Side B of Japanese tea
When I travel, I suddenly feel like walking in the back alleys, not in the dazzling lights of tourist spots or the echoing voices of vendors.
The alpinist Ken Noguchi’s father, a diplomat, said that when he went to Cairo, he took Ken not to the pyramids but to the slums.
Like a record, there are two sides to the story, A and B. The A side is visible even if you leave it alone. The A side can be seen even if you leave it alone, but the B side cannot be seen unless you dare to go there. The important themes of the world are on the B side.
What we want to convey is the B side of the traditional culture of Japanese tea. Even though it may not be glamorous, easily accessible, and convincing to everyone, the more you listen to it, the more you will be amazed and impressed by the unknown B side.
Visit Yutani
The tour will take you to the birthplace of Soen Nagatani, a registered Japanese heritage site, the streets of tea merchants in the Edo period, and the tea fields of Daifukudani, where you will learn about the history of Japanese tea while sipping sencha, a tea with the terroir of Yuya Valley.
Tea picking
Experience tea picking in Ohbuku Valley, the birthplace of sencha tea.
Time:May
White tea making
Learn to make white tea by picking naturally grown tea leaves from a large tea tree that is over 200 years old.
Time:May