3 best Japanese tea producing regions

2019年 03月11日


"The color is Shizuoka, the Uji flavor, and the Sayama taste". These ancient lyrics of a folk song sourced "Sayamacha Tsukuriuta" show us three regions of high quality tea in Japan. Tea was introduced to Japan from China at the time when Nara was the capital of Japan, i.e. in the 8th century. It was used by Buddhist monks as an aid to meditation, considering tea as beneficial to the body and mind. Gradually, it was used in medicine and anchored in the daily life of the Japanese, having learned of the Zen culture, the benefits it provides. More and more tea was imported, especially in the Meiji era, when Japan faced the age of the opening of a country.

Uji cha: Kyoto tea
Uji tea is known as Kyoto tea in Japan. The village of Wazuka is particularly renowned for the quality of its tea, including the plantations of Ishitera Harayama, Shirasu and Erihara. Wazuka has also been ranked among the most beautiful villages in Japan. It has been part of Japan's heritage since 2015 and its plantations have been awarded outstanding panoramas of Kyoto Prefecture. Uji tea dates back to the Kamakura period around the 13th century. It was already considered a premium present at the time. In the region of traditions in Kyoto, it is used for the creation of matcha, the green tea powder used during tea ceremonies. It was also the tea enjoyed by shoguns for centuries during official ceremonies. Uji is also the base of Gyokuro tea, Kabuse-cha (the covered tea), a high-end tea where tea leaves have been left out of the sunshine before harvest, which causes a particular reaction of the plant and the development of unique aromas. (The gyokuro is prepared with boiled water cooled down around  50 ° C and wait for 90 seconds for the first infusion.)

Click here to see our 1-day guided tour to Wazuka
Click here to see our 2-day guided tour to Wazuka
Click here to see our 3-day guided tour to Wazuka and Iga (a city of Ninja)


Sayama cha: Saitama tea


Sayama-cha tea is known as Saitama tea, located at the gates of Tokyo on the Musashino plateau. This region is known for its cool climate, Sayama -cha tea leaves are so thick, and can survive the winter frost. The soil on which its leaves grow is very good quality and has excellent drainage. It gives a tea with a sweet flavor and rich in aroma. This tea would also have appeared during the Heian period and was used initially for medical purposes. Green tea in Japan is also used in cooking such as the famous recipe for tempura green tea leaves that can be enjoyed directly from producers.

Click here to see our day trip to Sayama


Tea from Shizuoka region
The fist crop of Shizuoka-cha tea date back to the Kamakura period (1185-1333), when a monk returned from China planted a nursery tree in Shizuoka. Since then, this part of Japan is known as the best production of green tea in the country for its quality and know-how that is hundreds of years old. Shizuoka tea represents 40% of the national production. It is also known for its incredible landscape plantations, where Mount Fuji stands in the background or in the middle of the railroads on which the steam locomotives of Oigawa. Green tea from this region is famous for its health benefits, reducing stress and being rich in antioxidants. There are all kinds of tea in Shizuoka, tencha (also used for the preparation of matcha), sencha through genmaicha (brown rice tea), hojicha (roasted tea) and many others. Shizuoka tea is also widely used in cooking, and you can enjoy in the region, sobas (buckwheat noodles) prepared with green tea.