Last week we published an article about the tea ceremony as a traditional heritage of Japan, today we will look at the drink that makes these ceremonies possible and keep them relevant: the tea itself (お茶).
Tea is the most commonly drunk beverage in Japan and an important part of Japanese culture. Various types of tea are widely available and consumed at any point of the day. Green tea is the most common type of tea, and when someone mentions “tea”

without specifying the type, it is green tea to which is referred. Green tea is also the central element of the tea ceremony that we introduced in an earlier article. Among the most well-known places for tea cultivation are Shizuoka, Kagoshima and Uji.
Tea of one kind or another, hot or cold, can be found practically at all restaurants, vending machines, kiosks, konbinis and supermarkets. Many types of tea are sold in PET bottles and cans at stores and vending machines (see our article) across Japan. They are available both hot or cold, although hot tea is less widely available during the summer months, especially at vending machines. At restaurants, green tea is often served with or at the end of a meal for free. At lower end restaurants, green tea tend to be available free for self-service.

If you’re staying in Japan, our tip is to try and drink as much tea as possible. It’s a little bit like red whine, there are hundreds of different flavors and notes to taste and in addition, green tea is really healthy. Happy drinking!