Shizuoka is Japan’s tea capital, producing around 40% of the nation’s green tea, its rolling hillsides striped with the neat emerald rows of tea fields that have shaped the prefecture’s landscape and identity since the 13th century. The year peaks with the spring shincha season, when the prized first flush of new leaves is picked from late April through May, celebrated with hands-on tea-picking experiences, fresh-leaf tastings and the grassy, sweet flavour of new tea served everywhere from farm stands to fine tea salons.
🗓️ At a Glance
| Location | Across Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Hours | Tea shops daytime; picking experiences seasonal |
| Admission | Tastings from a few hundred yen; picking ¥1,000–2,000 |
| Time needed | Flexible, from a tasting to a tea-country day |
| Best time | Late April–May for the shincha first flush |
What to Try
- Shincha first-flush tea, the year’s most prized leaves in spring.
- Hands-on tea picking in the emerald hillside fields.
- Tastings from farm stands to fine tea salons.
- The landscape of striped tea fields, often with Fuji behind.
Combine Your Visit
- Combine with Tea Plantation Tours for the full farm experience.
- Pair with Kakegawa Castle in the tea heartland.
- Read our Shizuoka overview .
Getting There
- By train: tea towns like Kakegawa and Fujieda sit on the JR/Shinkansen lines.
- By car: the best way to reach hillside fields and farm shops.
Tips
Time a visit for the shincha season in late April and May if you can, when picking experiences run and shops pour the fresh first flush — the flavour genuinely differs from later harvests. Look for hillside viewpoints where the striped fields line up with Mount Fuji, one of Shizuoka’s signature photographs.
