It is thought that tea was first brought to Japan from China in the 8th century. At the time Japan sent envoys to China and enthusiastically absorbed Tang culture. Tea was also brought to Japan as part of the latest Tang culture.

The first authentic records of tea in Japan are from the beginning of the 9th century during the time of Emperor Saga (785-842). In the Nihon Koki (Later Chronicle of Japan) there is an entry for April 22 of Konin 6 (815), saying that on the way home from Karasaki on the west shore of Lake Biwa, Emperor Saga was served tea by the great Buddhist priest Eichu (742-816).

After that tea appears often in Japanese literature (written at that time in Chinese characters). However, the custom of drinking tea had not really taken root at this time, but was rather part of the world of furyu (refined elegance) found in poetry. Then, as the admiration for Chinese culture gradually declined, tea was also forgotten. After the 10th century, when envoys were no longer sent to China and the age of national culture arrived, tea became confined to its use in the special ceremony held at the Imperial Palace twice a year when Buddhist priests chanted sutras 'Kinomi Dokkyo' and there was almost a complete break in the history of tea.