Akito was a fantastic guide who spoke excellent English and went out of his way to make all the directions and steps to get to this tour location clear and easy to follow. Once with Akito, you immediately recognize his kindness and pleasing calm demeanor. The tea farm in Shizuoka is in the rolling mountains, is beautiful, and the views of the valley and city beyond are all gorgeous. I thought I knew a lot about tea, but Akito was able to teach me far more than I expected. The tea tasting we did was delightful and I was surprised when he told me we were going to eat the tea after we drank it. He prepared a tasty little snack from the tea that was excellent and a surprise part of the trip. Learning about the manufacturing and trying tea made from different parts of the plant were a surprise delight for me. For any lovers of green tea, or even just beautiful country side experiences, I highly recommend this tour.

This private tour gives you an insight how tea is made from an tea family! From tea farm to tea cafe, from learning on the spot on different types of tea to experiencing how you can brew tea! Akito is a passionate tea instructor showing you the insights on the world behind Japanese tea, a hidden gem in Shizuoka that will help understand tea drinking and ceremonies while you travel through the rest of the country, in short your tea experience in Japan starts here :).

I enjoyed a wonderful tour with Akito and learned a lot about the tea cultivation and the region of Shizuoka in general.

In fact this was one of my highlights of my trip to Japan.

Being a tea lover myself it was really nice to be guided by such an expert.

I can highly recommend this tour to anyone.

Thank you, Akito-san for your hospitality and the truly unique experience!

I went with three friends on the tea farm tour in Shizuoka and it was the highlight of our trip! The tea fields were beautiful and it was so easy to get to Shizuoka from Tokyo. I learned so much about tea and it was so nice to be in the countryside after being in the city a few days.

We saw the farmers harvesting the tea and got to try the tea right next to the field. A magical experience and Akito was so knowledgeable and speaks perfect English.

We also got to visit the factory to see how the tea is produced and got to see how hojicha is made. I thought I knew a lot about tea but I learned so much on this trip. Definitely worth going!

Visiting the beautiful tea farms in the Shizuoka mountains with Akito was one of the best highlights of my trip to Japan.

Aside from the wonderful surrounds Akito was a fantastic host, so friendly and helpful right from the moment we were picked up at the train station.

We learned lots about tea and the way of life of the tea farmers and factory, especially enjoying the tasting portions and the tea salad! Kudos too for the touch of adding little Australian flags for us Aussies at the factory.

An absolute gem of an experience we would recommend to anyone who wants to see more of Japan outside of its main cities. Thank you!

We made in a stop in Shizuoka just so we could go on this tea farm tour and tasting, and it was very worth it. Akito was a personable, and knowledgeable host that made the tour feel really special. Highly recommend!

We recently went on a tea tour, and it was an exceptional experience. Akito, our guide, was incredibly informative, providing deep insights into Japanese tea—from picking leaves to the final cup. The private tour allowed for a personalized learning experience, and Akito patiently answered all our questions. The opportunity to pick fresh tea leaves, visit a tea factory, and taste green tea made the tour not only educational but also delightful. We highly recommend this tour for a truly special and immersive tea journey. Thank you and you never know, we are pretty sure we will be back for some more!

We highly recommend this tour which includes a visit of the tea fields and of the factory + some tea tasting. Beautiful view on the tea plantation, passionnate guide who is happy to answer the questions and to share his knowledge. Very nice and welcoming people. We loved it !

We just had an amazing day with Akito!

The tea farms views where Akito took us were breathtaking, and even if the tea factory wasn’t working that day, Akito showed us around and had some videos of the whole process.

Every step of the tour was punctuated by small details and little attentions, and Akito answered gladly to all our questions about tea and Japan overall.

We definitely recommend this tour to every tea-lover (and ever more to non-tea lover, because Akito will make you change your mind!)

Akito-san was a very engaging and a well spoken host. He was very knowledgeable about tea and had a lot of insight about the farm and the tea processing. We walked away learning a lot about Japanese tea. The farm is beautiful and we had a private tour and tea tasting.

For the first part of the tour, we drove up to the tea fields themselves. Such beautiful views of the tea fields and the area. It would have been worth the trip alone. It was also very nice to walk among the tea bushes and see them up close, and also to see the machines that are used for harvesting.

I also enjoyed the last part of the tour at the tea factory where we tasted different types of Japanese teas, learned how they differ and how to bring out the best of each one. I also got a tour of the factory itself where Akito went through the different steps that the tea leaves go through before the final product and the machines used at each step.

Akito was very welcoming and we had nice conversations about tea and Japan in general, and he was happy to answer any questions I had. He is very knowledgeable about tea and I learned a ton.

