How to Drink Tea When in Japan

Tea is more than just a drink in Japan. It is embedded in Japanese culture and way of life. Keep reading to find out the best way to drink Japanese tea and what it takes to brew a perfect cup of tea in no time.

What is the most common tea in Japan?

Green tea is the most common and popular type of tea in Japan. The names for Japanese green tea can vary but is commonly known as sencha or ocha. Sencha is characteristically known for its delicate sweet and grassy flavour with mild astringency.

Different regions in Japan produce different grades and types of sencha, including luxury and premium grades. The following types of sencha are named after the harvesting region and how they were produced:

Sencha Tenkaichi
Sencha Satsuma
Sencha Miyazaki
Fukujyu Sencha
Fukamushi Sencha Kakegawa
Matcha Iri Sencha (tea blend)
Shizuoka Tsuyu Sencha

What type of tea do they serve in Japanese restaurants?

So, just how popular is green tea? You’ll most likely find it free in restaurants, cafes, bars, waiting areas, temples, hotel accommodation and many other places where water is served. You can usually find it at a self-serve station, heated and in an urn.

There are different types of green tea served in restaurants to complement and pair with different types of Japanese meals that are being served.

1. Konacha

Where to find: sushi restaurants

Tea Type: palate cleanser

Konacha is a tea blend made from the dust, tea buds and smaller leaves left over from tea production of sencha or gyokuro. This makes it a cheaper product and a cheaper alternative of sencha that can be served for free.

Konacha has a strong and refreshing flavour which is the reason why it is served in sushi restaurants. The refreshing taste, bitterness and high astringency acts as a palate cleanser in between sushi dishes.

2. Hōjicha

Best for: evening meal

Tea Type: low caffeine option

Hōjicha is a tea blend, made by roasting sencha or bancha tea leaves with kukicha twigs over charcoal at high temperatures. The high temperature gives the tea a distinct red-brown appearance and rich roasted flavour.

Most other Japanese teas undergo a steaming process, unlike Hōjicha which is made using a roasting process. Roasting the leaves creates a tea with a lower caffeine content than green tea which makes it a popular tea to drink after dinner or as a relaxing evening tea.

3. Gyokuro

Best with: steamed fish dishes

Tea type: luxury premium tea

Gyokuro is well known as a premium Japanese tea. The shading method used to grow the tea leaves embark a deep, rich, intense flavour.

The intensity of Gyokuro pairs perfectly with steamed white fish.

4. Matcha

Best with: desserts and traditional Japanese sweets

Tea type: premium high grade tea

Matcha is a vibrant green powdered tea that is used in Japanese tea ceremonies. Matcha powder is whisked into a smooth tea with a clean, fresh taste.

The smooth clean and slight bitterness of matcha is a perfect contrast to sweet Japanese delicacies like wagashi. This is why you will also find that matcha is a common green tea flavour commercially paired with many sweets desserts like ice-cream, chocolate, cake, tarts, mochi and custards.

How to serve tea in Japan

Drinking green tea in Japan is more than just a beverage. It is a rich part of Japanese culture, history, lifestyle and knowledge. Today, tea is conveniently available in tea bags or traditionally as loose leaf and powdered form. In Japan, it is common to drink tea during the following occasions:

with meals: certain green tea varieties complement different types of meals and foods like gyokuro with steamed fish
in between meals: refreshing tea types, like konacha, act as a palate cleanser to enhance the flavours of the next meal
after meals: green tea is known to aid in digestion and is commonly served after dinner as a relaxing beverage. A low caffeine green tea like hōjicha, is a popular evening tea
during a tea ceremony: the ceremonial preparation and presentation of powdered matcha
tea gatherings: can be informal or formal meetings that usually include confections, tea and a meal. Thick and or thin tea is served during these gatherings.

Japanese tea ware

Japanese made tea ware comes in many unique designs and patterns. This usually incorporates styles and tastes from Japan’s differing regions.

Whether it is a tea set or an individual tea cup, it is personal preference for design and art work. It is common in Japanese households for each member to own an individual cup or bowl to enhance the experience of tea drinking.

Matcha tea that is served in a tea ceremony uses additional accessories including: a matcha whisk, traditional matcha scoop, matcha bowl and ceremonial grade matcha powder.

Tea Set

Made from stoneware, a typical Japanese green tea pot set will include one tea pot and two or four tea cups.

Tea pots

Although not common in Japanese crockery, another material used in teaware is porcelain. Tea pots are crafted featuring handles either on the top, side or perpendicular to the spout.

Tea cups

There are endless designs for Japanese tea cups but they all have one thing in common – they traditionally don’t have a handle. You’ll find modern day Japanese tea mugs that are still great to drink from and again comes down to personal preference when choosing a tea cup with or without a handle.

Tea bowls

Tea bowls are not your regular tea cup. They are a piece of art in itself. Tea bowls, like a matcha bowl used in a Japanese tea ceremony, are usually hand-sculpted by a Japanese artist.

Tea bowls, also known as a chawan, are available in various sizes and styles that are used for thick and thin tea in tea ceremonies. Tea bowls, just like pieces of art, are named usually after the sculptor, owners or by a tea master.

How to brew Japanese green tea

It is important to note that different types of Japanese green tea are brewed at certain temperatures, steeping time and amount of water for the perfect cup of tea:

Boil water in a kettle
Add tea to the teapot
Allow the boiled water to cool to the correct brewing temperature
Pour the water into the teapot
Steep for the recommended time
Pour the tea into the tea cups, in a circular motion.

A higher grade tea requires a lower brewing temperature and longer steep times. A second steep uses a slightly higher temperature and a shorter brewing time.

Common mistakes when preparing Japanese green tea

A common mistake when brewing Japanese green tea is using water that is too hot or brewing for too long. There are recommended brewing guides for different types of teas however practice and trialling with the right amount of tea, amount of water, steep time and water temperature will get you the perfect cup of tea.

Brewing guide

Here is a brewing guide for 3 of our favourite and popular Japanese teas: Shizuoka Tsuyu Sencha, Superior Miyazaki Hōjicha and Genmaicha Supreme.

Tea	Water	Temperature	Steep time
1 - 1.5 Tsp	8oz / 200ml	175F / 80°C	1.5 - 2min