The history of tea in Japan has its earliest known references in a text written by a Buddhist monk in the 9th century. Tea became a drink of the religious classes in Japan when Japanese priests and envoys sent to China to learn about its culture brought tea to Japan.
Almost all kinds of Japanese tea are processed by kneading, except for matcha. Tea leaves are dried and kneaded using the application of heat. This process enables the tea to be easily brewed and to form the tea leaves into the proper shape.






