Nanaya Shizuoka

In October I had the opportunity to revisit Nanaya/ななや Shizuoka.  When I first visited the shop in 2015, they were one of the first to introduce matcha gelato in grades from lightest to strongest flavor.  Since then, Nanaya has opened new shops across Japan as well as expanded their product line and distribution.  They even offer worldwide shipping!

Since my visit, the shop has moved to Gofukucho-dori, downtown Shizuoka City's main shopping street which also happens to be part of the Old Tokaido Road.  The new location allows more retail space for a wide range of tea products as well as a small casual seating area near the front.

For this visit, I picked up a beautifully packaged seasonal tea and three scoops of delicious gelato: No. 7 matcha (the boldest), hojicha, and sweet potato.

Address:
〒420-0031　静岡県静岡市葵区呉服町2丁目5-12
2 Chome-5-12 Gofukucho, Aoi Ward, Shizuoka, 420-0031, Japan

Hours:
11:00am to 7:00pm
Closed Wednesdays

Maruzen Tea Roastery

Recently, I visited Maruzen Tea Roastery on Gofukucho-dori, a popular shopping street in Shizuoka City.

Maruzen specializes in green teas roasted on-site and categorized by the roasting temperatures. They offer two steaming levels for the green tea, light/asamushi and deep/fukamushi, and then the temperature used for each 100C, 130C, 160C, and 200C.

Each roast is available prepared, packaged to brew at home, and as gelato. Meal and dessert sets, including seasonal offerings, are also available.

Purchases for dine-in and takeout orders can be placed at the counter just inside the door.  

Upstairs is the dining area where the warm wood tones and natural lighting lend warmth to the minimally decorated space.  Tea and meals are brought to your table, so you won't need to navigate the stairs while juggling a tray.

My tea for this visit was the 200℃ Dark Roast made from high grade tea leaves. I happened to drop in during a lull so I was able to rest from a long morning walk and catch up on some writing while sipping my tea and listening to the Ontario-based jazz station that was playing on the tea room speakers.  The tea was very good and the peaceful moment was much appreciated.

Address:

2 Chome-2ｰ5 Gofukucho, Aoi Ward, Shizuoka, 420-0031, Japan

〒420−0031 静岡県静岡市葵区呉服町２丁目2-5

Hours:

11:00am to 6:00pm

Momijiyama Garden Teahouse

Recently, I revisited the teahouse inside Momijiyama Garden/紅葉山庭園. The garden is located in the northwest corner of Sumpu Castle Park at the heart of Shizuoka City in Shizuoka Prefecture.

While paying the small admission fee at the garden entrance, you can also purchase a ticket for your choice of tea service in the ryureiseki teahouse. At the time of my visit, the tea options were matcha and two varieties of sencha.  Once inside the garden, a brief scenic walk will bring you to the teahouse.

After presenting your ticket at the teahouse entrance you can choose your seat. All seats provide a splendid view of the garden. 

After being seated, you'll receive a complimentary cup of hojicha followed by your tea set. 

For this visit, I chose the Honyama matcha set with wagashi.  The tea bowl and sweet reflected the autumn season even though the trees and plants outside were still holding onto their summer green.

This particular matcha is the result of historical research and cultivation that began in 1986 to reproduce the matcha that was believed to be favored by Tokugawa Ieyasu after he retired to Sumpu Castle.  For this reason, Honyama matcha is generally only served at tea ceremonies and events relating to the Tokugawa clan.  You can learn more about Honyama matcha by following this link.  

All teas offered by the teahouse are also available for purchase. The hojicha was so delicious that I had to bring a bag home.

The beautiful Momijiyama Garden is a peaceful oasis in the heart of the city and I highly recommend a visit if you're in the area.

Address: 

〒420-0855, 静岡県静岡市葵区駿府公園1-1
1 Sunpujōkōen, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka-ken 420-0855

Hours:
9:00am to 4:30pm
Closed Mondays and December 29th through January 3rd

Ocha no Sato World Tea Museum

Ocha no Sato closed for renovation in 2016 and re-opened as the Fujinokuni Tea Museum/ふじのくに茶の都ミュージアム in 2018.

