The Glocal Book:"The Book of Tea" by Okakura Kakuzou(Tenshin)-No.27

Japanese Tea History

「Japan，which followed closely on the foot-steps of Chinese civilisation, has known the tea in all　its three stages.
As early as the year 729 we read of the Emperor Shomu giving tea to one hundred monks at his　palace in Nara.
The leaves were probably imported by our ambassadors to the Tang Court and prepared in the　way then in fashion.
In 801 the monk Saicho brought back some seeds and planted them in Yeisan. Many tea-gardens are heard of in the succeeding centuries, as well as the delight of the aristocracy and priesthood in the beverage.　
The Sung tea reached us in 1191 with the return of Yeisaizenji, who went there to study the southern Zen school. The new seeds whtch he carried home were successfully planted in three　places, one of which, the Uji district near Kioto, bears still the name of producing the best tea in　the world.
The southern Zen spread with marvellous rapidity, and with it the tea-ritual and the tea-ideal　 of the Sung.」(From the Book of Tea - the School of Tea, pp.31-32, Charles E. Tuttle Co., Rutland, Vermint - Tokyo,　Jaoan)
As descibed by Okakura in this Book, Yeisaizenji brougt back the powdered tea, which is the Sung tea. You understand why the Sung tea was remained and sread to Japan with Buddism,
The Zen. The tea-ritual and the tea-ideal of the Sung, which were completely forgotten in　China, were maintained in Japan with The Zen and with the Way of Tea and/or The Tea-ceremony.　

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Picture: Old Seto Glazed Long Neck look like Crane Crock by Keitoku Kato