The origin of the tea leaves used in Sumekami-cha

The origins of Japanese tea date back to the Heian period about 1,200 years ago.
Envoys to China and Buddhist monks sent to study Chinese culture and systems brought tea seeds back to Japan, and tea cultivation began.
During this time, tea was primarily consumed by aristocrats and monks, and its role as a health food was emphasized.
During the Kamakura period, tea became popular among both samurai and common people, and the culture of drinking tea developed.
During the Edo period, the method of making sencha was established and it spread to the common people, leading to the formation of the modern-day Japanese tea culture.

Introducing the tea gardens that produce the tea used in Koushincha: "Hiyoshi Tea"

Hiyoshi Tea Farm

Hiyoshi Tea Garden, located in Sakamoto, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, is the oldest tea garden in Japan, and is said to have been planted by Saicho, the founder of the Tendai sect, who brought tea seeds back from China in 805 during the Heian period. This tea garden was chosen because Saicho revered the gods of Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine, and it has contributed to the development of tea culture for over 1,200 years since then. The imperial history book "Nihon Koki," compiled in the early Heian period, contains a description of Emperor Saga being treated to tea, which is the first documented record of tea drinking in Japan.