Tōcha

The custom originated in China where it is known as Doucha (闘茶) during the Tang dynasty, before spreading to Japan in the Kamakura period.

[3] Prizes, including silks, weapons, gold and jewellery, were awarded for successful guesses,[5] which gave tōcha participants a reputation for excess and extravagance (basara).

[7] The kōdō incense-matching contest was developed from tōcha by the daimyō Sasaki Takauji, who was noted for his tea-gatherings.

Eventually, Murata Jukō developed the format of the tea ceremony from the more informal tōcha gatherings.

As a result, the activity was banned (with little effect on its popularity) by Ashikaga Takauji in the fourteenth century.