We finally left the Izu Peninsula to get closer to Japan’s tallest mountain , Fuji san. To get there we tooked the train and passed by a very industrialised area , Fuji city. This city didn’t seem appealing to us. Somehow this industries are needed to promote economic growth and maintain a good quality of life.
Dystopian feel while connecting to our next train.
Fujinomiya is a famous starting point to climb Fuji san , it’s a pretty small town. In winter there is no way to climb it due to strong snow and cold temperatures. We choosed this destination just to get closer to Fuji-san and we actually got lucky to see it on our first day. The winter time is the best moment to observe this “beautiful woman” as there is less clouds. Our guesthouse owner talk about Fuji being a “Shy woman” who hide from men by using the clouds around.
The White lady from the distance. Our guesthouse owner was so sweet and drove us around to see the prettiest spot around Fujinomiya. The city isn’t that interesting itself but it is located nearby scenic nature.
Friends with fur along our way.
Let’s go to the Shiraito falls !
Absolutely gorgeous waterfall. Can you spot the rainbow ?
Up a little , waterfall and Fuji view in the same frame (my camera couldn’t capture both)
The White Lady.
Our next stop is the nearby Tanuki Lake , a famous spot for camping in summer with hiking trails and great view of Fuji san.
Local marketing. Everything is about Mount Fuji in the area. Here , about 5 euro for 4 small pieces of Fuji shaped Chocolate. This is a good business .. I hope the chocolate was good.
A 1 hour walk around the lake is possible. What surprised us along that walk is all the tiny “Cats house” around. Some people have created “Cats Guesthouses”. Cute.
Fishermen , very focused.
We are going back in town now.
Fujinomiya signalisation Cones. Cool design.
Shizuoka prefecture is the number one producer of Green tea in Japan. There is many different types of Japanese green tea , the most produced in the area is the famous Sencha and the powerful Gyokuro. Most Japanese Matcha teas are produced around Nagoya and Kyoto. This area is therefore great to taste many wonderful teas and explore the tea farms too.
Chikumeido tea shop in Fujinomiya. Here you can try the best local tea.
Today we got lucky to meet a tea master. We tried tea for … 1h30 ! So lucky and fun time. This man was passionated about tea and didn’t care too much about marketing which felt natural.
Matcha preparation. We got lucky to try a very high-grade Matcha. This one costed around 35 euro for just 30 g ! We never tried such high quality before and we can say that this is very different. There were no bitterness at all in the taste and it felt so fresh and yummy.
Trying the local Sencha here , fruity and flavorsome. The teas in Shizuoka are really tasty.
We learned about Leaf steaming also. There are two major ways to steam the green tea leafs after harvest. The main difference is the time actually. For the traditional method it’s called “Mushi” and only last 20 second. For the more recent method , the deep steaming or “Fukamushi” , it last longer , around 60 seconds. The steaming process has a significant effect on the Sencha’s color and quality. The choice upon which method should be used depend on the location of the Tea treas. Usually Tea leafs from the mountains only need traditional method “Mushi” , other Tea leafs from fields (and lower levels) may need the deep steam method (60 seconds). Theses two categories of tea , Mountains and field , have different properties and gustative qualities. Nowadays Tea master creates special Tea Blends from different cultures to create interesting flavors. Most tea available in Japan are issued from this Blending process.
Our host during that sweet evening. Thanks you for your kindness sir.
Tasting different Green tea is just like tasting different Red wines. Each of them have specific characteristics that gives unique flavors. For inexperienced people finding differences between some Sencha can be tricky at first but with experience you can appreciate theses differences better. Just like everything right ?
After an evening of Japanese Green Tea it was little hard for me to find sleep. Indeed green tea still has Caffeine but is much better tolerated than regular Coffee. The reason is that inside Green tea there is other components such as L-Thein which bind to the Caffeine molecules and create a much smoother and stable molecule. It’s all about synergy. Matcha has the most Caffeine then Gyokuro. The others ones are more mild.
We finished our trip to Fujinomiya with a Sake festival ! We got lucky to be there at the right time. Once a year a local Sake brewery open his door to everyone. During this event many sake can be tasted , all in a festive atmosphere.
Yakisoba or fried noodles. One of Fujinomiya “specialty”
Funky Jazz gig !
Kanpai friends ! If you buy this sake cup you can drink unlimited amount of sake. I let you imagine the ambiance .. ^^ Fun !
Shizuoka is a beautiful area. With an easy access to the sea and scenic views of Fuji san , it’s has a good balance. We really enjoyed the local green teas and the nature all around. We are going to stay longer in Shizuoka prefecture to get closer to the green tea farms.
Let’s go on a Green tea trip !
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