Harmony · wa
Bring the people, setting and season into balance.
MATCHA 101
The history of matcha
Before the latte, there was the bowl. Matcha’s story connects powdered tea in China, centuries of Japanese tea culture, and the cups we make today. There’s a little more behind that lovely green.
Old roots. A cup of your own.
START AT THE BEGINNING
Where does matcha come from?
The roots of powdered tea drinking are in China. In Japan, that preparation developed into the matcha tradition we recognize today, alongside distinctive cultivation methods and chadō, the way of tea.
Tea reached Japan before the better-known story of Eisai. That distinction matters: the arrival of tea, the spread of powdered tea, and the development of modern matcha happened across different periods.
A FEW TURNING POINTS
A short timeline of matcha history
A tradition shaped over centuries, rather than invented in a single moment.
- 8th century
Tea reaches Japan
Envoys returning from Tang China brought tea plants and tea-drinking customs to Japan during the Nara period. This early tea culture preceded the later spread of powdered tea.
- 1191
Eisai returns from China
The Buddhist monk Eisai brought tea back from Song China in 1191. He became an important figure in the spread of powdered tea and tea cultivation in Japan.
- 15th–16th centuries
Uji refines the leaf
Uji’s tea gardens gained influential patrons. Covered cultivation developed during the late Muromachi period, helping shape the quality of the leaf used for matcha.
- 16th century
Sen no Rikyū shapes chadō
Tea master Sen no Rikyū helped define a simpler style of tea centered on thoughtful hospitality. Tea gatherings also had influential patrons, including Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
- 19th–20th centuries
Tea culture reaches new audiences
Political and social change reshaped Uji’s tea industry. As education expanded, the way of tea reached more people through schools; later, matcha found new uses in food and drinks.
MORE THAN A METHOD
Matcha and the Japanese way of tea
Chadō, also called chanoyu and often described in English as the Japanese tea ceremony, brings the preparation of matcha into a carefully considered gathering. The bowl, utensils, setting and care for guests all matter.
Sen no Rikyū (1522–1591) was a tea master whose work helped shape this tradition. Urasenke describes four principles at its heart:
Respect · kei
Give thoughtful attention to guests, utensils and the tea.
Purity · sei
Care for the space and utensils, and approach the gathering with a clear mind.
Tranquility · jaku
A sense of stillness supported by the care given to the whole gathering.
THE LEAF BEHIND THE POWDER
How tencha becomes matcha
Modern matcha begins as tencha: tea grown under cover before harvest, then steamed and dried without the rolling used for sencha. The leaf is processed and finely milled into matcha.
This is why matcha is more specific than simply “green tea powder.” Uji played an important role in its development, while Japanese matcha is also produced in regions such as Shizuoka, where Yōko Matcha’s tea comes from.
FROM BOWL TO CAFÉ
Matcha in modern life
Matcha now appears in lattes, baked goods and desserts as well as bowls of whisked tea. Its color and distinctive flavor give cooks and cafés plenty to work with.
These newer uses sit alongside the continuing practice of chadō. A matcha latte and a formal tea gathering are different experiences, with the same finely milled tea at their center. You can appreciate the history and still choose the cup you enjoy.
A PERSONAL CONNECTION
The name behind Yōko Matcha
Yōko Matcha is named after Chié’s grandmother, Yōko Dambara, who practiced chadō, the way of tea. Raised by her in Japan, Chié carries that legacy through the brand.
Chié Dambara founded Yōko Matcha in Miami in 2016. Our matcha comes from Shizuoka, Japan, through family-owned production partners whose tea-making roots go back to 1948. Their three-generation heritage is part of the care behind the tea we share today.
A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT
Questions about matcha’s origins
Is matcha originally from China?
Powdered tea drinking has roots in China. Japanese cultivation and tea culture developed that practice into the matcha tradition known today. The origins of the preparation and the origin of a particular bag of tea are separate questions.
Who was Sen no Rikyū?
Sen no Rikyū was a sixteenth-century Japanese tea master, known for his influence on chadō and its simple, thoughtful style. His role belongs to the history of the way of tea.
Does all Japanese matcha come from Uji?
No. Uji is an important historical tea region, but matcha is produced elsewhere in Japan too. Yōko Matcha sources its tea from Shizuoka; our organic ceremonial matcha comes from Hon-Yama.
YOUR NEXT CUP
A little history. A lovely cup.
Meet our organic ceremonial matcha: first-harvest Yabukita from Hon-Yama, Shizuoka, in a 30g tin or 50g bag. Smooth with water, lovely with your favorite milk.
READ A LITTLE FURTHER
Sources behind this history
Written by Yōko Matcha. Historical sources checked October 11, 2026. The family story and brand dates come from our own records.