My husband and I had a very lovely time on our tea farm in tour led by Akito. We loved getting to see the tea farm and learn more about how tea is processed while sampling the different brewing methods. Akito sent us plenty of information in advance to make sure it all went smoothly and offered a courtesy pick-up from the train station which was very helpful! It was a lot of fun and a great excursion to Shizuoka! Thank you Akito!

I had a great time – seeing the tea fields and the surrounding nature, visiting the tea factory and tasting different teas was great and made me appreciate tea even more. It was fun and I learned a lot. Thank you, Akita!

Well explained about tea and had an interesting tea farm and factory visit that was an unique and special experience in Shizuoka.

We can’t recommend this tour enough! We had a fun yet relaxing time exploring the farm and factory. We loved speaking with and learning from Akito-san. His passion and knowledge of tea and the area is infectious and inspiring!

We look forward to sharing all of the tea souvenirs with our friends and family!

We couldn’t be happier about choosing Akito as our tour guide. He provided such a fun, educational, and personal experience. He walked us through each part of the tea making process, starting from the leaves grown on a local farm and ending in the factory where everything is processed. 100% would go again, this was one of our favorite parts about Japan! I cannot recommend Akito enough. Thank you, Tea Cup Trip!!!!!

Akito was a fabulous guide, very personable and knowledgeable. He showed us around the tea farm and explained how tea is grown and harvested. We were then offered a detailed demonstration and tasting of the teas grown on the farm using different preparation techniques, followed by a brief visit inside the factory that processes the tea so we could view the equipment firsthand. Highly recommend if you are interested in how Japanese tea is grown, processed, and served.

Our time on the trip was absolutely fantastic. Akito was incredibly informative about the different ways to grow and process tea. The views were incredible, the factory was incredibly interesting, the tea sampling was divine, and most of all Akito was a charming guide!

One of the highlights of our friend group’s trip to Japan. Akito was super nice and willing to work around any slight adjustments to the schedule. The area was super beautiful, including the drive up to the mountain. The factory was an interesting visit and the tea tasting was delicious. We all bought some tea after to take home with us (bring cash if you intend on buying).

We visited in May and I am writing this in June, because I wanted to take the time to review this properly. Akito is the most welcoming host and tour guide. His family co-op Tea Farm was informative and fun! We drove to the top of the mountain where we were able to see the entire farm as well as much of Tokyo! He explained the different types of leaves, we saw how they moved the leaves from the top of the mountain down, and of course, drank some delicious green tea! We were able to walk through it all, but it was not strenuous.

We then went down to the factory where we toured how the leaves are processed and we were able to meet some of the family and co-workers who were exceptionally friendly. We tried some more teas with different processing methods, and were able to purchase some of them to bring home. I wound up keeping more that I intended to give away 🙂 He then brought us right back to the bus station and it was super easy to take the bus to the train station. He. told us everything we needed to know.

I will attempt to spread this review far and wide – no crowds, no strenuous walking – just a lovely afternoon with a wonderful host and team on a beautiful farm.

Such an enjoyable experience in both the field and in the tea tasting. Our guide was an amazing host an teacher. The tea farm is beautiful and a one of a kind experience to have. It definitely became one of the highlights of our trip, I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Japan.

Exellent teatour, not too far from city but enough to see bambu forest and beautiful view from the nice teagarden. And it was pleasure to meet Akito, arigatō🌱

Very nice private experience visiting the tea farms and learning about tea from Akito-san! Unlike other tea farm experiences, we liked how Akito-san shared his own experience from his family and close friends who were / are actual tea farmers. We could also buy fresh tea leaves and dare I say the strawberry daifuku we had with the tea were some of the best we’ve tried! Definitely recommended!

Akito was a fantastic tour guide who did a great job showing us the unique side of Japan that exists outside of the major cities. The tour took us up to the top of the mountain with both incredible views of the tea farm and the city below. We tasted multiple variations of green tea; all from tea leaves taken from the rows of tea bushes we were standing in during the farm tour. The tea factory was also a very cool thing to see at the end of the tour. We only did the 2.5-hr tour, but when we return to Japan for the next trip, we will be arranging the longer group tour.

