Japan’s Emperors and the History of Tea 🇯🇵

In many Japanese shrines, a beautiful ceremony called “Kencha-shiki” (Tea Offering Ceremony) is held several times a year. Tea is respectfully offered to the gods — both as gratitude for their blessings and as a memorial service for the Emperors.

Many shrines perform this ceremony on the anniversary of the death of the particular Emperor they enshrine.

At Sennyū-ji Temple in Kyoto’s Higashiyama area, the mountain behind the temple is home to the tombs of many successive Emperors.

This sacred site is believed to lie on the boundary between life and death. Every year, Sennyū-ji holds a special Kencha-shiki for the Emperors resting there.

There’s something truly profound about sipping tea in the quiet serenity of nature while quietly reflecting on the lives of Japan’s past Emperors ☺️