*From my limited experience, Japanese teas are best served out of teapots rather than a gaiwan. Keep the temperatures low (70C, say, less if it is gyokuro). The first infusion should be longer than the two subsequent infusions. @riccaicedo knows a LOT more than I do about this, though, so you should talk to him.

Can we have a “How Not to”? I have considerable experience in this.

I had posted but now it disappeared, maybe I accidentally deleted it when editing? Sorry about that.

I wrote a guide for all Japanese tea types here (still under development but mostly done) http://www.myjapanesegreentea.com/types-of-japanese-green-tea

Although Japanese teas are mostly green, the temperatures and brewing times vary considerably.

I suggest a kyusu but not much hardware is needed, except maybe for matcha.Plus, the guidelines aren’t set in stone, start with the basics and then you’ll end up with what works best for you.