Roots of Tea 1: Edo Saryo is a workshop where you can enjoy pottery painting and tea.
Tea Was Brought to Japan from China
The history of tea in Japan began when it was brought over from China sometime between the Nara period and the early Heian period.
China is said to be the birthplace of tea, where it developed as a beverage. At the time, Japan was eager to learn from and adopt the culture, scholarship, and institutions of the Tang dynasty (China), then a more advanced nation. Japan sent envoys to the Tang court, and Buddhist monks also traveled there to study.
As they studied Buddhism and Chinese culture, they learned about tea, which eventually led to tea becoming the beverage enjoyed today. However, in Tang China, tea appears to have been consumed as medicine.
As one element of Tang China's advanced culture, tea was brought to Japan alongside Buddhism by envoys and monks returning from their studies. There is also a theory that tea grew wild in Japan, but it is not considered a leading theory at present.
There are two theories about when tea was introduced from China: one says it arrived during the Nara period, and the other says it came in the early Heian period. However, some details remain unclear, and the theory that tea was introduced in the early Heian period is generally considered the most likely.
It is said that Saichō, the founder of the Tendai school, and others returned from Tang China in 805, bringing tea seeds to Japan.
The Hiyoshi-sha Shintō Himitsu-ki, a collection of traditions compiled during the Azuchi-Momoyama period and preserved at Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine in Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture, records that Saichō brought tea seeds back from Tang China in 805 (Enryaku 24) and planted and cultivated them at the foot of Mount Hiei, in what is now the Sakamoto district of Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture. Remarkably, this tea garden still exists in Sakamoto today as the Hiyoshi Tea Garden.
The oldest written record of tea is found in the Nihon Kōki, compiled in 815 (Kōnin 6), in the early Heian period. It records that Emperor Saga was served brewed tea by the high-ranking Buddhist monk Eichū at Bonshakuji Temple in Ōmi Province. After this, Emperor Saga is said to have ordered tea cultivation, and tea was served at events attended by the upper classes.
What Is Edo Lacquerware at Edo Saryo?
Edo Saryo is distinguished by its “Edo-nuri,” a technique developed through repeated experimentation. Unlike pottery-wheel, hand-building, painting, pottery, or other workshops, Edo-nuri lets you freely choose from more than 10 types of tea utensils and offers creative freedom, including free-style and kintsugi-style designs. More than 10 types of lacquer are blended, then layered, carved, patterned, polished, and finished to create tea utensils using a technique that brings the artist’s sensibility to its fullest potential.
At the heart of Edo Saryo is Edo-nuri, a traditional craft developed in Edo (now Tokyo) over approximately 260 years. We have succeeded for the first time in bringing an even more diverse range of colors to this craft. Edo-nuri also incorporates modern art techniques alongside traditional culture in the layering, carving, patterning, polishing, and finishing of tea utensils. Rather than simply following the tradition of Japanese craftsmanship, each piece is elevated into a work that brings together the spirit and scenery of Edo in a single tea utensil.
These utensils can be used not only for tea but also for special Japanese alcoholic beverages such as sake, allowing you to enjoy their distinctive aromas, flavors, and smooth finish. We invite you to enjoy tea and sake in a one-of-a-kind, original tea utensil.
At Edo Saryo in Tokyo, we offer a wide range of workshops, services, and promotions for groups, couples, dates, students, and children. These include stylish workshops, art experiences, pottery classes, pottery-wheel experiences, hand-building experiences, and painting classes. We are listed on Iko-yo, RETRIP, Jalan, Rurubu, Rakuten Travel, Yahoo, and Google Maps, and offer experiences such as art wine and art bar in Shimokitazawa, Harajuku, Aoyama, and Shibuya. Edo Saryo also offers group deals, and you can enjoy tea and sweets together.
What is Edo lacquerware at Edo Saryo?
Edo Saryo is characterized by its [Edo-nuri], created through repeated trial and error. Rather than using a potter's wheel, hand-painting, painting, pottery, or a workshop, the characteristics of Edo-nuri include the freedom to choose from more than 10 types of tea utensils, free style, kintsugi style, and kneading more than 10 types of paint. This technique involves layering, carving, patterning, polishing, and finishing to create tea utensils while heightening the artist's sense to the utmost.
The backbone is the traditional craft [Edo lacquerware] cultivated in Edo = Tokyo for about 260 years, and for the first time we succeeded in coloring it with even more diverse colors. Furthermore, [Edo-nuri] incorporates not only traditional culture but also modern art techniques in the layering, shaving, patterning, polishing, and finishing of tea utensils, and it not only follows the flow of traditional Japanese crafts, but also incorporates techniques from modern art. We will sublimate the work as a collection of Edo-style and Edo scenery in one tea utensil.
In addition to tea, it can also be used for special Japanese alcoholic beverages, sake, allowing you to enjoy the unique aroma and taste of alcoholic beverages and sake. Please enjoy tea and alcohol with this one-of-a-kind original tea utensil.
