Cultivation in Tea

Cultivation in Tea

Eisai planted the tea trees on Japanese soil. Eisai was a Buddhist disciple that came over to Japan from China. He planted trees at Fushun at the Senkoji Temple on Hirado Island, and the Field Tenaijini in Seburi Mountains.

The earliest accounts for cultivation of tea were at the Imperial palace in Mikawa at the Yakuoji Temple.

The best tasting tea was cultivated from Myoe of Kozaji Temple in Kyoto. This tea was called Honcha. Honcha gave label to the best tea and grew in reputation as being the best tea. This helped to develop terms for tea, such as hitch for non-tea and honcha for praised tea above all others. The Honcha tea became the most expensive tea but the best. (Tea in Japan, 11)