The Basics of Uji Tea: Discover 800 years of history and culture

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s dig a little deeper to help you get the most out of a visit to the tea fields.

1. The birth of Uji tea (13th century)

The 13th century is when the custom of drinking tea took off in Japan. It started with Eisai, a monk who journeyed to China to study and brought some tea plant seeds back with him to Japan (he was also responsible for introducing Zen Buddhism into Japan). Eisai produced writings on tea cultivation methods and espoused the purported medicinal properties of tea such the ability to boost energy, improve digestion, relive hangover symptoms, and prolong lifespan. He shared the seeds with a priest Myoe of Kozan-ji temple in Kyoto, who began to cultivate the plants there and eventually transplanted some seedlings to Uji. Thus began the region’s history of tea production.

The tea that was consumed at the time was not steeped tea, but something akin to today’s matcha. Apparently, it was popular among Buddhist monks who found it handy for fighting drowsiness through lengthy meditation sessions!

2. Uji tea becomes Japan’s No. 1 (15th-16th centuries)

The aristocrats and statesmen of Kyoto, the capital at the time, were known for their discerning tastes. They developed a penchant for tea from Uji, so much so that the ruling Ashikaga shogunate in the 15th century declared Uji tea the best in the country. Seven new tea plantations were established by governmental order, one of which continues to produce tea to this day in Uji.

In the 16th century a revolutionary new method of producing higher quality leaves emerged. Called shade growing, the technique involves limiting the amount of sunlight the plants receive. Sunscreens are built over the plants after new buds sprout to shade them for a given number of days before harvest. This arrests the chemical process by which the umami component, theanine,
turns into astringent catechin. Matcha was now smoother tasting and deeper in color.

This era is also when the tea ceremony was developed. It elevated the act of drinking tea into a form of culture that fuses the mental discipline of Zen with quintessentially Japanese aesthetics and spirituality. A bowl of tea became something over which a host and guests could spend time communing and deepening their connections with each other. We also see tea drinking emerging as a form of relaxation for samurai around this time, which was a period of constant civil wars and upheaval in Japan. While enjoying tea had already been something of a status symbol for warriors for some time, it now also served as an escape from the rigors of war.

3. Further technical innovation (17th – 19th centuries)

In the Edo period—a period starting in the early 17th century and spanning approximately 260 years of Tokugawa shogunate rule—commerce thrived under political unity and stability. Uji tea retained its favored status even after the center of government was moved from Kyoto to Edo (present day Tokyo), and a grand annual “tea jar procession” delivered the Shogun’s supply of Uji matcha to the capital.

This period in history also saw further developments in how tea was prepared. A Chinese-born Buddhist monk, Ingen, introduced the concept of sencha, or brewing tea (rather than mixing powdered leaves with water as had been the practice thitherto) to Japan. Innovative Uji tea grower Nagatani Soen devised a technique of steaming the leaves and then hand-rolling them during the drying process, which remains the standard way of making sencha today. Leaves processed in this way produce a deliciously aromatic and brightly colored brew.

Eventually the Uji growers combined Nagatani’s sencha cultivation method with shade growing techniques and gyokuro premium tea was born. Sweet and deeply flavorful, gyokuro (which literally means “jade drop”) is the highest grade of green tea.

4. Uji tea today

As the modernization of Japan progressed in the late 19th century, soaring demand for green tea overseas spurred rapid expansion of the Japanese tea industry. The mountains south of Uji were cleared for new hillside plantations, shaping the distinctive landscape of tea fields that appear to reach up into the sky.

Today, matcha is riding a global wave of popularity, being infused in everything from sweets to energy drinks and more. With scientific evidence for the anti-bacterial, anti-viral and relaxational effects of tea leaves, we’re waking up to green tea’s potential as a superfood. In the Yamashiro region, organic tea plantations are cropping up and local establishments are offering green tea beer, tea and food pairing, and host of other novel ways to enjoy green tea.

Next time you’re in Kyoto city, why not go a little further afield and visit the Yamashiro area? The lush fields and tea-scented breeze will refresh your soul as you soak in centuries of rich history and sample the new offerings in the home of Japanese tea.

If you’re planning to visit tea plantations by public transport, Ujitawara and Wazuka are the best options. Ujitawara is about 35 minutes by bus from JR Uji station, and Wazuka is about 20 minutes by bus from JR Kamo station. Some plantations offer tours in English or have overseas interns on staff. If you’re interested in experiencing a tea ceremony or sampling food and sweets made with green tea, head to Uji city.

The tea plant is evergreen so the scenery can be enjoyed year-round. The new crop of tea for the year becomes available in May and is especially fragrant and bursting with taste. Keep in mind that the tea fields are private property. Please do not enter without permission.