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| A view of Mt. Fuji from the University of Shizuoka in October, 2017 |
Having Japan's highest mountain Fujisan and deepest bay Suruga in its region, Shizuoka Prefecture is a hotbed for agriculture, forestry, fishery and vroom-vroom motorcycle industries, and is widely known for its two 'green' treasures. One is wasabi, the quintessential condiment for sashimi and sushi. Shizuoka is the birthplace and the leading producer of wasabi in Japan. To serve it, freshly grated wasabi is divine but a tube of ready-to-use paste is handy.
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| Wasabi grater and fresh wasabi |
The other green treasure of Shizuoka is none other than tea. Shizuoka means quiet hills in Japanese. The quiet hills are alive with the sound of tea leaves! Being the number one tea producer in the country, Shizuoka's tea fields cover about 17,400 hectares of land and counted 9,617 tea farmers in 2015. In other words, 40% of total tea area and 50% of total tea farmers in Japan are in this prefecture. The tea farmers have the strong support of local government (i.e., Tea Industry Development Division) for growing their businesses.
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| Shizuoka tea field |
Tea in Japan is synonymous with green tea. Tea leaves are customarily steamed to arrest oxidation after they are harvested. Afterwards, tea leaves undergo the processes of rolling before they are dried. The majority of Japanese green tea is sencha. Sencha can be regular or deep steamed. Deep steaming or fukamushi allows tea to become milder and less astringent. Fukamushi sencha was pioneered in Shizuoka!
The following images were taken at the Center for Education and Research in Field Sciences of Shizuoka University. The heritage equipment works wonders.
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| Sencha made by participants |
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| Temomi |
In addition to sencha, Shizuoka also manufactures other types of tea, including semi-oxidized oolong and fully-oxidized black tea. Here is a list of more readily available green teas on the market. Shade-grown green teas, such as Gyokuro, contain higher levels of chlorophyll.
Tea
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Shade
Grown
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Notes
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Sencha
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No
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Regular and Fukamushi
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Guricha
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No
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Leaves are not rolled.
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Kukicha
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No
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Stems and twigs
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Bancha
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No
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Late harvest
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Gyokuro
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Yes
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About 20 days shading
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Kabusecha
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Yes
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About 10-14 days
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Tencha
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Yes
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About 20 days
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Matcha
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Yes
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Stone ground Tencha
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Hojicha
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No
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Roasted green tea
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Genmaicha
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No
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Green tea + roasted rice
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For all the tea in Japan or Shizuoka, Yabukita is the most widespread plant variety or cultivar to date. It was a Shizuoka farmer Sugiyama Hikosaburo who developed and named the cultivar in the early 20th century. Kudos to Shizuoka! Along with Yabukita, there are many other cultivars thriving in the landscape of Shizuoka. Although Yabukita yields reliable and quality crops, the other varieties offer diversity for both farmers and consumers.
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| Sofu cultivar tasting |
The secrets to Japanese green tea preparation include soft water, adequate leaf to water ratio, lower water temperature, shorter steeping time and proper brewing vessels. A tasty cup of Japanese tea may be described as well-balanced flavors of umami, sweetness, astringency and bitterness. Furthermore, the vegetal and iodized aromas should embody the spirit of the terroir. No perfumes have yet captured the essence of Japanese tea, not even Jo Malone's Japanese sencha inspired Jade Leaf Tea Cologne.
Drinking tea not only quenches thirst but also likely maintains well-being. The Tea Science Center at the University of Shizuoka has been conducting research into the health benefits of Japanese green tea. The findings thus far indicate promising and positive effects of catechins, the main chemical components in green tea, on health; for example, alleviating stress, preventing influenza and managing dementia. Myoan Eisai, the 12th century zen monk who brought back tea seeds from China, was probably right when he wrote, "Tea is the ultimate mental and medical remedy with the ability to make one's life more full and complete."
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| cantaloupe flavor kit kat and matcha - a balanced diet |
