Fragrant, soothing and filled with powerful antioxidants, tea is second only to water on the list of beverages consumed around the planet. If your vision of the perfect tea experience includes Japan as a setting, consider visiting the historic tea production region of Shizuoka. Yielding more than a third of all Japan’s tea, Shizuoka lies southwest of Tokyo and east of Nagoya (about an hour by train from either city).

© Explore Shizuoka

Right now, the region enjoys its third harvest of the year. Visitors can learn all about the cultivation and collection of tea while picking their own at Kyoko-san’s Tea Farm, before visiting Okakae Chaen tea farm. At this tea farm, visitors learn firsthand from owner Shiratori-san about the finer points and intricacies of serving and enjoying tea, as well as how the temperature of the water in which the leaves are steeped directly influences tea flavor.

© Explore Shizuoka

A trip to Tea Museum in Shizuoka takes visitors on a journey into the world of tea culture and industry. Set within sight of Mount Fuji, the museum features a café serving local teas, along with a Tea Ceremony House known as a Shoumokurou. Settle in for a cup of matcha delivered with a selection of traditional Japanese sweets and tea cakes. To complete your tea-mersive experience, visit two of the area’s roasteries at Tea Terrace Ichinose and Maruzen Tea Roastery.

At Ichinose, located in Setonoya, relax with a pot of locally grown tea while also drinking in views of mountains and tea farms. At Maruzen, sample from a selection of sweet ice creams crafted from every flavor of tea.