Tea Museum Shizuoka

In November 2024, I visited Tea Museum, Shizuoka/ふじのくに茶の都ミュージアム in Shimada.  The museum is located on the Makinohara Plateau, the largest tea growing region in Japan at over 12,000 acres (5,000 hectares).  I had previously visited the museum in 2015 when it was operated by Shimada City under the name Ocha no Sato/お茶の郷. It closed for renovations in 2016 after which ownership transferred to Shizuoka Prefecture and the museum re-opened under the new name in 2018.  

Access
To visit the museum, I recommend taking the train to Kanaya Station, followed by a taxi to the tea museum. The taxi ride is approximately 10 minutes and very affordable.  Generally, it's a good idea to print or write out the name and address of your destination in Japanese to share with the taxi driver.  In this case, locals like my driver still refer to the museum by its former name, so you can also say "Ocha no sato" and they'll know where to take you.

On my previous visit, I walked roundtrip between Kanaya Station and the tea museum which was rather scenic. However, the trek on foot to the museum is somewhat lengthy and almost entirely uphill so I would suggest saving the walk for the return trip.  If you do walk, take Route 473 as it offers beautiful panoramic views, safe sidewalks, and restaurants if you'd like to pause for a meal.  

Note that some GPS apps like the one I use may try to route you a different way that looks shorter but takes you down roads with no sidewalks or shoulders for pedestrians and lots of commercial vehicle traffic.

The Museum

The fukiyose-style wall along the front of the building is one of the first and most obvious improvements with the more aesthetically appealing wood rail pattern breaking up the otherwise stark museum exterior.

The museum facilities include the three-story main building, the shop with a restaurant on the second floor, and the traditional Japanese teahouse and garden. From the upper floors of the museum there are several areas with large windows that provide an impressive view of the surrounding tea fields, the Oi River, and Mount Fuji on a clear day.

Admission

Inside the museum, take the elevator or stairs up to the Tickets and Information counter on the 2nd Floor to pay for admission and experience tickets.  Reservations for tea ceremony must be made at the teahouse.  Audio guides in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean are available for use with the permanent exhibits.  Guided tours are only offered in Japanese and museum staff generally do not speak much English.  I highly recommend using a translation app or similar device to get the most from your museum visit.  Photography is allowed in public spaces throughout the museum and grounds with the exception of some rooms and displays that have No Photography signs clearly posted.

The Shizuoka Welcome Tea is located on the 3rd Floor in the Mount Fuji Viewing Hall.  Here you can taste locally produced tea which is also available for purchase in the museum shop.  The Miyama no Sato sencha was a refreshing start to my visit. 

Makinohara Tea Terrace Experience

There are two options for this experience: Glass Type: a bottle of freshly brewed high quality tea served in a glass and Basket Type: a portable tea set for self-brewing.  Once you are provided with your equipment you can proceed out onto the terrace where you have up to an hour to enjoy your tea and the view which includes the surrounding tea fields and Makinohara Park where a statue of Eisai (Yōsai) is visible.

For this visit, I chose the basket set since I enjoy going through the motions of brewing tea.  The basket includes a thermos of hot water, a glass teapot, two small tea cups, two sweets, a tray, a timer, and brewing instructions (in English for me).  The tea was Jyuuichi Hitoe Yamasodachi, a deep-steamed sencha from the Tsuyuhikari cultivar representing 11 producers in different regions of Shizuoka.  The sweets were Ochatsubu Dacquoise with green tea filling from Takayanagi Seicha.  I highly recommend this experience!

In addition to tea on the terrace, the museum offers the following experiences:

Shizuoka Tea Experience (Japanese language only) - Learn how to brew locally grown tea. At the time of my visit, they were brewing Shizuoka wakocha (black tea).

Tea in the World Experience (Japanese language only) - Learn about the tea culture of different countries. At the time of my visit, the focus was on China and Chinese green tea.

Grinding Matcha Experience - This is an opportunity to use a stone mill to grind matcha that can be taken home to enjoy.

