Tea (Cha)
An evergreen shrub of the Theaceae family, the leaves of which are processed and brewed for drinking; trade in tea has had a considerable impact on world history; in recent years Japanese green tea has attracted notice
A beverage made from the leaves of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), an evergreen shrub of the Camellia genus in the Theaceae family. Thought to be native to Tibet and surrounding areas, tea in Japan has been cultivated since it was introduced from China long ago. Wild varieties of the plant in India reach heights of 8 to 15 meters, but in Japan and China it grows as a low shrub around 1 meter high. Its wood is hard, and its bark smooth. Its flowers blossom from early autumn into winter. And it generally prefers warm, rainy climates. The plant is broadly grouped into a Chinese variety (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis), found in Japan, and an Assamese variety (Camellia sinensis var. assamica), which has large, pointy leaves. Taxonomically, though, these two varieties are the same species.
The leaves are picked in about three harvests starting around May. Green tea is then steamed and later dried while being rolled on an oven-heated drying table. To make the type of tea called tencha, the leaves are steamed and simply dried. Tencha can then be ground into matcha (powered green tea) with a tea mill. Black tea is made from tea leaves that are fermented raw and dried, and Chinese oolong tea from semi-fermented leaves. There is also brick tea (tancha), where tea is pressed into bricks, such as Pu’er tea.
Tea was already being consumed in Han-dynasty China (206 bce–220 ce) and was introduced to Japan in the Nara period (710–794). Later, after Eisai brought back seeds and seedlings of tea plants from Song-dynasty China (960–1279) and introduced the consumption of matcha, tea spread to all parts of Japan, starting in the Kamakura period (1180–1333). Though its use was mainly medicinal at first, tea came to be consumed for enjoyment too with the spread of cultivation. Moreover, tea ceremony (chanoyu) and its etiquette developed as a social activity. As suggested by the existence of the term chagashi (tea sweets), sweets came to be served together with green tea, and Japanese sweets developed together with the spread of tea. Japanese green tea is said to have been introduced to Europe around the 16th or 17th century by way of the Dutch East India Company. Later, in the 18th century, black tea came into widespread favor, largely in Britain.
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静岡県による、お茶の専門博物館。お茶の産業・歴史・文化を紹介する展示のほか、茶摘み・手もみ体験や、五感で感じる講座を充実させ、子どもから大人まで楽しくお茶について学べる機会を提供する。さらに、国内外の茶業関係者やお茶愛好者を対象に研修会等を開催し、情報集積・発信を行っている。
表千家茶道をまなぶ人や茶の湯に興味を持つ一般市民が、気軽に茶の湯文化にふれるための文化会館。毎年、秋の恒例行事として「特別展」と「茶の湯文化にふれる市民講座」を開催する。京都洛北の景勝地、北山にある。
裏千家の茶道美術や資料を収蔵している資料館。昭和54年（1979）11月に開館。昭和44年（1969）に設置した「今日庵文庫」は、裏千家歴代家元が収集した、茶道に関する6万点を超える図書を収蔵・保管している。
茶道具を中心に、書画、陶磁、漆芸、能装束など、日本、中国、朝鮮の古美術品を展示公開している私立美術館。収蔵品は、国宝6件、重要文化財33件を含む約1300件。創立者の創立者畠山一清（1881―1971）は、技術者としてポンプの開発に取組み、株式会社荏原製作所を興して実業界に名を馳せました。事業のかたわら、即翁と号して能楽と茶の湯を嗜み、美術品の蒐集に努めました。
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