticarpum, and mint. The beverage was prepared by whipping the tea powder with hot water in a bowl. Although the term "matcha" () was not yet used, the practice of preparing powdered tea with a tea whisk is believed to have originated in China no later than the 11th century. The most famous references to powdered tea are
Cai Xiang's
Record of Tea (1049–1053) and
Emperor Huizong's
Treatise on Tea (1107), both written during the
Song dynasty (960–1279). These documents describe the preparation of high-grade compressed tea, such as
Lóngfèng Tuánchá (, ). The tea was ground into powder using a metal
niǎn, then sifted. The powder was poured into a tea bowl, hot water was added, and the mixture was whisked. According to the
Record of Tea, the finer the sieve, the more the tea would float; the coarser the sieve, the more it would sink. This suggests that the powder particles were larger than those of modern matcha. Tea ceremonies at
Kennin-ji in Kyoto and
Engaku-ji in Kamakura are thought to preserve traditions from the
Song dynasty. The lump tea presented to the emperor was mixed with
borneol, a strongly aromatic substance, and coated with oily flavorings to give it a glossy surface—so much so that the tea's original aroma was lost.
Cai Xiang criticized such processing.
Declining usage of compressed tea The complex manufacturing process of lump tea during the
Song dynasty required significant labor and expense, and even the slightest error could result in failure. As a result, it was costly and inaccessible to the common people. During the
Tang dynasty, "bitter when sipped and sweet when swallowed" (
The Classic of Tea) was regarded as the ideal taste of tea. However, in the
Song dynasty, this ideal was deliberately replaced with four desirable qualities: "aroma, sweetness, richness, and smoothness" (
Treatise on Tea). With the prohibition of compressed tea, the powdered tea associated with it also fell into disuse in China. In Japan, however, a tradition of powdered tea preparation was preserved. Through innovations such as shade cultivation of tea leaves (
覆下栽培) and stone-milling, Japan eventually developed what is now known as
matcha, which over time was deeply shaped by
Japanese aesthetics and cultural principles. Some historians have pointed out that, as the
Ming dynasty emphasized agriculture and held a strong military ethos—and since the
Hongwu Emperor himself had risen from the lowest social strata—he may have viewed the elaborate and refined nature of compressed tea with disdain.
United States Explosion in 2000s Matcha likely first entered the U.S. market through Japanese grocery stores in cities with large Japanese populations, particularly Los Angeles and San Francisco. While initially available through specialty importers and Japanese markets, matcha remained relatively obscure in mainstream American culture for decades. The powdered green tea began gaining significant traction in the early 2000s when specialty brands started targeting health food retailers including
Whole Foods Market. The beverage's photogenic bright green color proved particularly well-suited to social media platforms like
Instagram and
TikTok, helping it gain viral popularity among wellness enthusiasts and influencers. Major coffee chains including
Starbucks and
Dunkin' Donuts subsequently added matcha lattes and other matcha-based drinks to their permanent menus, cementing its place in American café culture, with countless U.S.-based brands popping up, including matcha-focused brands like Jade Leaf, Kettl, Shinzo Matcha, and Encha Matcha, and lifestyle brands offering matcha options like Chamberlain Coffee.
Controversy and shortage Perhaps controversially, because of the increased demand, a matcha shortage ensued in Japan. Major Japanese producers including Marukyu Koyamaen and Ippodo announced limited availability or suspended sales of matcha products in late 2024, with the 2025 harvest yielding 20% less than the previous year. The shortage was further complicated when the United States imposed new 15% tariffs on Japanese imports in August 2025, compounding already-doubled wholesale prices and raising ethical questions about whether Western consumer trends were placing unsustainable pressure on traditional Japanese tea farming practices. == Characteristics ==