The tea tour was definitely one of the highlights of my trip! Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn more about tea, both beginners and others.

Akito’s tea farm tour is such a great experience. Regardless of whether you’re a seasoned tea enthusiast or someone brand new to the tea world, there’s a lot to see, learn, and of course taste. The views from the mountain make this tour worth it all by them selves, but coupled with Akito’s commentary and conversation make this experience truly special. I can’t recommend it enough. Thanks so much!

We had a wonderfull afternoon with Akito at the tea farm and factory. He speaks really good English, so we could ask him everything we wanted to know about Japanese tea. We tasted various lively teas and got explanations about how to make them our selves!

This was an awesome experience and a must for all tea lovers! We toured the beautiful, lush tea fields and explored the processing of freshly picked tea leaves. Mr Akito took excellent care of us and gave us a wonderful overview of tea farming, including a tea tasting and many useful tips for preparing tea at home. Also, he kindly picked us up from the station, so there was no hassle trying to find the right bus. Definitely recommended!!!

This tour was fantastic! Akito is so knowledgeable and has a real passion for tea. He was very friendly and the tour ran very smoothly. This was the highlight of our Japan trip. Highly recommended!!!

We had an amazing day with beautiful scenery and delicious tea. Akito and Kyoko were great hosts, that made us feel welcome and taught us a lot about the world of tea. Highly recommend!

If you want to learn about Japanese tea this is the best tour you can possibly book! We were picked up at the train station directly and drove around 30 mins to a private tea farm. Akito shared his full knowledge about tea with us. We were able to ask all our questions and got learn everything about the growing, harvesting and production of green tea. We were able to try the tea directly from this farm and later went to the fabric to see how the leaves are being processed. Besides learning a lot and getting to see something you otherwise wouldn’t be able to, Akito is also the nicest host you can imagine.

We will definitely recommend this to any friends and family of ours coming to Japan!

It was such a delight to escape the busy cities and take the tour. The views were breath-taking and we were grateful to be guided to places we could not otherwise visit on our own. Akito is so friendly and knowledgable about the tea, always happy to answer any curious question. In such a short time, you realize how much work is behind the delicious cup of tea we can enjoy and we even learned a few new ways of enjoying the Japanese tea. We would recommend the tour to both the experienced tea lovers and those who are just about to discover it. It made us more confident when visiting a few tea houses later during our travel in Japan.

On our two week trip through Japan we used Akito’s ‘teacuptrip’ to learn about tea. On top of that we met a kind local and had a fantastic time. Can highly recommend his tour to a tea farm, tea tasting and tea company.

We joined the 2.5 hours tour, and we really enjoyed it. The tour started with the incredible views of the tea fields at the top of the mountains in Shizuoka, to continue at the tea factory with a very informative explanation about all the process from taking care of the tea plants to how to brew a delicious cup of tea.

Time flew talking with the friendly Akito san, who is very knowledgeable and passionate about tea!

We recommend 100% this tour and we hope to do it again around May next year to be able to pick up tea leaves and to be able to see the factory running ( tea harvesting has its own timing and we joined the tour too late, in Summer).

My boyfriend and I flew in from Hawaii and happened to stumble across this farm on Google, and we’re so glad we did! We selected the option to get picked up at Shizuoka Station, and the instructions of how to get to the meeting spot was so easy to follow. Akito was already there waiting for us by the time we got there (10 minutes prior to our set pick-up time).

It was a 20-25 minute drive up to the mountain and Akito gave us a little drive by tour of the town, we learned so much! When we got to top of the farm, the view was so worth it! It’s a kind of view that you need to see it in person. Akito set up a little spot to hang out and drink different types of tea, it was so thoughtful and cute! Next, we headed over to the factory which it was good timing because the factory was processing some tea! It was so amazing to see and the whole factory smelled wonderful! We got a chance to buy some of the factory’s tea and I love that we were able to see how the tea was made, it makes it much more meaningful when we drink it.

Akito dropped us off at the bottom of the mountain to the bus station, and I swear the timing was planned flawlessly. We literally got dropped off, walked across the street and our bus that we were supposed to take was there. Everything was planned out so well! All of my expectations have been surpassed. I will recommend this tour to anyone that is going to Japan! It’s a one of a kind experience and unique.

Our tea trip was a highlight of our travels in Japan. Akito was our friendly & knowledgeable host, he walked us through a well-built story: from seeing the beautiful views of the farm, to tasting the teas in this scenery, and visiting the processing factory. He kept us engaged the whole time, and taught us a lot about the historical, cultural, technical aspects of tea production. You could tell he was very invested in giving a great experience. We were even welcomed with Hungarian flags in the factory. Thanks for the trip, we can wholeheartedly recommend it.

