Kennin-ji Temple is one of Japan's oldest roots of Zen Buddhism, spanning a history of about 800 years. As you exit the meditation hall, you'll see a single shrub just beyond the hedge in front of you. Can you guess what kind of shrub this is? This is actually a "tea shrub." Most people probably wonder why there's a tea shrub growing inside a Zen Buddhist temple. But in fact, tea culture and Zen Buddhism share a very close bond.

First, I'll explain a little about the history of Zen. Zen Buddhism first spread throughout Japan during the Kamakura Period. A monk named Eisai traveled to Song Dynasty China, where he learned the wisdom of Zen. He brought this wisdom back to Japan and built Kennin-ji Temple in Kyoto. After that, the Rinzai sect was created, and thus Zen Buddhism spread across the nation. These are the oldest of the original Zen temples, which lie right here in Kyoto.

After traveling to Song Dynasty China, Eisai returned to his homeland with knowledge of Zen, as well as "tea shrub seeds." While tea has been served in Japan as a delicacy since the Nara Period, in those days it was reserved only for monks or bereaved families. Eisai's return to Japan was instrumental in spreading the cultivation and drinking of tea. As the author of the "Kissayōjōki," the first text exclusively dedicated to tea, he laid the foundation for bringing the joy of tea culture to the masses. Thus, Eisai is known as a "tea pioneer," and that is why there's a tea shrub planted here on the Kennin-ji Temple grounds.

Nowadays, most people drink tea as a luxury, but in those days it was introduced to Japan as "medicine." According to Eisai's writings, tea "is a medicine that preserves the health of the body and ensures a long life."

And so, the Zen and tea cultures of Japan were born. They seem unrelated at first, but in reality, it was Master Eisai who introduced and popularized both of them through Kennin-ji Temple. Why not take a trip to Kennin-ji Temple and taste the history of Zen and tea for yourself?

※ON THE TRIP has prepared an audio guide for Kennin-ji Temple. We encourage you to listen to it as you roam the grounds of Kennin-ji Temple.