Today is “Hachiju Hachiya”, the best day for tea plucking, over 88 nights from Imbolc.

Lately tea plucking on Makinohara upland reaches its peak at the end of April, approximately from 24th April to 2th May. However the peak period of tea plucking in this year would begin from today, Hachiju Hachiya. The beginning of tea plucking is about one week later than the average because of environmental factors such as lower temperature. This delay could result in moderate growth of tea buds over nights, enough to accomplish the subtle and profound flavor of 1st flush teas.

I miss views of tea plucking in Shizuoka.
However, I can enjoy Shizuoka teas in Tokyo. Tea stores in Tokyo have started selling 1st flush of Japanese teas from the middle of April. At the beginning, they sold green tea produced in the south part of Japan such as Yakushima island, Kyushu island including Kagoshima prefecture etc.

1st flush of early cultivar “Saemidori” produced in Kagoshima pref. was exhibited as “Shincha”.

The first tea plucking was carried out on Mariko region in Shizuoka in this year. The early cultivar produced in Mariko region is “Kondo Wase”, which is famous in its fruity fragrance and sweet taste among Japanese tea fanciers.

The explanation about 1st flush of “Kondo Wase” cultivar in front of the tea cafe restaurant “Cha Cha no Ma” in Omotesando, Tokyo.

I can imagine the landscapes of tea plucking on Makinohara upland and vibrant tea shops on all areas in Shizuoka.

Even in Tokyo, I saw the tea shop (“Nihoncha Terroir“, which means “Terroir of Japanese tea”) was full of people on the basement floor of Isetan at Shinjuku.

If you stay in Japan now, I’d like to recommend you to enjoy seeing and shopping in tea shops. Lootin’ tootin’ atmosphere and tasting 1st flush will delight your senses!

I could enjoy tea tasting of 1st flush of Makinohara tea on a tea shop in Isetan Shinjuku.