Japan's “tea culture” is attracting attention from around the world because of its health-oriented and Zen spirit. Why don't you take a trip to the deep world of "tea culture"?

In Japan, “tea” is divided into “Japanese tea” and “matcha”. Japanese tea refers to all teas that Japanese people drink on a daily basis, such as green tea, roasted green tea, and sencha. Such tea can be found and purchased at local stores or vending machines.

You can enjoy Japanese tea, especially in the Japanese tea production area! For example, at Iruma, one of the three major tea producing areas in Japan, you can learn about the appeal of Japanese tea by dining with tea, comparing the scent of tea leaves, and visiting the tea museum. Many travelers become fans with a unique taste.

On the other hand, “Matcha” is something you can feel extraordinary. The “tea ceremony” that invites guests to the house is packed with traditional Japanese cultures such as meals, tea utensils, and flower arrangements.

First of all, let's try the matcha tea! There are many ways to enjoy not only tasting matcha but also enjoying Japanese gardens and wearing kimono.

Even there are places where you can taste matcha in a temple or in a tea room that is actually used in a tea party. The atmosphere changes depending on the location! For example, Ohara in Kyoto, you can get a matcha tea in front of a huge pine tree that is over 700 years old.
In Tokyo and Kamakura, you can also try matcha on your own at a cafe that has been remodeled from an old private house.

Next, we will introduce how to enjoy Matcha-flavored meals and desserts, not Matcha itself!

The powdered green tea can be put in anything, so it can be transformed into a variety of desserts such as ice cream, cakes, and other Japanese sweets. In particular, when you go to the matcha production area, you will be amazed by the surprisingly large number of foods and drinks that have become the matcha flavor.

For example, in Uji City, Kyoto, which is a famous matcha green tea area, not only desserts, but also soba, takoyaki, and curry are flavored with matcha!

Lastly, we will introduce how to enjoy things related to “tea room” instead of drinking matcha.
The equipment used in the tea room is called “tea utensils”. You can visit the museum to see the tones of old tea utensils as art objects.

How was it? Even if you say "I am going to try tea in Japan", you may have understood that there are various ways to enjoy Japanese tea culture. Take a step into such a world of tea.