Tea Blending Experience (Japanese language only) - Learn to blend different kinds of Japanese teas and taste the results.

Tea Ceremony Experience - There are two options: See formal tea ceremony procedures by a tea master and enjoy matcha with wagashi (tea sweet) as a guest or learn how to prepare matcha from the tea master and enjoy the matcha you made with wagashi. Reservations are required. I've had this experience before and highly recommend it.

I was a little disappointed that the chamusume bookmark-making workstation didn't make the cut for the renovated museum offerings.

Exhibits

The Tea from Around the World exhibit includes a wall of tea with interactive samples of everything from sencha to rarer teas like asukekancha and botebotecha.  There are also replicas like a portion of Huxinting teahouse (Shanghai, China) that you can walk through and the two-story Jinxiu Tea King tea tree (Yunnan, China). At over 3,200 years old, the Jinxiu Tea King is the oldest and largest in the world!

The Beginnings of Tea in Shizuoka exhibit includes a copy of Eisai's Kissa Yojoki, the oldest tea book written in Japan, regional tea production methods, and an example of the tea drunk by people in the Heian period in Japan and Tang Dynasty China, a mochicha (dan cha/brick tea) that was ground into powder and brewed with hot water, 

The History of the Tea Capitol, Shizuoka exhibit includes a video of the temomicha (hand-rolled tea) process and tools with a comparison to machine rolling and Showa-era tea making equipment inside a replica tea shed with videos showing the equipment in use.  I really appreciated being able to see this equipment in use.

The Pride of the Tea Capitol, Shizuoka exhibit includes examples of the different tea varietals grown in the region, tea cultivation, and tea blending procedures.  There is also a section relating to chagusaba, the practice of growing tall grasses alongside the tea field that will be cut down and turned into mulch to feed the tea plants, and examples of the various tea customs around Japan which I especially appreciate because you can see the utensils, ingredients, and how the tea looks after it's prepared.  Some of of the teas are very niche to a specific region like Okinawan bukubukucha.

Maruobara Restaurant

The restaurant is located on the 2nd Floor above the museum shop and can be accessed from the same floor of the museum.  The layout and decor has improved since the renovation.  Furnishings are comfortable and modern and arranged to take advantage of the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows.  The food has also been upgraded, with meals that integrate tea and showcase local ingredients. I ordered the Tsuke Soba (tsukemen) Set which includes matcha soba with vegetables and pork in broth for dipping, a wasabi rice bowl where you grate your own locally-grown wasabi, and slices of matcha roll cake for dessert. Cold green tea was served at the start of the meal and hot tea was served at the end.  The meal itself was tasty and filling, though it did require some patience as the wasabi grating process is rather time-consuming.  I didn't mind because it made the meal feel a little more special.

Japanese Garden

Both the teahouse and garden are recreations of those designed by feudal lord and tea master Kobori Enshu who established the Enshu-ryu school of Japanese tea ceremony.  The garden is a recreation of the east garden of Emperor Go-Mizunoo's Sento Imperial Palace in Kyoto, created by Enshu in 1634.  It's a strolling garden with a pond and a fully-restored yatsuhashi bridge that I was especially looking forward to seeing as it was in an advanced state of disrepair during my previous visit.

Museum Shop

The shop offers a wide range of locally produced tea, teaware, food and gifts.  While there is no longer a cafe, they do provide table seating where you can relax and enjoy hot or cold tea and matcha gelato parfaits.

Address:

〒428-0034 静岡県島田市金谷富士見町3053番地の2

3053-2 Kanayafujimicho, Shimada, Shizuoka 428-0034, Japan

Hours:

Tea Museum, Shizuoka: 9:00am to 5:00pm Wednesday-Monday, Closed Tuesday

Teahouse Shomokurou: 9:30am to 4:00pm

Restaurant Maruobara: 11:00am to 2:00pm Friday-Sunday, Closed Monday-Thursday

Northwest Tea Festival 2025

The 15th Northwest Tea Festival was held on September 27th and 28th in Seattle Center's Exhibition Hall.

