Could Marie Kondo's lifelong daily ritual of drinking matcha tea be her secret to home organization and creating a more meditative space at home? The science and Japanese history points to yes.

Why does Marie Kondo practice the daily ritual of drinking matcha tea?

"(Matcha) tea gives me an opportunity to check in with myself," Kondo recently explained to Maria Geyman of Vogue magazine during a zoom call. In her new book, Kurashi at Home, Marie Kondo focuses on why and how the daily ritual of matcha tea is part of a balanced and healthy lifestyle. 

She suggests that by developing healthy daily rituals like drinking matcha tea, you will find more clarity in day-to-day life, making it easier to build a meditative space at home and fulfillment in your career and interpersonal relationships.

Studies show daily tea rituals have antidepressant effects and spark joy.

And the latest research is behind Kondo on this. Studies have shown that regularly drinking matcha green tea has apparent beneficial effects on our attention spans, memories, and ability to overcome distractions and combat depression.

Compared to other tea varieties, Matcha tea is particularly effective at producing a relaxed yet focused energy – the perfect tea to pair with home organization and breeding a more meditative space at home.

"Even if it's just five minutes, I make a point of taking time for (matcha) tea as it's important for me to feel balanced in myself," Kondo explains.

The connection between matcha tea and Buddhism

And it makes sense – the traditional matcha tea ceremony focuses on harmony, respect, and tranquility – which has a lot of similarities and the main principles of the philosophy of zen Buddhism – mindfulness, transience, and acceptance.

After all, Buddhist priests first consumed Matcha tea at zen temples to not fall asleep and sustain longer durations while meditating.

Japanese Minimalism began with the tea bowl.

According to historians, Japanese Minimalism started sometime in the 12th century, hundreds of years ago. Over hundreds of years, the practice of zen Buddhism and drinking matcha green tea has dramatically influenced the course of Minimalism in Japan, inspiring many Japanese residents to embrace meditation in their busy, modern day-to-day lives.

The practice of Japanese Minimalism in home design and organization was inspired by the Buddhist nature to live a clean, natural life with harmony and nature. Specialists in Japanese Minimalism also believe the style of Minimalism in the household began in the early 1990s with the classic matcha tea bowl design – and, in turn, has spread into Japanese fashion, art, architecture, and home organization.

How the daily ritual of matcha tea connects to a longer life expectancy in Japan

Studies have also shown that those who partake in a daily tea ritual live more fulfilling and longer lives. In Japan, the daily tea ceremony (which is often with matcha) is considered an essential part of Japanese culture – and scientists don't think it's a coincidence that Japanese people have the longest lifespan expectancy on the planet.

According to scientists, the exceptional longevity in the Japanese population can be primarily attributed to their diet choices – which include daily tea. 

The bottom line: Have you ever asked yourself or tried to find out – what's your favorite celebrity's daily tea ritual?

Instead of googling your celebrities' go-to skincare routines, have you ever thought about asking what their daily tea rituals are instead?

Celebrities such as Serena Williams, Kourtney Kardashian, Brad Pitt, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Jessica Alba have regularly enjoyed matcha tea.

Different teas and tea blends offer unique and powerful wellness benefits – and studies show that more than any other type of tea – matcha green tea powder contains the largest amount of antioxidants and other healthful compounds such as L-theanine – giving it the most extensive list of health benefits  compared to any other tea on the planet. So it's not surprising that some of the biggest names have made it part of their daily routine.

Consider adding matcha tea to your daily rituals to spark more joy in your life! 

Check out our high-quality matcha offerings and all the accessories you need to enjoy a traditional Japanese tea ceremony or one that suits a more modern, on-the-go lifestyle here.

References

Baba, Y., Inagaki, S., Nakagawa, S., Kobayashi, M., Kaneko, T., & Takihara, T. (2021). Effects of Daily Matcha and Caffeine Intake on Mild Acute Psychological Stress-Related Cognitive Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study. Nutrients, 13(5), 1700. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13051700

Dietz, C., & Dekker, M. (2017). Effect of Green Tea Phytochemicals on Mood and Cognition. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 23(19), 2876–2905. https://doi.org/10.2174/1381612823666170105151800

Health status - Life expectancy at birth - OECD Data. (n.d.). theOECD. https://data.oecd.org/healthstat/life-expectancy-at-birth.htm

Kochman, J., Jakubczyk, K., Antoniewicz, J., Mruk, H., & Janda, K. (2020). Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha Green Tea: A Review. Molecules, 26(1), 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26010085

Rothenberg, D. O., & Zhang, L. (2019). Mechanisms Underlying the Anti-Depressive Effects of Regular Tea Consumption. Nutrients, 11(6), 1361. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11061361

van den Brandt, P. A. (2018). Coffee or Tea? A prospective cohort study on the associations of coffee and tea intake with overall and cause-specific mortality in men versus women. European Journal of Epidemiology, 33(2), 183–200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-018-0359-y