The Story of Japanese Tea: a broad outline of its cultivation, manufacturing, history and cultural values

I am very impressed with this book. Tyas Sosen is a true expert in the field of Japanese tea, having achieved official certifications that are difficult to quality for in general and that few Westerners have achieved, but what makes this book stand out is that Tyas' perspective is quite different from the mainstream ethos of Japanese tea both within and outside of Japan. Tyas promotes what is surprisingly rare in this day and age - organic and artisanal Japanese tea. The unfortunate fact is that most Japanese tea, even "exclusive" and expensive tea from the most esteemed suppliers, is generally produced with high amounts of fertilizers and pesticides. The reason for this is that the Japanese standard of taste in tea - the precious "umami" - is not really an inherent flavor in tea, so the tea must be coerced into producing these kinds of flavors. This standard has been cultivated by the tea industry, which has molded the public into consumers who demand this type of tea (one of my favorite stories in the book is that a major tea producer in Japan in the 1950s used to add MSG to tea to enhance its umami flavor!) The agricultural processes that are implemented to do this weaken the tea bush, so fertilizers and pesticides are needed to sustain growth. This fact is obfuscated by the tea industry, so it is not well known. Additionally, this emphasis on a certain flavor leads to a desire for consistency from year to year and place to place via blending and these "forceful" agricultural practices, which sadly detracts from one of the most lovely aspects of tea, which is the natural variation between regions, terroir, and harvests. Learning this about Japanese tea really surprised me. I am also a lover of Chinese and Taiwanese teas, and the variation between bushes, regions, and harvests is something that is highly valued by the market in China and Taiwan. Moreover, artisanal tea is highly prized in China and Taiwan, a lot of tea produced in these countries is cultivated with minimal or no agricultural chemicals or pesticides.The Story of Japanese Tea is one of the only sources that I know of that really sheds light on this very poorly understood aspect of Japanese tea. Because Japanese tea is not simply a "beverage" in Japan and is very tightly woven into the fabric of Japanese culture, a deep understanding of Japanese history, spirituality, and society is necessary to truly understand Japanese tea. Tyas is incredibly well-informed in all of these areas, and the book is thoroughly researched and strives to explain tea not as a monolith but in the context of Japanese culture, religion and history.I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Japanese tea from a variety of perspectives, including ceremonial, cultivation, production, Buddhist, historical and societal ones. Superb work!

Sosen provides with a most excellent and fascinating overview and deep insights into Japanese tea and related as well as broader (Japanese) culture. I learned a tremendous amount while reading his book, having to look frequently at the map of Japan to see where are all the places referenced in the text. I will likely need to read it again to better fix the content, as a lot of it is rather new for me. I think this is a long awaited book, and a must-read for anyone who is really interested in real tea. The book definitely makes one want to taste and try more teas. The only suggestion I would put forward is a review of the (small) parts that talk about the physics of heating, which are presented in confusing way, and mostly not quite correct.

This quote from the book touched me deeply and is, I think, a great example of the level of consciousness and awakening that Tyas has attained through tea :"I believe that through tea, we can learn to appreciate the presence and good intentions of others. I believe that Tea teaches us to be grateful for the time we spend together, the opportunities we are given, and to respect our fellow human beings for whom they essentially are. I believe that in Japanese tradition, we can find the inspiration to cultivate our own human being, and in effect contribute to making the world a better place. I believe in the power of human interaction, and the power of respecting someone’s beliefs as the tools to create this better world, and the embodiment of this belief for me is present in Japanese Tea."This book is a must read to understand and enjoy japanese tea even more, and also to grow and evolve personally.Thank you Tyas for your dedicationVal from Kumiko Matcha

highly recommended for lovers of japanese tea.... but in general relevant for all kinds of tea. tyas sōsen goes much beyond (passionately and accurately) describing japanese tea: he pictures a view on what really 'good tea' is and links it to concrete criteria. his vision of a production and consumption of tea which respects the nature of leaves and trees is applicable on all sorts of tea.... actually it might be THE essential desideratum for the future of tea as we all love it.

The knowledge shared by Tyas Sosen has enhanced my already considerable appreciation of tea, and Japanese culture.

This book ' The Story of Japanese Tea' is a wonderfully written, honest and sincere book about the wonders of Japanses Tea. The author, Teamaster Tyas Sösen, guides us through the world of Japanese Tea as a real story-teller. As a tea-lover, I am grateful for his view on 'Let tea be Tea'.

I liked that some of the content can't be found easily somewhere else. For example the processing of Japanese oolong and black tea.The content may not be for beginners in Japanese tea, but overall this is a good tea book.

For those who do not read Japanese and want to kinow all about Japanese tea this is the best they can get. I already knew Tyas because of his wonderful Japanese black teas, my personal hobby, but he is a fountain of wisdom about all Japanese tea. What I liked most about the book was the attention it gives to often forgotten things like terroir, cultivars, fertilisation, harvesting methods etc, in my eyes necessary to understand Japanese tea. There is also a very complete chapter about matcha, the most essentially Japanese tea, and bancha, an often forgotten tea. This is a book for connaisseurs, but also for beginners as it is written very well and explains detailed but also clear.

This book is not a usual Japanese Tea 101 primer, although it can be helpful as such.Sōsen-san gives an excellent introduction to different types of Japanese teas, their agriculture and processing. There are brief treatments of tea history in Japan and tea ceremony, but the book is definitely not an in-depth instruction on these subjects. You will also find truly unique ‘Case Study’ sections describing specific approach to artisan teas (out of mass production paradigms) by specific farmers from selected regions.But the main message I see (and one I can easily relate to), is steering us away from ongoing tea standardization, commoditization, and overall senseless ‘umamization’ towards “let tea be tea” approach.

If the very broad field of Japanese tea is something you always wanted to know more about, this book is the perfect place to start, but it is also interesting and enlightening for seasoned teadrinkers and afficionados of the Japanese tea ceremony alike.Tyas Sosen gives a rare view on the japanese tea industry from the bottom up. After an introduction to the different kinds of tea the book builds it's content from the foundation of tea, which is the quality of soil, weather and differnt farming methods, up all the way to the cultural assets of the often mystified field of Chado.The book itself is well written, fun to read and you can feel both the authors many years of hands on experience in Japanese teaculture and his passion for the subject.If you want an romanticised book on tea it might be wise to look somwhere else, but this book gives a more hands on, realistic view on Japanese tea, how it is produced, enjoyed and best understood in all its facettes from matcha to black tea.

Per neofiti ed appassionati. Ricco di informazioni. Grande autore

As a tea sommelier in training, I do love to read everything dealing with tea, be it it’s consumption, preparation or production, but in the process I have become more discerning about what is worth my time and reading pleasure. This is definitely is such a book. It written in such a way that experts and novices alike will gain something from it. It’s a true mine of information not readily available elsewhere and its in depth approach does not overlook any important aspect of green tea. A must read and great addition to any tea library.

A really interesting book and a must if you have a patron for Japanese Tea.The other have a very deep understanding of Japanese culture and is himself a Tea ceremony master. I highly recommend this book!