Which Buddhist monk is traditionally credited with bringing tea seeds to Japan? The answer is Eisai.
The Zen monk Eisai is traditionally credited with bringing green tea seeds from China to Japan after returning from his second journey in 1191. He is also remembered for helping popularize tea among Japan’s warrior elite and for connecting tea with Buddhist practice and health.
Eisai gave some seeds to Myōe, a monk associated with Kōzan-ji in Kyoto. Plantings in areas including Toganoo and Uji helped establish major Japanese tea-growing centers. Uji later became especially famous for high-quality tea and remains one of Japan’s best-known tea regions.
Eisai’s influence was not limited to agriculture. In 1211 he wrote Kissa Yōjōki, commonly translated as Drinking Tea for Health, the first Japanese treatise devoted to tea. A common oversimplification is saying Eisai introduced every form of tea culture to Japan: tea was known there earlier, but he is traditionally credited with bringing seeds and greatly advancing its cultivation, medical reputation, and popularity.