With well over 50 vendors, festival attendees had an abundance of tea, teaware, food, and gifts to discover and take home.  Festival admission includes a porcelain tasting cup and most booths had freshly brewed tea ready to sample.  Several vendors also offered tea tastings and demonstrations at their booths.

A puerh tea tasting with Glen Bowers (Crimson Lotus)

A tea ceremony presentation hosted by Sugimoto Tea

Presentations were on two stages with topics ranging from the health benefits, science, and economics of the tea industry to the history, cultural traditions, and production methods of tea growing regions. 

Workshops returned this year and were welcomed back with great enthusiasm as online tickets sold out quickly.

The always popular Tea Bar had a rotating schedule of hosts providing tea tastings throughout the weekend. 

Sam Culwell, Diarmuid Fahy, and Colton Meyers serve tea at the Tea Bar

Josh Brock (The Empty Cup) serves tea at the Tea Bar

Thanks so much to everyone who made this event possible!

Be sure to mark your calendars for Northwest Tea Festival 2026 which will be held on September 26th and 27th.  

Cafe Flora

Cafe Flora has been serving vegetarian cuisine using local ingredients in Seattle's Madison Valley neighborhood since 1991. I had the opportunity to stop by for the first time in December to enjoy their Holiday Afternoon Tea.

Seating is available in the dining room, atrium, and outdoor patio. We were seated in the light-filled atrium which features a stone fountain and a tree growing in the center of the room.

The tea menu includes black, green, oolong, and herbal teas from Portal Tea (formerly Tea Chai Te), another long-standing fixture in the Pacific Northwest. They also offer festive mixed drinks, including an alcohol-free option, and wine.

My tea for this festive occasion was Gingerbread Chai. Everything was delicious and I especially enjoyed the gingerbread scone, English cucumber and herbed cream cheese sandwich, and evergreen meringue.

Cafe Flora offers vegan and gluten-free alternatives and can accommodate other dietary restrictions with enough notice. While afternoon tea is only offered on holidays and requires a reservation, many of the teas listed on the afternoon tea menu are also included on their daily menu.

Address:
2901 E. Madison St, Seattle, WA 98112

Hours:
Monday-Friday 9:00am to 9:00pm
Saturday & Sunday 8:00am to 2:30pm and 5:00pm to 9:00pm

Fly Chai

Thanks to a timely tip, I was able to visit Fly Chai during its grand opening weekend December 18-21, 2025.  The tea room is located in downtown Beaverton, Oregon and very convenient from the freeway if you're passing through like myself.

During my visit I had the opportunity to meet the owner, Neil Bhatnagar, who gave us a tour and shared his vision for Fly Chai.  He has brought his experience in hospitality together with his cultural and familial roots to create a community space that celebrates the diversity of the neighborhood.

The tea room has lots of natural light and plentiful seating on the ground floor as well as upstairs where you'll find more tables alongside several comfortable sofas.  Orders are placed at the counter and brought to your table. 

The menu offers a wide range of hot and iced chai, matcha, coffee, hot chocolate, desserts, and small bites.  The chai is made from a family recipe with Assam tea, fresh spices, and gud (jaggery) syrup and is served in clay cups.  It's customizable for spice levels and dairy options and is available as single-serve, flights, in tea pots for groups, and as a starter kit to brew at home.

For this visit, I enjoyed the Firestarter Chai with Bun Maska.  Note that spicier options like the Firestarter, which contains some of the spices you would find in Sichuan cooking, are not fooling around.  I enjoy mid-to-high spice levels depending on the occasion and this was at the top of my heat tolerance.  Respect your limits and you'll have a fantastic chai experience.  

Before leaving, I ordered the yummy Jaggery Brown Sugar Chai for the long drive home.  I'm definitely looking forward to visiting again whenever I'm in the neighborhood.

Be sure to follow Fly Chai on Instagram for the latest updates!

