Hi there!

Next month I'll hit the road again...destination: Japan :-)

I will travel from Osaka/Kansai Region to Sendai via Fujiyama and Tokyo, and
I've got plenty of time... Could anyone here provide me with information
about teaplaces next to my route? I'd like to see some actual
teaplantations and harvest (if possible at this time of the year), tea
schools, shops....etc.

Is there a website that lists tea plantations in japan?

Also I'd like to taste some of the local teas. I kinda like all of those
japanese gyokuru, sencha, kabuse-cha...etc that are imported to
germany...but I want to taste the REAL stuff ;-) ...any recomendations?

thanks in advance for any information
Patrick

--
"But please remember: this is only a work of Fiction.
The truth, as always, will be far stranger"

Arthur C. Clarke, 2001 - A Space Odyssey

Well as far as shops are concerned, don't miss MARIAGE FRERES! There
are a few branches in Japan, the only place outside France housing
this great chain (as far as I am concerned). They have 450 kinds of
tea.

The headquarters is in Ginza, Tokyo and the other shops are in other
cities.

Kobe
Mariage Frères - Bal 2F, 3-6-1 Sannomiya-Cho - Chuo-Ku Kobe -
Tél: 078 391 6969
Kyoto
Mariage Frères - Bal 1F, Kawaramachi-Dori - Nakakyo-Ku Kyoto -
Tél: 075 255 5591

Osaka
Mariage Frères - Bal 1F, 2-1-17 Shinsaibashi-Suji - Chuo-Ku Osaka -
Tél: 06 6213 6575

Tokyo (Headquarters)
Mariage Frères Ginza - Suzuran-Dori, 5-6-6 Ginza - Chuo-Ku Tokyo -
Tél: 03 3572 1854

http://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/kikaku/k...ds/tea_har.htm
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...6/ai_108722578

A couple of starting points.

Cheers
Richard



Patrick Heinze wrote in message ...
Hi there!

Next month I'll hit the road again...destination: Japan :-)

I will travel from Osaka/Kansai Region to Sendai via Fujiyama and Tokyo, and
I've got plenty of time... Could anyone here provide me with information
about teaplaces next to my route? I'd like to see some actual
teaplantations and harvest (if possible at this time of the year), tea
schools, shops....etc.

Is there a website that lists tea plantations in japan?

Also I'd like to taste some of the local teas. I kinda like all of those
japanese gyokuru, sencha, kabuse-cha...etc that are imported to
germany...but I want to taste the REAL stuff ;-) ...any recomendations?

thanks in advance for any information
Patrick

Hi Patrick,

I will travel from Osaka/Kansai Region to Sendai via Fujiyama and Tokyo,
and
I've got plenty of time... Could anyone here provide me with information
about teaplaces next to my route?

Plan to spend several days in Kyoto-Uji (the craddle of Japanese tea), and
in the Shizuoka area at the feet of the mount Fuji (Fujisan). I didn't go
recently, but they had show rooms explaining in several languages tea
history and process in Uji-town and in...forget the name...near the highway
in Shizuoka.
There are smaller places less famous but that can be worth seeing as they
are certainly less industrialized and see less tourists. In Shikoku (a few
hours of bus from Kansai), they produce a number of original local teas (the
sort you never see anywhere else), and that island is pleasant to visit for
people that have plenty of time.

I'll post most accurate data later.

I'd like to see some actual
teaplantations

You'll see plenty.

and harvest (if possible at this time of the year),

It's possible to see and participate to bancha harvest in small tea farms.

tea schools, shops....etc.

Kyoto is the place, the heart of tea culture (also with the meals around it,
the potteries, tradionnal cakes, etc) and they have kept tastes and
traditions unfortunately lost in other big cities. I think you can
participate at tea ceremonies, as they organise some for foreign visitors.

Also I'd like to taste some of the local teas.

So you can skip Mariage Freres (you've seen one, you've seen them all, they
don't do local teas at all) and go anywhere else...

I live in Osaka, so tell me when you'll be in the area. I can give a few
calls to check about tea events in Kansai and even join you for a day trip.
In fact, I should be ashamed but I have not visited many tea places.

My email is kuricccc care of hotmail and com

Kuri

"Patrick Heinze" ha scritto nel messaggio
...
Hi there!

Next month I'll hit the road again...destination: Japan :-)

I will travel from Osaka/Kansai Region to Sendai via Fujiyama and Tokyo,
and
I've got plenty of time... Could anyone here provide me with information
about teaplaces next to my route? I'd like to see some actual
teaplantations and harvest (if possible at this time of the year), tea
schools, shops....etc.

Is there a website that lists tea plantations in japan?

Also I'd like to taste some of the local teas. I kinda like all of those
japanese gyokuru, sencha, kabuse-cha...etc that are imported to
germany...but I want to taste the REAL stuff ;-) ...any recomendations?

thanks in advance for any information
Patrick

--
"But please remember: this is only a work of Fiction.
The truth, as always, will be far stranger"

Arthur C. Clarke, 2001 - A Space Odyssey

Shizuoka is on the Tokaido Shinkansen line. If you stop in Shizuoka, I think
you can spend half a day visiting the tea museum. Here is the address:

The Tea Museum (O-cha non sato)
3053-2 Kanaya, Kanaya-cho, Haibara-gun, Shizuoka-ken, Japan
TEL: [81-] 547-46-5588/ FAX: [81-] 547-46-5577

I have been there and it is a nice place to learn something about tea
history and production. I remember that Shizuoka station is not the closest
to the museum, so ask to the ticket office which is the right one.
Shizuoka area is also one of the bigger tea production centre in Japan, and
you can see many tea gardens there.

Livio

"Patrick Heinze" ha scritto nel messaggio
...
Hi there!

Next month I'll hit the road again...destination: Japan :-)

I will travel from Osaka/Kansai Region to Sendai via Fujiyama and Tokyo,
and
I've got plenty of time... Could anyone here provide me with information
about teaplaces next to my route? I'd like to see some actual
teaplantations and harvest (if possible at this time of the year), tea
schools, shops....etc.

Is there a website that lists tea plantations in japan?

Also I'd like to taste some of the local teas. I kinda like all of those
japanese gyokuru, sencha, kabuse-cha...etc that are imported to
germany...but I want to taste the REAL stuff ;-) ...any recomendations?

thanks in advance for any information
Patrick

--
"But please remember: this is only a work of Fiction.
The truth, as always, will be far stranger"

Arthur C. Clarke, 2001 - A Space Odyssey

Shizuoka is on the Tokaido Shinkansen line. If you stop in Shizuoka, I think
you can spend half a day visiting the tea museum. Here is the address:

The Tea Museum (O-cha non sato)
3053-2 Kanaya, Kanaya-cho, Haibara-gun, Shizuoka-ken, Japan
TEL: [81-] 547-46-5588/ FAX: [81-] 547-46-5577

I have been there and it is a nice place to learn something about tea
history and production. I remember that Shizuoka station is not the closest
to the museum, so ask to the ticket office which is the right one.
Shizuoka area is also one of the bigger tea production centre in Japan, and
you can see many tea gardens there.

Livio