Matcha's Chinese Origins — Tang and Song Dynasty
Matcha traces to Song dynasty China (960–1279 CE), where powdered tea was whisked in bowls as 'diancha' (point tea). Zen monk Eisai brought tea seeds and this preparation method to Japan in 1191, beginning Japan's tea cultivation tradition.
| Measure | Value | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tang dynasty tea cultivation (China) | 618–907 CE | Lu Yu's 'Cha Jing' (Tea Classic) written ~760 CE — first comprehensive tea text | |
| Song dynasty 'diancha' (point tea) period | 960–1279 CE | Powdered tea whisked in bowls; refined at imperial court level | |
| Eisai's return to Japan with tea seeds | 1191 CE | Rinzai Zen monk; introduced tea cultivation to Kyushu, then Uji | |
| Eisai's tea text 'Kissa Yojoki' | 1214 CE | "Drinking Tea for Health" — first Japanese text on tea cultivation and medicine | |
| Discontinuation of diancha in China | Ming dynasty (1368–1644 CE) | Replaced by loose-leaf steeped tea (zicha); powdered tea survived only in Japan | |
| First Japanese tea plantation | Togano-o (Kyoto), ~1200 CE | Planted by Eisai with seeds from China |
Matcha as it exists today is a Japanese product, but its origins are entirely Chinese. Understanding the cultural transmission from Song dynasty China to medieval Japan explains both how matcha developed and why Japan preserved a form of powdered tea that China itself eventually abandoned.
Tang Dynasty: The First Tea Classic
The Tang dynasty (618–907 CE) is when tea cultivation and preparation became codified in China. Lu Yu’s “Cha Jing” (Tea Classic, ~760 CE) describes pressing dried tea leaves into compressed cakes, then roasting and grinding small portions of the cake to prepare tea. This compressed-cake-to-powder method is the distant ancestor of matcha processing, though the processing details differed significantly from modern tencha production.
Song Dynasty: Diancha and the Imperial Tea Competition
The Song dynasty (960–1279 CE) elevated tea culture to its greatest refinement. The practice of diancha (點茶, “point tea”) emerged: fine powdered tea was placed in a bowl, boiling water was added in a thin stream, and the mixture was whisked vigorously with a bamboo brush — functionally identical to the Japanese chasen whisking method. Song dynasty tea masters competed in “tea competitions” (tou cha) judging the whiteness of the foam and the clarity of the water line, demonstrating extraordinary technical sophistication.
Emperor Huizong (r. 1100–1125 CE) wrote the “Da Guan Cha Lun” (Treatise on Tea) — a systematic description of tea quality, preparation, and aesthetics that directly influenced later Japanese tea culture.
Eisai’s Transmission to Japan in 1191
Eisai (栄西, 1141–1215 CE) made two study trips to China, returning the second time in 1191 with both Rinzai Zen Buddhism and tea seeds from the Song dynasty. He planted the seeds at Shōfuku-ji temple in Hakata (Fukuoka) and later established gardens at Togano-o near Kyoto.
His 1214 text “Kissa Yojoki” (Drinking Tea for Health) presented tea as a medicine and spiritual practice, beginning Japan’s centuries-long cultivation of matcha culture. His seeds eventually reached Uji — which remains Japan’s most prestigious tea region today.
Why Japan Preserved Powdered Tea
The Ming dynasty’s replacement of powdered tea with loose-leaf steeped tea (around 1368 CE) spread globally — it’s why most of the world drinks steeped tea today. Japan, however, had already integrated powdered tea into Zen Buddhism and the emerging tea ceremony culture. The institutional structures of Buddhist monasteries and the developing samurai class preserved diancha/matcha as a Japanese cultural identity marker rather than adopting the Ming innovation.