THE JAPANESE TEA MARKETTHE JAPANESE TEA MARKET

Abstract

For Japanese people tea is first and foremost green tea. Tea has a long history in Japan, having been introduced into the country more than 1000 years ago by Buddhist monks returning from China. From that time on tea drinking spread to the samurai and aristocratic classes, and at the end of the 16th century Sen-no Rikyu evolved what is known as the tea ceremony CHANOYU, which became an important part of Japan's culture. At the end of the 19th century, with the loosening up of Japan's diplomatic relations, the cultivation and production of tea as an export item earning foreign currency was promoted by the government and production became more and more widespread. Following this tea came to be consumed also by ordinary people.