Tea has always been an integral part of Japanese hospitality and culture, and is the most popular beverage in Japan. Green tea is widely consumed and is an essential part of the Japanese tea ceremony. There are over a dozen different types of Japanese teas, and the specific tea types are determined by how the tea leaves are grown and processed, when the tea leaves are picked, what part of the leaf is used, and so on. Japanese teas are widely grown in Uji, Shizuoka, and Kagoshima, prefectures of Japan.