Ocha no Sato (お茶の郷) World Tea Museum stands nestled among the tea fields of Shimada, Shizuoka in Japan.  Parking is free at the museum for those who drive.  For those who visit by train, a taxi from Kanaya Station is very affordable at only 850 yen or you can also make the 1.5-2km trek on foot.

During this first visit, I chose to walk and experience more of Shimada.  Directional signs for Ocha no Sato are scarce near the rail station and walking maps for the area are lacking in recognizable landmarks, so I went with the reliable route following Highway 473.  Along this roundabout 2km uphill climb, I was able to see bamboo and ancient tree groves, persimmons a-plenty, traditional homes, and tea fields.

At the top of the hill, all signs point to Ocha no Sato!

The round building to the front holds the Yume Ichiba shop, Gensoen tearoom, and Moegi restaurant.  The rectangular building to the rear holds the museum exhibits.  

Enter the museum on the 1st floor where you'll find a large meeting room and tea library, and take the elevator to the 2nd floor to find the ticket and information desk.  Admission to the museum is 600 yen or 1,000 yen including admission to the teahouse.  You will receive a guide (in English if that is your preferred language) and a set of laminated cards explaining each exhibit.  If you would prefer a guided tour of the museum and teahouse, please make a reservation with Ocha no Sato in advance.

Follow the printed guide through the 2nd floor, viewing tea and related items exhibited along the way, then take the elevator to the 3rd floor.

100 Ryo (3.65kg/8lb) and 1,000 Ryo (36.5kg/80lb) Tea from Hunan, China

Russian Samovar

The World of Tea exhibit is located on the 3rd floor of the museum.  Before entering, visitors can taste a sample of the monthly featured tea and interact with a display of 90 teas from 30 countries that you can see, smell, and touch.  

Monthly Tea: Taiwan Oolong

Tea leaf variations

Goishi Cha

Enter the World Tea Room and explore a replica of Huxinting Teahouse (Shanghai, China), a Tibetan home (Nepal), a Turkish restaurant (Ankar), and a British home.  Teaware from all over the world are also on display throughout the exhibit.

Carved door donated by Nepal (left) and a multi-story replica of one of the oldest tea trees in Yunnan, China (right) 

Return to the 2nd floor and enter The Workshop Corner.  Here visitors can enjoy a sample of tea, make a chamusume (tea harvesting girl) bookmark, and grind their own matcha.

Kabuse Sencha

Chamusume bookmark instructions

Matcha grinding workstation

In the same area, you'll find equipment used in early tea production.

Enter the Japanese Lifestyle and Tea exhibit room to see the history of tea in Japan, videos and miniature dioramas highlighting early tea production, and examples of tea as it is enjoyed throughout Japan. 

Examples of Buku Bukuu Cha (left) from Naha, Okinawa Prefecture and Bata-Bata Cha (right) from Asahi, Toyama Prefecture

Moegi Restaurant/レストランもえぎ is located on the 2nd floor of the Yume Ichiba building and can also be reached by a walkway from the 2nd floor of the museum building.  It seats 200 with a fine view of Mount Fuji on a clear day.  Meal sets range from simple curry and rice dishes to sushi and kaiseki ryori.  Last orders must be placed by 2pm as the restaurant closes for everything except group reservations by 2:30pm.

My meal set was cold chasoba (handmade green tea noodles) with sakuraebi kakiage (shrimp tempura) and sencha in a kyusu that produced three cups of tea.

Shomokurou (縱目楼) teahouse is a combined restoration from the estate of a Fushimi magistrate designed by famous Edo-era architect and tea master, Kobori Enshu, and Iwashimizu Hachimangu shrine sub-temple, Takinomotobo.

Tickets to attend a tea ceremony and enjoy a bowl of matcha with a seasonal wagashi (tea sweet) are only 500 yen (400 yen when included with museum admission) and may be purchased at the ticket and information desk on the 2nd floor of the museum.

Enter through the automatic shoji doors, remove and store your shoes on the shelves provided, and step into the formal reception room, Taiunkaku (対雲閣). You will be guided through Kohokyo (向峯居) tearoom which overlooks the garden with a view of Mount Fuji on a clear day, and into the bright and airy antechamber, Rinsuitei (臨水亭) where you can take part in a tea ceremony. 

