We'll round out this miniseries on tea with a family friendly activity in Shizuoka. You might remember Kanaya station from the post a few days ago on the Oigawa Railway. A short taxi ride in the other direction from the station brings you to Greenpia Makinohara. The plains of Makinohara are some of the most... Continue Reading →
Experience: Oigawa Steam Train
You might think I am deviating from the theme of tea, after promising more entries on Japan's "green gold" last week. However, this unique experience will have you riding through some of Shizuoka's most picturesque tea growing regions. Kanaya is a small town on the Tokaido Main Line between Shizuoka and Hamamatsu cities. While there's... Continue Reading →
Crash Course: Tea
Though Starbucks has indeed invaded the Japanese archipelago, this country has traditionally run on tea. Since its importation from China sometime in the 9th century, tea has become the drink of choice, the gatorade of the samurai class and the Miller Lite of the masses. Certain prefectures in Japan are known for their tea production,... Continue Reading →
Experience: Strawberry Picking in Shizuoka
My local neighborhood market has been having a run on strawberries lately. Granted, these red gems made their entrance to the fruit/produce area back in January, but as of late, the deal of ¥100 a basket has been too good to pass up. There's nothing like a box of fruit delivered practically to your doorstep, but... Continue Reading →
Manhole Monday: Shizuoka
This post is part of a series on artistic manhole covers around Japan. It's Mt Fuji climbing season again. The trails opened around the first of July and each day, hundreds of hikers tackle Japan's sacred peak. I'll post a bit more on how to do the actual climb in another entry but for this... Continue Reading →