We had an amazing private tea tour with Akito! He drove us to the top of a very picturesque mountaintop tea farm whilst discussing all things #japanesetea. So beautiful! Elderly but hardcore tea farmers (during tea harvests they can work up to 20 hours a day for two to three weeks straight) even put in a working guest appearance and laughed so much at my desire to return some day for totally clueless but muscled help getting in the tea: what fun!

My wife and I consider ourselves tea-nerds, but our tea acumen mostly encompasses Taiwanese, Anxi and Dan Cong oolongs, dragonwell and puehr. We learned so much about Japanese tea- but not too much… Akito is clearly passionate about tea and deftly balances both education and enjoyment, with a side of tea conservation.

We had a really great day and would do it again (and again).

Thank you, Akito,

Jay and Janelle

Amazing and enlightening tour; we had a super cool experience with Akito. He is a serious tea lover and has great knowledge about the tea world. We chose this trip because we wanted to understand how the tea world works all the way from farm to table as well as tasting. We have no regrets! Our journey started with a short drive from Shizuoka to the tea fields, with astonishing views of the valley and fields along the way. Akito is very knowledgeable and carefully explained all the process. From how the farmers work, to how the tea is picked and its different harvest seasons. After walking around, Akito set up a picnic in the middle of the fields for tea tasting; he explained different brewing methods, how the taste changes in accordance and how to give the tea a twist, like home roasting. After that nice break, we headed to the tea factory, where we learned about the manufacturing process. We saw first hand how the leaves are steamed, dried and rolled for packing.

Akito is a super host, giving us lengthy and informed explanations, answering all of our questions. He is a true tea lover!

We enjoyed a lot our tour : it was more than we expected ! The fields were astonishing of beauty, the tea testing and all the explanations on something we thought we already knew were greatly appreciated. The kindness and attention of our guide made this a very special day (april 2023) that we will always remember.

We set out to Shizuoka prefecture to learn more about tea, specifically about the work that goes into producing it and the people who make it, and this tour delivers on that! Akito took us to the Shizuhata tea farm and Saranti factory and walked us through the whole process of production, from the plant to the teacup. He clearly has a deep passion for tea, and was able to answer all of our questions without hesitation, whether about the risks to the plants from weather and climate, the different tea “terroirs”, the economic difficulties for farmers selling tea, or even about the international market! And of course, his explanations of the differents steps in the factory process, that emulate the steps of traditional hand-rolling techniques were very clear.

The experience of drinking tea right there in the tea fields was particularly special, experiencing different ways of drinking sencha (cold-brew, multiple infusions of a warm brew and genmaicha), with explanations of the science behind the brewing of tea, and how different method change its flavour profile. But most important for us was the personal relationship Akito had with all the people at Shizuhata, who he is clearly close to. This is not the kind of tour where you ever feel like you are intruding, or stepping on anyone’s toes as they are going through their day. Everyone at Shizuhata was comfortable with Akito’s presence and were incredibly welcoming to us! We really enjoyed talking to all of them, especially the immensely personable Kyoko-san.

All in all, a unique experience I would strongly recommend to anyone interested in learning more about tea, enjoying wonderful landscapes and meeting some lovely people!

What a wonderful tour! Our green tea experience was exceptional and worth every penny. Akito is so passionate and knowledgeable about green tea, extremely well organized and made the tour unforgettable. From the pick up at the station to exploring the plantations, drinking tea together, visiting the local factory and talking about the history and science behind green tea, we got what we were looking for and more. Akito is also full of energy, humour and candor, and you’ll love spending time with him. If you want to explore a deeply authentic place at the heart of Japanese green tea and its farming community, look no further! Shoutout to the green tea factory staff as well who welcomed us so warmly and showed us around.

I fully recommend this tour to anybody with an interest in tea, and who would prefer a genuine personal tour away from tourist trappings. Akito is the perfect guide on a trip that takes you into the mountains with breath-taking scenery to see the tea plantations and factory. His friendliness, knowledge and excellent English combine for a thoroughly enjoyable day to see and learn about this key tea growing area. Akito was also super-helpful with travel directions to and from the visit, which is easily accessible from Tokyo.

It’s my great experience to take Akito’s tour. He’s so knowledgeable and kind. We really enjoy the tour. Recommend everyone who has a passion in tea to take Akito’s tour. You would not regret at all. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Wow, just finished my tour with Akito and it was awesome. He is incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, I have never had such an amazing tour before.