Before you leave, you may also visit Yukenan (友賢庵) tearoom which is currently being restored and features a traditional nijiri-guchi (small crawl-through doorway) leading to the garden.

Ocha no Sato's Japanese garden is free and open to the public.  The Kaiyu-shiki-teien (strolling garden) is a reconstruction of the east garden of the Sento Imperial Palace designed by Kobori Enshu for Emperor Go-Mizunoo following his abdication in 1629.  A yatsuhashi (eight-plank bridge) can be found along the northern wall of the garden, though this area was under repair during my visit.

The Yume Ichiba shop is located on the ground floor of the first building you will encounter when arriving at Ocha no Sato.  Here, you can purchase a wide variety of local teas, teaware, and souvenirs. 

Gensoen tearoom/喫茶 源宗園 is located near the front of Yume Ichiba and is a great place to relax with a pot of tea and a seasonal dessert.  

I concluded a wonderful half-day visit to Ocha no Sato with a hojicha and zenzai (sweet red bean soup) set at Gensoen before setting off on the long, scenic walk down to the train station.

Address: 〒428-0034　静岡県島田市金谷富士見町3053-2
〒428-0034 Shizuoka-ken, Shimada-shi, Kanayafujimichō, 3053−2

Hours:
Ocha no Sato Tea Museum: 9:00am to 5:00pm, Closed Tuesday
Ocha no Sato Teahouse "Shomokuro": 9:30am to 4:00pm
Ocha no Sato Restaurant "Moegi": 11:00am to 2:30pm

Chagama (Marumo Mori)

In November, I accepted a very kind invitation from Marumo Mori's CEO to visit chagama, the tea company's retail shop in Shizuoka city.

Marumo Mori/マルモ森 has been producing tea in Shizuoka since 1958.  Chagama has been serving tea to the community since May 2014 and is located a short distance from Sunpu Park on the northeast side of the Passage Takajo retail center.

The tea shop interior is bright and welcoming with modern decor.  At the counter near the entrance guests can order tea to enjoy during their visit or as take-away, including tea lattes, cold infusions, and seasonal favorites.

While I did not have the opportunity to see it in action, the shop boasts a green tea espresso machine where even delicate, low-temperature teas like gyokuro can be prepared. 

Chagama offers a selection of over 70 teas, most of which are produced in Shizuoka and delivered fresh from the factory each morning.  Teas are sold loose in clear packs and tins, as well as in pyramid (tetra) tea bags.  Teaware and foods that pair well with tea are also available for purchase. 

Shortly after arriving, I was guided to the large tea tasting bar where shelves of teas used in tasting events line the wall.  As soon as I was seated, I received a sample of tasty azuki bean cookie.  It's always a good idea to have a little food before diving into a tea tasting.  

Chagama takes its name from the tea kettle used in Japanese tea ceremony.  Water is heated in the iconic iron chagama.  From here, it is scooped with a hishaku (ladle), poured into a yuzamashi (water cooler) and then into the kyusu (teapot) once the temperature is ideal.

Shiori was my host and guide throughout the tea tasting session.  She expertly prepared each sample, warming each teacup between servings, and holding the yuzamashi with her hands to test for the appropriate water temperature.  

Drop-ins are welcome at chagama and I was joined shortly into my tea tasting session by a regular.  I really appreciated the sense of community and friendship among the regulars and the staff. 

The teas we tasted were:

Kuradashi Sencha (orange label) from Shizuoka.

Kuradashi Sencha (yellow label) from Shizuoka.

Gyokuro from Shizuoka.

Yutaka Midori Sencha (fukamushi) from Kagoshima.

Umegashima Sencha (asamushi) from Shizuoka

Thanks to everyone at chagama and Marumo Mori for making this visit so memorable!  I look forward to the next visit!

Address: 〒420-0839 静岡県静岡市葵区鷹匠２丁目１０
2 Chome-10 Takajō, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka-ken 420-0839

Hours:  

10:00am to 7:00pm 

Closed Monday