The Famous Tea Shrine of Nagatani Soen

Описание: The production of Sencha was Popularized By Nagatani Soen, who grew up right here in Ujitaware. Try some for yourself here: https://nioteas.com/collections/sencha

This shrine is dedicated to Nagatani Soen, considered to be the father of modern green tea. In Medieval Japan, the primary way to consume green tea was in powdered form, also called “matcha” or powdered tea. In the 1700s, a farmer by the name of Nagatani Soen developed a new method of steaming and rolling tea leaves. After being steamed and rolled, these leaves maintained their green color for quite a long time, and could be brewed quite easily in a teapot. Rather than requiring a great deal of whisking like matcha, these teas could simply be added to hot water and then sifted out. It was because of this that sencha, now by far the most common green tea in Japan, was born. To commemorate this discovery, the home where Nagatani Soen grew up was turned into a tourist attraction in Ujitawara. They also built a nearby shrine to him and his invention. Now, Japanese tea companies dedicate pillars in this shrine to pay tribute to the father of modern Japanese green tea.