Kyoto Tea Farm Tour, Tasting, and Lunch in Scenic Wazuka

Wazuka-cho, a tea town with a population of about 3,600 people, produces nearly half of the tea made in Kyoto Prefecture. During this guided tea farm tour, you can visit the beautiful tea fields that have been recognized as a Scenic Property of Kyoto Prefecture, and learn about Japanese tea-growing techniques, tea processing methods, and traditional tea culture. This tea tour includes several tastings, so guests can try a total of 9 different types of locally-grown Japanese teas and discover their new favorite beverage. After visiting the tea farm and learning about the ideal growing conditions for tea farming, you will tour the tea factory and learn about each step the tea leaves undergo after harvesting the leaves. At the factory, which produces needle-shaped tea unique to Japanese sencha, visitors will get to see the machinery that rolls and dries the tea leaves. At lunchtime, visitors will learn that tea is not just for drinking! Delicious buckwheat soba will be served, but these are not your ordinary noodles. Made with tea, these “cha soba” noodles are a beautiful green color. Following lunch is a tea tasting, which will introduce a few varieties of Japanese tea. Guests will also learn how to brew delicious tea, changing the flavor by adjusting the extraction temperature during a hands-on experience. Wazuka-cho is the world’s best producer of matcha in Japan, so visitors will be able to experience the finest matcha in the world. The folks at Kyoto Obubu Tea Farm love to share their passion for Japanese tea with visitors from abroad. In fact, they have hosted over 100 interns from all over the world since 2012. Tea is a labor-intensive product and one that they take deep pride in. An essential component of Japanese culture that appears in the elaborate tea ceremony, kaiseki cuisine, and on the kitchen table, Japanese tea is enjoyed by people nationwide. Visitors will come to appreciate Japanese tea and the farmers behind this iconic Japanese beverage.