A Connection to Suzhou

✨ The Origins of Japanese Tea: A Connection to Suzhou 🍵

It is often said that “tea was brought to Japan by envoys to Tang China.” However, Tang Dynasty China was enormous. According to tradition, it was a Buddhist monk from the Suzhou region who actually introduced tea to Japan. ✍️

The story goes that when the monk arrived in Yame (Fukuoka Prefecture), he found that the landscape of Kuroki Town closely resembled his hometown of Suzhou. So he built a temple there and planted the very first tea bushes — marking the beginning of tea cultivation in Japan.

This beautiful historical link between Suzhou and Yame still lives on in the region’s tea culture today.

Fascinating how one familiar landscape can spark a centuries-old tradition, isn’t it? 🫣

Would you like to taste tea from this historic region?