Tea has been drunk in Japan since the ninth century. An ancient Japanese document describes a priest Saicho bringing the first tea to Japan from China in 805.
In China, tea has been known for thousands of years and during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Many Japanese travelled to China for art, culture and especially Buddhism, which was in full bloom at the time. During their travels, the Japanese also became acquainted with tea, which was an important cultural and social element during this period when producing, preparing and drinking tea could be a complex and sophisticated affair. The most common form of tea in the Tang Dynasty was the "tea cake". These cakes were made by pounding lightly steamed tea leaves into a paste, which was then pressed and baked. When preparing tea, pieces of the 'cake' were broken, ground into a powder and then mixed with hot water, various spices, herbs and salt. In the latter half of the Tang Dynasty period, tea is quite common and is drunk daily.
For a long time in Japan, tea was reserved for monks, the upper classes, samurai and the "important". It was used during meditation in Zen Buddhist temples, which is still the case in temples today.
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