From Leaf to Brew: Hands-on Japanese Tea Tour in Shizuoka

A lush green expanse of terraced tea bushes spill down sloped hillsides in Shizuoka prefecture’s Shuchi county. Based in Japan’s largest tea-producing region, Osada Tea Co. Ltd. awaits tea-lovers with a leaf-to-brew experience that dives deep into the tea production process. At Osada Tea headquarters, you’ll sample a range of the finest Shizuoka teas. Your guide will teach you how to appreciate Japanese green tea like an industry pro. You’ll even learn to identify the various tea types by touch, smell, and of course, taste! After the Japanese tea tasting, walk through the tea factory to see how tea is processed. Here, a light dusting of tea powder coats the factory, perfuming the air with the fresh scent of green tea. Your tour guide will reveal the secrets of the craft of tea making, answering any questions you have. Inside the tea lab, you’ll roll up your sleeves and participate by roasting Japanese tea. Then, back in the kitchen, you’ll make your own original tea blend to take home as a souvenir. Tea is ideally served with something sweet, so you’ll also make nerikiri wagashi, traditional Japanese confections made from sweet bean paste and molded by hand into seasonal shapes. Whisk up a frothy bowl of matcha to enjoy with your sweets, before winding down at the Osada Tea House with a final cup of tea.