We got to visit the tea farm and the factory. Learned a lot in a very short amount of time. Thankful that he let me join!

It was really great to spend time and meet Akito. He is very kind and has a great knowledge of tea manufacturing. He takes the time to explain everything. We had a wonduerful time. Also the tea was excellent !! Much recommended if you come along Shizuoka.

Today we had a tea tour in Shizuoka with Akito @eswakito. It was a relaxing experience and I had an awesome time whilst learning a lot of new things. Akito is a really friendly person and the whole tour gives off more of “an old friend telling you all about his expertise” like vibe, rather than a tour guide just showing you around 🙂

Be sure to take a day and visit Shizuoka and Akitos tea tour.

I bought this experience as a wedding present for my sister and husband-in-law. They had the most wonderful time and the location and views looked stunning. Akito is an incredible host and so kind and welcoming. He even gave them a wedding gift! Akito was also really flexible in letting us select a date after the booking. I can’t recommend this experience enough 🙂

This tea farm experience was one of the best experiences my friends and I had while traveling throughout Japan. Akito was knowledgeable, accommodating, and personable. The location of the farm and views overlooking the tea farm & city were magical and would not have been possible without Akito’s wonderful experience! He taught us so much about green tea and had us craving more tea when we got home. Highly recommend to anyone interested in tea, a serene and calm getaway from the bustling city, great views, or a unique IG moment.

A truly memorable experience that I would recommend to all! Akito gave us much insight on the entire tea process from the growing, to the harvesting and processing, to the brewing, and even a glimpse into the modern take and future evolution of what tea consumption might be. He walked us through the background stories at the different points and also explained the science behind why things are done in various ways.

Today was the experience of a lifetime for my partner and I! If you are visiting Japan or the Tokyo area, I strongly recommend making the trip out to Shizuoka for this experience with Akito – it is worth its weight in gold. Upon meeting us, Akito was very hospitable and truly made us feel welcome and at home for the entire duration of our trip. He is wonderfully conversational and was sensitive to ensuring any/all of our needs were met. The drive itself to the farm was beautiful and Akito offered many opportunities for us to take photos (and also offered to take some photos of my partner and me together!). We were privileged in getting to taste high quality, fresh tea straight from the farm while admiring the scenery. The most special part of this experience was the fact that the three of us were the only ones on the farm – I can’t think of any other experiences where you have exclusive access and one-on-one time to truly develop a personal relationship with your guide. Akito is very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions happily and with ease. We learned an incredible amount from him not just about tea, but about Japanese culture in general. Lastly, Akito also went through the trouble of recommending to us some other places we should visit while in the area, and also other areas of Japan. He is a wonderfully friendly individual – we will miss him dearly!

We had an amazing tour with Akito. This is an incredibly unique and once in a lifetime experience to visit the tea farms of Shizuoka, taste more variations of matcha then you knew possible, see some truly incredible sites and meet wonderful people. Akito was an amazing host who knew so much and made us feel so welcome. I would strongly recommend this tour when you visit Shizuoka – it’s a fantastic experience.

I had the most wonderful tea tour with Akito! My two friends and I got to learn all about the tea farms in Shizuoka. We toured a beautiful farm in the area, the views were absolutely breathtaking. We also got to interact with some of the local farmers. Akito then gave us a tasting of various teas that were delicious while explaining the different histories and techniques for making tea. Akito was extremely knowledgeable on the tea industry and he was such a polite and pleasant host! Out of everything I did during my two weeks in Japan, this tea tour was easily my FAVORITE experience!

Highly recommend this experience. It was truly magical. Already planning future trips to visit Akito and the tea farm with additional guests this Spring!

What an amazing once in a lifetime experience this was. Thanks all to Akito!!! He’s the most graciously generous host who allowed me to experience something I couldn’t possibly have done without him. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves tea or simply wants to experience something special while in Japan. Arigato Gozaimasu Akito 😊😎🇯🇵 🍵🍃

What an experience. What an experience! The tea bushes are nestled on a beautiful mountain side in Shizuoka. It was breath taking looking up — and breath taking looking down! Akito is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and did a fantastic job explaining tea culture. From the farmers to processing, from the culture around tea and its slow disappearance, the entire presentation was compelling. We ended drinking green tea and getting a lesson about harvesting, brewing, etc. It was amazing. I don’t want to go too in depth because really, even if you’re not a super tea drinker, this is still an a worthwhile experience. It feels really special and unique, but also educational. You get to see the beauty of Shizuoka, Japan, and the work that goes into bringing tea to the table.