Chado or Sado (Tea Ceremony) Chado Past and Present Sen no Rikyu (©Mushakouji Senke) It is said that the Japanese started drinking tea in the eighth century. Tea leaves were imported from China at first, and tea was a special beverage for aristocrats and Buddhist priests. In the twelfth century, after Zen priests who had studied in China brought back tea seeds and tea utensils, the drink came ..