Representing Japanese tea, Shizuoka Prefecture is unparalleled, boasting the largest cultivation area and production volume in Japan.

Shizuoka's mild climate and abundant rainfall create an ideal environment for tea cultivation. The prefecture's tea cultivation area, harvest volume, and production of raw tea leaves account for 40% of Japan's total tea production, making it one of the foremost tea-producing regions in the country.

The prosperity of Shizuoka's tea industry can be traced back to Tokugawa Ieyasu, who had a great fondness for tea and promoted its cultivation.

With its warm climate and long hours of sunlight, Shizuoka is highly conducive to tea cultivation. Tea gardens are primarily in mountainous and hilly areas with significant temperature variations. At the same time, those in the south are situated in plains, resulting in various flavor profiles based on the region. Since the Edo period, Shizuoka tea has been synonymous with high quality.

Shizuoka's diverse natural environments, including stable coastal regions, areas with significant temperature variations in mountainous terrain, snow-covered mountains like Mount Amagi in winter, and the foothills of Mount Fuji, all contribute to its tea production. As a result, each region produces tea with its unique flavor characteristics.

Shizuoka Prefecture boasts eight renowned types of tea, each with its distinctive features, representing the pinnacle of Japanese high-end tea:

Origin: Tea-producing areas to the east and west of Shizuoka Prefecture, collectively known as Shizuoka Tea.

Characteristics: Renowned for its deep-steamed sencha. It features a deep emerald green color, fresh tea aroma, and a refreshing sweetness akin to melted snow, surpassing even the finest gyokuro quality.

2. Kakegawa Tea:

Origin: Kakegawa City in the western part of Shizuoka Prefecture.

Characteristics: The birthplace of deep-steamed sencha. To improve the previously bitter taste of Kakegawa tea, the region innovated by extending the steaming time to about 120 seconds, resulting in a sencha with a smooth, mellow, sweet, and intense aroma.

3. Kawane Tea:

Origin: Upper reaches of the Oi River in central Shizuoka Prefecture.

Characteristics: Kawane Tea is known for its rich aroma, pure taste, prominent sweetness, and clear, translucent broth.

4. Hon'yama Tea:

Origin: Abe River area in central Shizuoka Prefecture.

Characteristics: Renowned for its refreshing freshness, clean aroma, slight sweetness, and mild astringency.

5. Tenryū Tea:

Origin: Mount Tenryū area in Hamamatsu City, western Shizuoka Prefecture.

Characteristics: The birthplace of ordinary steamed sencha. It is known for its heavy bitterness, apparent freshness, and freshness.

6. Asahina Gyokuro:

Origin: Okabe-cho, Fujieda City, central Shizuoka Prefecture, the main production area of gyokuro tea in Japan.

Characteristics: Distinctive for its covering tea characteristics, rich in nutrients, strong fragrance, refreshing sweetness, and pronounced nori flavor.

7. Enshu Mori no Cha:

Origin: Northwestern part of Shizuoka Prefecture.

Characteristics: Renowned for its high-end, deep-steamed sencha, featuring a smooth, mellow, sweet, and intense aroma without bitterness or astringency.

8. Shimizu Tea:

Origin: Shimizu Ward in central Shizuoka Prefecture.

Characteristics: Primarily ordinary steamed tea, needle-like in appearance, with a golden-yellow, clear broth and a slightly sweet, mildly bitter taste.

Shizuoka Prefecture stands as the epitome of Japanese tea production, renowned for its diverse range of high-quality teas, each reflecting the unique terroir of its respective region. From the refreshing sweetness of Shizuoka Tea to the mellow richness of Kakegawa Tea and the distinct flavors of Kawane, Hon'yama, Tenryū, Asahina Gyokuro, Enshu Mori no Cha, and Shimizu Tea, Shizuoka's teas offer a delightful journey through Japan's rich tea culture.