The Japanese tea ceremony is generally identified with ""chanoyu"" and its bowls of whipped, powdered green tea served in surroundings influenced by the tenets of Zen Buddhism. This is a study of the alternative tea tradition of ""sencha"", at which gatherings steeped green leaf tea is prepared in an atmosphere indebted to the humanistic values of the Chinese sages and the materialistic culture of elite Chinese society during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This illustrated volume explores sencha's philosophy and arts from the 17th century to the end of the 20th century.