Shizuoka Local Customs

During processing, Japanese green tea is first steamed and not heat-treated.

The result is that Japanese green tea can be brewed for full flavor using a lower water temperature and less time than other teas.

Next, brewing a pot of Japanese loose leaf green tea is not difficult at all.

Water Quality

The taste of loose leaf tea is generally mild and not overpowering. If your tap water tastes bad, then so probably will your green tea.Fresh, filtered or bottled water for the best tasting tea.

Heating the Water

Heat as much water as needed for the green tea you desire to drink.

It is necessary to bring the water to a boil for the best taste.. For water heating purposes, either a kettle or microwave oven is fine.

How Much Green Tea

One teaspoonful (two grams) per person or cup is sufficient.

However, depending on your own taste, use as much tea as suits you. After gaining brewing experience, it won't be necessary to actually measure the quantity.

The Teapot

Using a tea ball will result in good tasting green tea, but typically it is too small to allow the tea leaves to properly expand during infusion.

This restricts bringing out full flavor. I recommend a teapot that has a removable metal basket in which to place the tea. The tea leaves are placed directly inside this type of pot. .

Infusion Water Temperature

This will vary according to the variety of the green tea . If the water has reached boiling point, then let it cool a few minutes, or add cooler water to bring the temperature down.

Shizuoka is a major producer of green tea in japan, both in terms of quality and quantity .
The mountainous districts around the basin of Abekawa, Ohigawa and Tenryugawa rivers, all famous for their tea plantations.

Shizuoka boasts about 41% of the tea plantations in Japan, and our share of tea production is roughly 45% of the national crop.

ORIGIN OF TEA

Although the origin of tea in Japan is not clear, it is said that in the Nara/Heian era the custom of drinking tea was brought by monks from China, who also brought seeds of tea trees.

There is a Chinese poem which support the hypothesis that we had native tea trees in Japan. A court lady of the Saga Emperor wrote: "she boiled the spring water and made some tea. The tea with a little bit of salt tasted better."

Also there is a poem saying that the Taijou Emperor had tea with the monk Kaikou, seeing Kuukai off when he went back to the mountain. From these we can guess that the custom of drinking tea had spread among the upper-class at that time.

You can see many tea field in Shizuoka pre.