Sencha

• Japanese: 煎茶 (sencha)

Sencha, or "steeped tea," refers to green tea brewed from whole or broken-up looseleaf tea leaves, as opposed to matcha - powdered tea.

Tea is often said to have been first introduced to Japan (from China) by the monk Saichô in 805, with matcha only being introduced several centuries later, by the monk Eisai in 1191. However, the introduction of cultural customs or ritual forms regarded today as sencha practices is generally credited to the monk Yinyuan Longqi in 1654, with Baisaô (1675-1763) contributing notably to its spread in the late 17th or early 18th century. This came as part of a Sinophile trend in popularity of interest in Chinese culture.

Sencha practices, as a particular form of tea ceremony, declined in popularity in the early 20th century, but is still practiced today by some 35 schools of tea.

References

• "Sencha," gallery labels, British Museum.[1]