The Complete Guide to Shizuoka-cha
One of the "3 Great Teas of Japan". The undeniable powerhouse area-brand of Japanese tea.
November 28th, 2021
Shizuoka-cha is responsible for one of the largest tea production regions in Japan.
You'll find loads of Shizuoka-cha options even outside of Japan! Let's look into the details of Shizuoka-cha here.
Introduction to Shizuoka-cha
Shizuoka-cha is the brand name for the green tea produced in the Shizuoka prefecture. Yes, the Shizuoka prefecture also has the beautiful Mt. Fuji. Therefore, some of the plantations have great views.
Fuji city of Shizuoka has beautiful tea plantations with a great view of Mount Fuji
Shizuoka-cha is responsible for 40% of the green tea production of the entire country. It boasts one of the highest tea productions and the largest area of tea plantation in Japan. In fact, it was the undisputable No.1 when it comes to tea production for a long time, until just recently, when Kagoshima prefecture overtook the position.
Contributions of Shizuoka-cha
- Created the "Yabukita" tea leaf breed. This is currently the most prominent breed of tea tree in Japan. The Shizuoka-cha is also the innovator of other up-and-coming tea cultivars, such as the Koshun.
- Invented the "Fukamushi-Sencha".
The good thing about Shizuoka-cha is, that it is commonly found outside of Japan as well.
In Singapore, for example, you can drop by DonDonDonki or Isetan, and you may realize that the vast majority of the available Japanese tea is actually Shizuoka-cha. Many of the Sencha, Genmaicha, Houjicha among others will be originating from Shizuoka.
The Shizuoka Prefecture and its craze for green tea!
Shizuoka is large strip of land located right in between Tokyo and Nagoya.
If you're ever travelling in Japan on a bullet train between these two stations, that means you've been zooming through the prefecture for a good stretch of the time.
Tea is produced all over this Shizuoka prefecture.
We'll go over the "area-brands" within Shizuoka in more detail below, but according to Shizuoka Prefecture's website, there are 20 different areas within Shizuoka which produce tea!
They range from the mountainous areas to the flat fields, and it caters for a very diverse range of tastes and qualities.
It's not just the volume of tea that is produced which is significant. It's the fact that the people of Shizuoka love tea so much. It's like a part of their identity.
Here are a few fun facts:
- Green tea is served for school lunch!
- During winter, schools teach kids about gargling using green tea!
- There are many schools which serve green tea from the tap!
No, this is not a common thing in Japan, only in Shizuoka! And it shows a glimpse into how deeply connected green tea is to the people of Shizuoka.
Teas under the Shizuoka-cha umbrella
"Shizuoka-cha" has several areas under it.
It is so large that it actually has several sub-area brands under its umbrella, each of these being extremely famous and successful as an area brand as well.
Let me introduce some of them here.
*Disclaimer: There are so many that I can't cover all of them in this article!
Kakegawa-cha is famous as it is said to be the origin of the Fukamushi-sencha. Honyama-cha and Kawane-cha are commonly counted in as the "5 Great Teas of Japan" for their high-quality tea grown in the mountainous areas of Shizuoka. As each of these areas has different geographical characteristics, Shizuoka-cha has a variety of tastes.
Name | Area | Intro |
Kakegawa City, Shizuoka | Kakegawa-cha is said to be one of the origins of Fukamushi-Sencha. Currently is one of the leaders of quality Fukamushi-Sencha. Known for a unique agricultural method as well. | |
Around Abe-river, Shizuoka | The origin of Shizuoka-cha, loved by Ieyasu Tokugawa, the first Shogun who conquered Japan. Soil is blessed with minerals, and the river fog acts as a natural curtain to nurture the tea leaves of fantastic quality. | |
Kawane-honchou, Shizuoka | One of Japan's leaders in terms of high-quality Fukamushi-Sencha. Characterised by an unbelievable viscosity and smoothness, the Kakegawa-sencha is cherished as a gift as well. | |
Tenryu-cha | Around Tenryu river, Shizuoka | Grown in the mountainous areas of the Tenryu river, this area is also blessed with an ideal natural environment for tea. Known for its production of high-end tea, has received several accolades in Japan’s National Tea Competition. |
Makinohara-cha | Makinohara-area, Shizuoka | Another area brand nationally known in Japan, produces high quality Fukamushi-sencha with sweetness and powerful taste.ate September |
The taste and quality of Shizuoka-cha
Shiuzoka prefecture has a warm climate and the long sunlight hours which is preferable for tea plantations. There is also a large temperature drop at night, especially in the mountainous areas, which contribute to high-quality tea such as high-grade Sencha and Gyokuro.
Let's look at some of the results of the National Tea Competition to get an understanding of Shizuoka-cha's quality. This is a good tool to measure the top-line quality of an area brand.
The National Tea Competition of Japan is the most prestigious tea competition and event taking place annually in Japan. It awards the best individual tea, and also the best tea areas of the year. The first place winner is awarded the elusive Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery award.
You can read more about The National Tea Competition of Japan here.
We've done an analysis on the past 8 competition results. First let's look at the Fukamushi-Sencha category.
- Shizuoka's area has dominated #1 - #3 for the Area Award for all 8 years. (8 to Kakegawa City, 8 to Makinohara City, 3 to Fukuroi City, 3 to Omaezaki City, and 2 to Fujieda City)
- Shizuoka's manufacturers have won the individual #1 award (The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery Award) all 8 years. (4 to Kakegawa City, 2 to Fukuroi City, 1 to Omaezaki City, and 1 to Shimada City)
This is pure domination. Not only is the Fukamushi-sencha invented in Shizuoka, it is simply the best there as well.
But Fukamushi-Sencha is not the only category Shizuoka exceeds in.
The Sencha 4kg category is for hand plucking of the leaves (as opposed to machine plucking - which is the Sencha 10kg category)
- Shizuoka had landed #1 for the Area Award for all 8 years. (4 to Hamamatsu City, 3 to Shizuoka City, and 1 to Kawane Houcho Town)
- The individual #1 award (The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery Award) was awarded to Shizuoka in 7 of the 8 years.
Shizuoka tea's quality has one of the highest standards in Japan in terms of the tea quality for Sencha and Fukamushi-sencha.
Next time you're looking for tea, be on the lookout for Shizuoka-cha! Most likely, you'll find it in a Japanese supermarket, even if you're not in Japan.
