Japan

A Japanese study offers new evidence that regular consumption of green tea can drastically reduce the risk of cancer.

The Tohoku University School of Medicine in Sendai studied 41,761 Japanese adults.  Those drinking four cups of green tea per day were found to have 42% less chance of developing cancer than a control group drinking one cup or less. The participants were between the ages of 40 and 79, and the findings have been reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

The study sought to explain why Asian people are less likely to develop cancers than Westerners.  Positing that this may be related to diet, researchers noted that one key difference in diet between Asia and the West is the regular consumption of green tea.

The Japanese Tea Ceremony is the act of making and serving tea in the most perfect, polite, graceful and charming manner possible.

There are three main schools that teach the art of performing the tea ceremony, which are collectively known as the san-Senke.  Tea ceremonies are associated with religious rituals in Buddhist monasteries and became popular after the Samurai warriors adopted Zen Buddhism in the 13th century.

The ceremonies can last for up to 4 hours, depending on the type of ceremony and the importance of the guests.  As a general rule the more important the guest is, the longer and more formal the ceremony will be.  It is believed that each meeting should be treasured as it is unique and will never recur exactly again.  The key values of the tea ceremony are harmony, respect, purity and tranquillity.  A good host shows qualities of humility and restraint, and celebrates the simplicity and beauty of taking time and care in preparation.

Japanese Tea is a world of its own. It has its own terminology and its own approach to tea. Not least, it has its very own Tea Ceremony - the subject of a separate article in this series.

The different types of Japanese tea can be rather confusing at first. It’s not really that complicated though, once you get into it. In fact the names are usually pretty descriptive and simple. “Cha” means tea. “Bancha” means ordinary tea. “Sencha” means roasted tea. And so on.

Sencha

This is the most popular tea in Japan today. The name means “roasted tea” and refers to the drying that the tea undergoes. Sencha varies widely in both quality and price, mostly depending upon when it was harvested – the earlier-harvested teas are considered better. The ordinary qualities are used at home and in the office as everyday drinking tea.