I’d like to share the information about the tea stores in Koriyama city, which somehow similar to Makinohara region.
The city had been developed by former Samurai in Meiji period. This history is similar to the establishment of tea plantation on Makinohara upland. In addition, the name of the reader in each agricultural development is similar. Both of them is same Kanji character, but the pronounce is different. The similarity lets me feel happy and enjoy tea hopping in Koriyama. As a result, I could find 3 tea shops around Koriyama Station, which sells mainly Shizuoka teas or special blend tea including Shizoka tea.
1. Shizuoka-ya Chaho
This tea shop has a word “Shizuoka” in its name.
The head office of Shizuoka-ya Chaho in Toramarumachi street.
As the name implying, the shop sells mainly Shizuoka teas. The blender of this shop adjust the flavor of loose leaf teas suiting for my preference. The degree of firing (roast) is relatively strong, providing sweet aroma.
The staff kindly let me check the appearance of 2 types of loose leaf tea produced in Kakegawa tea estate in Shizuoka pref. Both of them are fine!! The degree of steaming of the left one is stronger than the right one. Especially the left one has mellow aroma, suiting for my preference.
As for the shop name, the founder named “Shizuoka-ya” in tribute to his hometown, Shizuoka.
The blender selects and brings fine crude teas from tea estates mainly in Shizuoka. Crude tea of deep steamed one is brought form Kakegawa tea estate.
Deep steamed teas produced in Kakegawa tea estate.
They also sells loose leaf teas made in main tea estates in Japan, such as Yame in Fukuoka, Uji in Kyoto, Ureshino in Saga, Sayama in Saitama etc.
Sencha loose leaf teas produced in various tea estates in Japan.
This tea store has 4 retail shops besides the head office in Toramarumachi street. I visited one of the retail shops, located inside the shopping mall “Pivot” next to the Koriyama station.
The retail shop of Shizuoka-ya chaho in the mall “Pivot” next to Koriyama station.
The flagship tea “Toramaru Choja Monogatari”, which means “the story of a millionaire in Toramarumachi street”, seems to be named in tribute to the local legend about the millionaire in 7th century in the location of head office of Shizuoka-ya.
This loose leaf tea is the original blend of this tea shop, said the staff in the retail shop in “Pivot” mall.
< Shop information >
URL : http://www.sizuokaya.jp/
Retail shops located inside the shopping malls as follows
(1) “Pivot” next to Koriyama Station
(2) “the Mall” located in 1-1-56 Choja, Koriyama city
(3) “Festa in Hiwada” located in Kohara 1, Hiwadamachi, Koriyama city.
(4) “Beisia” located in 28 Oikubo, Shirakawa city.
2. Kikuya Chaho
Kikuya Chaho is located on the main arcade “Sakura dori street”.
The tea shop established the gallery of traditional tea apparatus, next to the main retail shop.
The gallery of traditional tea apparatus next to the retail shop of Kikuya Chaho.
Interestingly Kikuya displays loose leaf teas with the photo of their sensory test. We can see not only the appearance of loose leaf tea but also the state of tea leaves after brewing and the liquor color!!
Kikuya Chaho displays loose leaf teas with the photo of their sensory test. We can also see the state of tea leaves after brewing and the liquor color besides the appearance of loose leaf tea.
This tea shop sells Shizuoka tea and Uji tea.
A pair of Shizuoka tea and Uji tea as a gift.
Special tea sweet “Matcha Kakigori”, sliced ice with sweet matcha sauce, seems to be so popular among citizens and tourists. The staff explained they used the finest quality of matcha for the special sauce.
Special “Matcha Kakigori” with soybean jam and condenced milk cream. The deep delight green is so beautiful!
Yes! The taste is so good, we can taste the flavor of matcha enough!
During I enjoyed the “Matcha Kakigori” inside the shop, a group of tourists ordered 11 cups of the Matcha Kakigori and two citizens entered into the shop to buy it.
< Shop information >
URL : http://www.office-web.jp/kikuyachaho/
Location : 1-2-21 Omachi, Koriyama city, Fukushima pref.
3. Kuranoya Chaho
The entrance of Kuranoya Chaho.
Kuranoya Chaho sells Shizuoka teas devotedly.
This tea shop offers a full line of various tea apparatus.
I bought tea bag of Shizuoka green tea for the intake of essential nutrients just before OWS race, such as caffeine, theanine, vitamin C and catechins. Adequate amount of caffeine improve the performance in competition, theanine increase our concentration, vitamin C protects our tissue from the ultraviolet beam and catechins would recover our body after the race!!
I felt the staff was somehow silent, but the quality of loose leaf tea is so outstanding!!
Tea bag of Shizuoka tea. The appearance of loose leaf tea inside tea bag implies its high quality.
Thanks to the loose leaf tea bought in Kuranoya Chaho, I could won 2nd place in the openwater swimming race in Lake Inawashiro. (In every races, I prepare Shizuoka tea by using a thermos and drink before the race.)
A cup of Shizuoka tea with the medal of 2nd place prize in OWS race in Lake Inawashiro.
If you visit Lake Inawashiro or Koriyama region, it is recommended to try tea-hopping around Koriyama Station.