Address:
12520 SW Farmington Rd, Beaverton, OR 97005

Hours:
10:00 am to 8:00 pm

Cascadia Autumn Steep 'n Sip 2025

On November 1st I attended the Autumn Steep 'n Sip, a virtual event presented by Cascadia Tea Festival where tea enthusiasts had the opportunity to gather for tea and conversation from the comfort of their own homes.

While attendees could drink anything they preferred during the Steep 'n Sip, an optional festival-in-a-box was available for purchase before the event.  The box included a nice selection of teas from local businesses as well as an adorable and seasonally appropriate frog and pumpkin tea pet.  

Cascadia Tea Festival co-founder Jessica Campbell was the host, making introductions and keeping the conversation lively.

Glen Bowers (Crimson Lotus) introduced us to Shou Girls, a 2025 shou puerh included in the tea box, and shared his recipe for single-serve "Shousala Chai.  Fill a mug with water and pour that into a pan with 2.5+ grams of shou puerh, cardamom, cinnamon, a few cloves, and sliced or crushed ginger. Heat on high until it's boiled down about halfway, fill the mug halfway with whole milk and pour into the pot and bring it back to a boil, watching closely.  When it's close to boiling over, remove from heat, pour through a strainer into the mug, and enjoy!

Thuy (Tea J Tea) chatted with us while we enjoyed Korean Roasted Corn (Popcorn) Tea with butter cookies from the tea box.  Tea J Tea's original business model is focused on tea and pastry pairings and I can confirm that their pairings are always on point.  After attending World Tea Expo and finding no Vietnamese tea representation, they were inspired to visit tea farms in Viet Nam which lead to the development of their Vietnamese Flower Garden Collection.  Thuy recommends brewing Vietnamese tea short as it can get bitter quickly and highly recommended Vietnamese Ya Bao (wild bud tea) which is picked between December and March.

Laurie Dawson (Whatcom Tea) introduced us to a very unique and honestly delightful method of preparing gongfu-style rose-infused tea.  Place the strainer over the cha hai (fairness pitcher), add a few rose buds to the strainer, and pour the tea into the pitcher.  The resulting aroma and flavor were very pleasant without overpowering the puerh.

This was a great opportunity to relax, sip tea, and spend time with other tea people and I look forward to similar future events.  

Be sure to check the official Cascadia Tea Festival website regularly for upcoming events, including a Virtual Tea Festival in May!

Tea Review: Sayamacha Okumidori Fukamushicha (Yunomi/Yokota Tea Garden)

Sayamacha Okumidori Fukamushicha おくみどり

Yokota Tea Garden/Yunomi
Type: Green
Origin: Japan, Saitama Prefecture, Sayama
Product Description: 

Premium fukamushicha (a deep steamed tea leaf) made with a single tea plant cultivar, okumidori. The Okumidori tea cultivar is a cultivar that has been quite popular in recent years for its strong natural umami flavor and refreshing taste and smell. It is often blended with the Yabukita cultivar but this tea from the Yokota Tea Garden is a single cultivar, allowing you to fully taste this well-rounded cultivar. Grown by 4th, 5th, and 6th generation tea farmers in the famous Sayama region of Saitama prefecture.

Temperature: 160° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 1-1.5 minutes

The dry leaves have nutty aroma with a hint of green.

The pale green liquor has a savory, nutty and lightly green edamame-like aroma and flavor with a long, refreshing green finish.

As expected, and something I look forward to with deep-steamed tea, the first infusion was light and pleasant while the second developed a brighter liquor color and a deeper, richer flavor.  While I enjoyed this tea at the recommended brewing time of 30-60 seconds, I found that I much preferred the greener results by brewing for 1-1.5 minutes.  At a higher temperature, the shorter brewing time works very well. 

This was a Fukubukuro tea, selected by Yunomi staff after you specify the grade.  Fukubukuro (lucky bag) are available as part of the Japanese New Year's festivities and are most often blind bags from retailers.  It's always a fun surprise to see what's inside and the packaging for my tea was beautiful.

This tea was purchased by me.