Region Study: Shizuoka Tea

Region Study: Shizuoka Tea

Japanese tea differs a lot by its regions. Of course all teas in Japan regardless of the region they all make wonderful teas. Depending on the region the taste and there character will vary so understanding the regions is also a very important factor for understanding Japanese teas.Today I would like to talk about the Shizuoka Prefecture. Shizuoka Prefecture is the largest tea plantation area in Japan, producing 40% of the teas that are made in Japan. It is considered one of the “Big Threes(1.Uji Kyoto, 2.Shizuoka, and 3.Sayama)” in Japan. Kyoto is the place with the longest tea history and Shizuoka would be the next.

 

Start of Shizuoka Teas
Shizuoka tea started in 1214, when Buddhist Monk, Shouichi Kokushi, came back from China bringing back the seeds of teas. They have planted in the region called the Honyama, also called Ashikubo. So Ashikubo-cha is a famous tea in Japan that is considered the start of Shizuoka Teas.

 

8 Major Regions
Shizuoka has 8 major tea regions, each having its own character and specialty. We will not go over every region but would like to go over some that I personally think should be remembered at this time.The “Makinohara Area”, this area is considered the largest tea plantation area in Japan. Where ever you go all you see is Teas Teas and Teas!

 

 

The “Honyama Area” is the region that the Shizuoka Tea has started. This region has steep hills and tea machines are difficult to maneuver on the hills so many farmers take care and pick the teas by hand. This is where our product ShiZen Pesticide-Free Green Tea Powder is coming from!Also the “Kawane Area” is the area that our ShiZen Organic Green Tea comes from, so please remember that!
   
Loved by the Shogun, Tokunaga
It is a famous story that Shogun Tokunaga loved the teas from Shizuoka(Ashikubo Tea). The green tea that was served to Shogun was not a regular sencha but tencha, the leaves that are used to make Matcha. In other words, tea leaves that are grown under the shade before its harvest. After he have retired from Shogun later in his life, he has moved to Shizuoka and enjoyed his time drinking teas.Yes, Shizuoka is a place that is filled with history of teas. As mentioned, this area is the place that produces 40% of the Japanese teas, where every you go you will always see a tea farm:) Next time we would like to go over Kagoshima. Kagoshima is a place that also makes amazing teas.
Thank you for reading!
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