Akito, a certified tea instructor, led us on a very personalized tour of a private tea farm. Although I have drank Japanese green tea daily from an early age, there was still much that I wanted to know to deepen my appreciation of this special beverage even more. Akito provided the insights and experiences that both deepened and broadened my understanding. He taught us the proper technique of picking tea and then had us try it out for ourselves on a few camellia stems. We were able to witness the tail end of the second flush harvest accompanied by Akito’s explanation of the details. We sampled different types of tea grown and produced by the Hidden Gem Saranti Tea Farm, located high up on the mountains overlooking Shizuoka City, including cold-brewed sencha, sencha, genmaicha, and kiku houjicha. As its name suggests, this tea farm truly is a hidden gem, producing some of the finest tea that I have ever had; a special treat indeed. Akito took the time to demonstrate and explain the proper method of making and serving each type of tea [water temperature, steeping time, roasting temperature and duration of kiku [stems] to make houjicha]. He is a wealth of knowledge so bring your questions with you. Akito is fluent in English, which enabled us to have conversations on a deep and detailed level. Akito also put together several very informative slide decks that were great learning aids for us. We ended the tour at a tea factory and were able to see all the specialized heavy equipment up close; quite an amazing behind-the-scenes experience to understand how harvested camellia leaves are transformed into the tea that we drink. Akito’s vast knowledge of tea aside, he is genuine, friendly, easy to talk with, respectful, and is attentive to your needs. We had a great time with him and look forward to booking another tour with him in the future.

My family and I had the pleasure of touring a beautiful tea farm with Akito in Shizuoka. We were able to see the tea plants growing in the mountains and visit the tea processing factory. Akito explained the different types of tea and how to brew the perfect cup. We wanted an authentic experience and also wanted to support the local families who have been farming for generations. Akito is very knowledgeable, an excellent communicator, and kindly fit us into his schedule when he learned that we would only be able to visit on a certain date.

Akito’s tour was a special experience that we will always remember, and we now deeply appreciate the intensive process and care that go into tea farming. I highly recommend the Tea Cup Trip tour and encourage everyone to experience Japanese tea.

Akito was a wonderful guide and the tea farm setting was stunning! The little Canadian flags to welcome us were such a nice touch. All the tea samples and strawberry/chocolate mochi were delicious. Highly recommended!

This experience was definitely a highlight of our trip in Japan. The tour feels incredibly authentic and welcoming, guided by Akito’s expertise in the amazing world of tea. Visiting the fields with breathtaking views, seeing up close the plant that is part of our daily lives, understanding the whole production process, and tasting the final product was a truly memorable experience. You can really feel that this isn’t just a typical tourist tour; Akito runs it with genuine passion and dedication. I highly recommend trying this experience!

Akito was an excellent host. Me, my wife and parents went to tour the tea farm and then went back to the factory after for tea tasting and to see the tea processing equipment. The tea farm was beautiful. We drove a short ways up the mountain, and had a beautiful view of the surrounding landscape and the fields. It was very serene.

Akito is very friendly, and was knowledgable about tea. We learned many things such as the roasting process for a cup of Hojicha, and he had many relevant resources and videos to share. We appreciated his passion about his work. He was proud to represent the Shizuoka area and the tea farmers, and had a respect for the whole process which was very genuine!

I would highly recommend this experience to anyone, and particularly those who enjoy tea! We all thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Amazing!

This was absolutely a highlight for our trip to Japan! About an hour on the Shinkansen out of Tokyo, Akito picked up our group right at the station for a private tour. He was knowledgeable, had excellent English, and made us feel right at home among the tea fields and processing factory. He walked us through tastings of several varieties of sencha including freshly roasting some hojicha in front of us to pair with a dessert he provided. An incredible time where we all learned a lot and took home our most delicious souvenirs! If you like tea I cannot recommend this stop enough!