The sencha tea ceremony is one of Japan’s two types of tea ceremony, a form of Japanese traditional culture. Unlike the matcha tea ceremony, which uses powdered matcha tea, the sencha tea ceremony uses sencha leaf tea. Both types have quite different roots and etiquette. Matcha tea ceremony is a strictly regimented ceremony in which tea is prepared and drunk using special utensils. It was perfected by Sen no Rikyu around the turn of the 16th century and would spread in warrior society.
On the other hand, sencha tea ceremony uses tea leaves, mainly sencha. The tea is brewed with water boiled in a teapot and then served. Around the 18th century, the Zen priest Baisao helped popularize it as a type of tea ceremony not caught up in forms, and it spread amongst not only the upper classes but also commoners. Baisao said, “Savor a cup of tea more deliciously and more enjoyably. And through tea, cherish each other’s hearts and minds.” This expresses the philosophy of sencha tea ceremony.