Fahmi, I’d say they’re also different in flavor and especially in color. And they’re produced differently. The only thing they have in common, as I see it, is that they’re unoxidized, and oxidation level is just one of many, many factors that affect the final product. Unless we’re talking about Dragonwell, my favorite Chinese tea, which is sort of Japanese in style. (I assume calling Dragonwell “sort of Japanese” makes the vinegar BBQ people angry, or something.)

Asian : tea :: US southerner : barbeque?

The powdered tea is indeed called matcha; it’s used in the Japanese tea ceremony, and it’s considered the most premium of all Japanese tea. It’s nothing like American or British instant tea. To make it, you have to measure carefully, heat the water to the proper temperature, and mix with an expensive bamboo whisk. You can think of this as annoying or part of the fun.

The tea with brown rice, genmaicha, is a great introduction to Japanese tea: inexpensive, easy drinking, brewable at a full boil, and a little quirky. I drink it often.

I hope this is not true of your dad, but I find that it’s pretty rare for someone to really like both Chinese and Japanese teas. They’re incredibly different–I always tell people they’re as different as green and black tea. I had a recent conversation with a Taiwanese tea seller, and I brought up Japanese tea. She scoffed: “Love the sushi. Love the cars. But the tea? Ugh.”