Role of Green Tea in Japanese Pop Culture

Green tea is a type of tea made solely with the leaves of Camellia sinensis that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China but is commonly associated with the culture in Japan. Green tea is ubiquitous in Japan. It is even referred to as "Japanese tea" though it was first used in China during the Song Dynasty, and brought to Japan by Myōan Eisai, a Japanese Buddhist priest. The best Japanese green tea is said to be that from the Yame region of Fukuoka Prefecture and the Uji region of Kyoto.


Over the last few decades green tea has been subjected to many scientific and medical studies to determine the extent of its long-purported health benefits, with some evidence suggesting regular green tea drinkers may have lower chances of heart disease and developing certain types of cancer. Green tea has also been claimed as useful for "weight loss management" – which unfortunately is a claim which is currently not backed up by scientific evidence.


In Japan, Green tea is served everywhere and at any time of the day. Unlike English tea, Japanese green tea is served in cups without a handle and is never drunk with sugar or cream. The most polite way of drinking green tea is to hold the cup with one hand and support it from below with the other hand.