The first step in brewing Japanese loose tea is to pick the appropriate teapot. Allowing the tea leaves to fully expand in the appropriate clay pot (called a Kyusu) may lessen the astringency of the tea, resulting in a softer flavor from the tea leaves. 

When first learning how to brew your own tea, water is something that is frequently overlooked. Most types of water, however, are not appropriate for making tea. For instance, water that contains a lot of minerals, such as tap water, hard water, distilled water, etc., may change the flavor of the tea. For this reason, soft water with little to no mineral content is advised when making a great tasting tea.