Green tea

Healthy beverage

Tea was originally used for medicinal purposes and became a beverage in China. Later, a ritual in Taoism using tea came to be held. It was brought to Japan and developed into the tea ceremony in the 15th century.

I believe that our frequent drinking of tea in our lives is not a ritual, but a habit. It is customary to serve tea to guests when they visit to our offices or houses. In japan, “Let’s have tea” means to talk and rest over tea and a few snacks. If you go to a Japanese restaurant, tea is usually served for free without your request .

The health benefits of green tea have also been attracting attention in recent years, with the incidence of cancer being lower in the areas where green tea is grown. Catechins in green tea are carcinogenic inhibitors. The same is true for vitamins A, C, and E, dietary fiber, and chlorophyll. Green tea is a natural healthy food.

In Taoism, true beauty can be found in the workings of the mind. The mind can make it perfect when confronted with an imperfect object. The tea ceremony accords with this notion.
People meet in the tea room (i.e. imperfect thing) and try to make it perfect in their minds through tea ceremony.　In other words, the tea ceremony is a ritual that puts Taoist ideas into practice in daily life. Tea means more phylosophical in this context.