The history of tea in Japan began when it was brought over from China sometime between the Nara period and the early Heian period.
China is said to be the birthplace of tea, where it developed as a beverage. At the time, Japan was eager to learn from and adopt the culture, scholarship, and institutions of the Tang dynasty (China), then a more advanced nation. Japan sent envoys to the Tang court, and Buddhist monks also traveled there to study.
As they studied Buddhism and Chinese culture, they learned about tea, which eventually led to tea becoming the beverage enjoyed today. However, in Tang China, tea appears to have been consumed as medicine.
As one element of Tang China's advanced culture, tea was brought to Japan alongside Buddhism by envoys and monks returning from their studies. There is also a theory that tea grew wild in Japan, but it is not considered a leading theory at present.
There are two theories about when tea was introduced from China: one says it arrived during the Nara period, and the other says it came in the early Heian period. However, some details remain unclear, and the theory that tea was introduced in the early Heian period is generally considered the most likely.
It is said that Saichō, the founder of the Tendai school, and others returned from Tang China in 805, bringing tea seeds to Japan.
The Hiyoshi-sha Shintō Himitsu-ki, a collection of traditions compiled during the Azuchi-Momoyama period and preserved at Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine in Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture, records that Saichō brought tea seeds back from Tang China in 805 (Enryaku 24) and planted and cultivated them at the foot of Mount Hiei, in what is now the Sakamoto district of Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture. Remarkably, this tea garden still exists in Sakamoto today as the Hiyoshi Tea Garden.
The oldest written record of tea is found in the Nihon Kōki, compiled in 815 (Kōnin 6), in the early Heian period. It records that Emperor Saga was served brewed tea by the high-ranking Buddhist monk Eichū at Bonshakuji Temple in Ōmi Province. After this, Emperor Saga is said to have ordered tea cultivation, and tea was served at events attended by the upper classes.
What Is Edo Lacquerware at Edo Saryo?
Edo Saryo is distinguished by its “Edo-nuri,” a technique developed through repeated experimentation. Unlike pottery-wheel, hand-building, painting, pottery, or other workshops, Edo-nuri lets you freely choose from more than 10 types of tea utensils and offers creative freedom, including free-style and kintsugi-style designs. More than 10 types of lacquer are blended, then layered, carved, patterned, polished, and finished to create tea utensils using a technique that brings the artist’s sensibility to its fullest potential.
At the heart of Edo Saryo is Edo-nuri, a traditional craft developed in Edo (now Tokyo) over approximately 260 years. We have succeeded for the first time in bringing an even more diverse range of colors to this craft. Edo-nuri also incorporates modern art techniques alongside traditional culture in the layering, carving, patterning, polishing, and finishing of tea utensils. Rather than simply following the tradition of Japanese craftsmanship, each piece is elevated into a work that brings together the spirit and scenery of Edo in a single tea utensil.
These utensils can be used not only for tea but also for special Japanese alcoholic beverages such as sake, allowing you to enjoy their distinctive aromas, flavors, and smooth finish. We invite you to enjoy tea and sake in a one-of-a-kind, original tea utensil.
At Edo Saryo in Tokyo, we offer a wide range of workshops, services, and promotions for groups, couples, dates, students, and children. These include stylish workshops, art experiences, pottery classes, pottery-wheel experiences, hand-building experiences, and painting classes. We are listed on Iko-yo, RETRIP, Jalan, Rurubu, Rakuten Travel, Yahoo, and Google Maps, and offer experiences such as art wine and art bar in Shimokitazawa, Harajuku, Aoyama, and Shibuya. Edo Saryo also offers group deals, and you can enjoy tea and sweets together.
What is Edo lacquerware at Edo Saryo?
Edo Saryo is characterized by its [Edo-nuri], created through repeated trial and error. Rather than using a potter's wheel, hand-painting, painting, pottery, or a workshop, the characteristics of Edo-nuri include the freedom to choose from more than 10 types of tea utensils, free style, kintsugi style, and kneading more than 10 types of paint. This technique involves layering, carving, patterning, polishing, and finishing to create tea utensils while heightening the artist's sense to the utmost.
The backbone is the traditional craft [Edo lacquerware] cultivated in Edo = Tokyo for about 260 years, and for the first time we succeeded in coloring it with even more diverse colors. Furthermore, [Edo-nuri] incorporates not only traditional culture but also modern art techniques in the layering, shaving, patterning, polishing, and finishing of tea utensils, and it not only follows the flow of traditional Japanese crafts, but also incorporates techniques from modern art. We will sublimate the work as a collection of Edo-style and Edo scenery in one tea utensil.
In addition to tea, it can also be used for special Japanese alcoholic beverages, sake, allowing you to enjoy the unique aroma and taste of alcoholic beverages and sake. Please enjoy tea and alcohol with this one-of-a-kind original tea utensil.
EDO SARYO JOURNAL · 編集・運営 / Published by 江戸茶寮
公開 / Published 2025.05.10 · 更新 / Updated 2025.05.10
