清真 和果子 美食之旅(6)

Educational! A really great experience.

Akito is very knowledgeable and professional. He showed us a local farm and explained the leaf picking process. At the factory, he explained the tea production process. We tasted tea prepared different ways, and we gained understanding of what made the teas so different. It was a very educational and enjoyable tour. The view from the mountain was incredible!

Despite the rainy and foggy weather, Akito-san was capable to light up our day! He picked us up at the station and let us have a small tour of the tea plantation (we just discovered the Camelia plants bloom in November!) explaining all the details of the harvesting (timing, methods, etc). Later we had a tea tasting session right inside the farm were the tea leaves are dried and rolled. Akito-san explained every detail from the tea refinement process to the chemical composition and how it might influence the taste. The very informal environment made us feel like home and it was such an amazing experience thanks to our host kindness and availability. Akito-san is very knowledgeable and definitely an expert in the tea sector: he was able to answer any question we might have (and we had many...thanks for the patience!). I won’t go in the details to avoid spoilers, but everything was both delicious and interesting. If you’re into tea (or just into exploring and learning), take this opportunity to discover this remote location and what the (japanese) tea actually is. We are tea lovers and we already knew more than a thing, but it turned out that we were missing huge pieces of the picture. Totally worth the money; the landscapes, the information and the tastes will be an highlight of our 3-weeks trip. Note: Akito-san definitely speaks a very good English!

Akito was a knowledgeable and engaging tour guide. He provided clear instructions on where to meet him and how to get back to the station after the tour. A great relaxing experience!

Alina, our guide, was truly exceptional. She had a wealth of knowledge about wonderful vegan experiences in the Ginza area of Tokyo. She also shared her insights into Japanese culture and history that gave us new insights and appreciation for this wonderful country. We highly recommend her to anyone who is interested in experiencing the vegan side of central Tokyo.