{"id":16225,"date":"2016-08-19T08:00:36","date_gmt":"2016-08-18T23:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=16225"},"modified":"2020-08-08T20:20:58","modified_gmt":"2020-08-08T11:20:58","slug":"green-tea-picking-shizuoka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/green-tea-picking-shizuoka\/","title":{"rendered":"Tea Picking in Japan\u2019s Green Tea Capital!"},"content":{"rendered":"
Shizuoka is widely known as the green tea capital of Japan, responsible for over 40% of Japan\u2019s tea. The almost magical beverage boasts many benefits, and it is often touted as a contributor to the longevity and health of the people of Shizuoka.<\/p>\n
If you love drinking green tea, why not try picking your own? And what better place to do so than in Shizuoka, the epicenter of green tea? You can experience tea picking in a luscious countryside setting for only 800 yen between the months of April and October at Greenpia, the green tea utopia.<\/p>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Greenpia is situated amongst rolling green hills, in the town of Makinohara, east of Hamamatsu. The slower pace of life here is a welcome treat if you\u2019ve been touring the more tourist-dense areas around Kanto and Kansai.<\/p>\n At Greenpia, traditional tea picking outfits, consisting of cotton hapi coats, bandanas, wicker baskets, and picking gloves are provided free of charge, so you can really get into character! Before you are sent off on your picking adventure, a guide will instruct you on how to properly pick the leaves. The best quality tea is made from the smaller, upper leaves of the green tea bushes. Larger leaves have a stronger and less pleasant taste, so steer clear of them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The picking excursion lasts approximately 20-30 minutes, so pick as much as you can within this time frame. You may find that you can\u2019t pick enough to fill your rather large basket, but even a small amount can supply a few cups.<\/p>\n After tea picking, you can also take a brief factory tour to watch how the leaves are dried and prepared for tea-making.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The on-site restaurant, Maruobara, serves up one-of-a-kind menu items inspired by the beverage. Fare includes a refreshing green tea soba salad, green tea tempura that you can dip in green tea salt, and a variety of green tea desserts amongst other things. Everything is paired with a lovely pot of freshly brewed local tea, of course, and the taste is not too overpowering even for the most sensitive pallets.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\nInstructions and Clothing Provided at Greenpia<\/h2>\n
Shizuoka’s Greenpia: Take a Tour of the Factory<\/h2>\n
Try the Unique Green Tea Maruobara Restaurant<\/h2>\n