TeaMania in Japan – The tea growing area Honyama

Konnichiwa dear tea friends

We are pleased to publish our first photo report about Japan. After the stay in the hectic urban jungle of Tokyo we were glad to get a taste of the country air again. After a short stay in a Ryokan we moved to Shizuoka, one of the main tea growing areas in Japan. In Shizuoka we visited an innovative tea producer whom we got to know through a friend. Maybe more about this in a later post.

But we were interested in more teas with character. Such from small tea farms which are run by families and captivate with their uniqueness. In Honyama we finally found what we were looking for. Here, where the Abe River has its source, tea bushes thrive in narrow valleys surrounded by deep forests. The water of the mountain streams is so clear that even wasabi can be cultivated here. These special conditions create a special micro-climate. From the Abe and its numerous tributaries and sometimes even from Fuji, wafts of mist pass through the tea fields of Honyama. This shades the tea leaves in a natural way and this is one of the reasons why teas from Honyama can be counted among the best teas in Japan.

Honyama Teegarten
So steep that it needs a rack railway

Hon Yama 7
With fans against frost
Honyama Teefeld
Every available space is used
Honyama Teefelde mit Abe Fluss im Hintergrund
Honyama tea fields with the Abe River in the background
Haus des Teemeisters
That’s how idyllically the tea master lives
Shincha
Shincha tea leaves
Hon Yama 66
Tea field in Honyama
Okumidori
New tea – Shincha
Yabukita Teepflanze
Yabukita tea field
Shincha
Shincha tea leaves
Hon Yama 67
Tea is grown on various slopes
Hon Yama 68
Surounded by forests
Honyama Teefeld
One railway track ends here
Honyama Teefeld
The other track continues
Honyama Teefeld
It’s still far to the top
Honyama Teefeld
Tea in the forest
Honyamas Teefelder
Honyama tea fields
Honyama Teefeld
A late budding cultivar
Honyama Teefeld
Surrounded by nature
Honyama Teeanbau
The teamaster explains
Aufstieg zu den Teegärten von Honyama
the ascent continues
Honyama Teefelder sind umgeben von Wäldern
More forests
Teefelder
All this is managed by the tea master and his wife alone. And all this without the use of harvesters
Honyama Tee
The tea fields are located on different slopes
Honyama Tee
Frost damage can be seen on the left
Honyama Teefeld mit Ventilatoren
Fans that should actually prevent frost damage
Honyama Teefeld mit Hütte
A break halfway
Honyama Teefeld mit Wald
More forest
Honyama Teefeld mit Zahnradbahn
The railway snakes along the tea field in Honyama
Honyama Teefeld
Postcards Idyll
Honyama Tee aus der Nähe betrachtet
I take a close look
Honyama Tal
Everything alright
Hon Yama 107
The teamaster also wants to take a picture
Hon Yama 63
The railway in detail
Hon Yama 58
it leads through the forest past the wasabi gardens
Honyama Wasabi
Besides tea, the teamaster also plants wasabi
Honyama Wasabi
Wasabi grows only in very clear mountain water
Honyama Wasabi
Wasabi
Hon Yama 109
Hand-rolled Sencha – Temomicha
Hon Yama 110
Long – longer – Temomicha
Temomicha in Kyushu
And off to the Kyushu
Temomicha in Kyushu
Fancy soucers
Temomicha Aufguss
Old school with thermometer
Temomicha Aufguss
Temomicha infusion
Temomicha Aufguss
Clear brew – Temomicha
Temomi Teeblatt
Temomi (hand rolled) tea leaf
Hon Yama 20
Kabuse Sencha from previous year
Koridashi Kabuse Sencha
Infused with ice – Koridashi
Wakoucha aus Honyama
Black tea is also available – Wakoucha
Schwarzer Tee aus Honyama
Wakoucha from Honyama – of course also in shincha quality

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