Japan Spring Trip

Travel logs and questions
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sdotglass
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Mon Feb 18, 2019 6:06 pm

Hi, I'm planning my first Japan Tea trip for end of March / April. I'd really appreciate guidance, introductions, recommendations from anyone who knows. Targeting visits to farms, tea houses, ceremonies, etc. Plan is wide open and flexible. Thank you so much!!
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debunix
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Location: Los Angeles, CA

Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:55 am

Cherry blossom season, fabulous!

I will try to put together some notes on my prior trips this weekend.

I'll leave you with the single loveliest thing we did in October 2017: a tasting and tour at Obubu Tea Farm outside of Kyoto (even the bus trip through tea country was gorgeous):

<https://obubutea.com/guided-tea-tour/>

I stayed in hotels that mentioned in-room tea preparation, but they had an electric kettle (boil only), 2 cups, and straws of 'instant tea'. I'd have been much happier if I'd brought a gaiwan, so I could try some of my new teas while there.
sdotglass
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Thu Feb 21, 2019 1:47 pm

Ah amazing thank you so much, going to check this out. Will definitely be bringing my own tea ceramics, I always do. Looking forward to chatting, appreciate any recs :-)
chofmann
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Thu Feb 21, 2019 2:11 pm

If you're in the Kyoto area, do check out Obubu as Debunix mentioned. Also, it may interesting to check out Tsuen Tea house, the oldest tea house in the world, founded in..... 1160.
sdotglass
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Thu Feb 21, 2019 3:11 pm

Thank you...definitely going to Kyoto / Uji, so will mark down Obubu and Tsuen as must visits! Is there anywhere I need to reserve ahead of time? Are there farms I can get connected to?
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mukti
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Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA

Sun Jan 19, 2020 11:48 pm

I know this thread is a bit old now, but I'm going to be visiting Japan this spring and will definitely be trying to hit up Tsuen and a few places in Uji while I'm there. I visited Obubu on my last visit, and it was definitely worth the trek out there; but probably not going again this year. I'm on the lookout for some new places, and got my hands on one of the Tokyo Artrip Green Tea books. Since I won't be in the Kansai area the whole time, this should help me find some stuff in the Kanto region. I haven't really decided on any specific places that from the book, but yakumo saryo (in Meguro) looks pretty nice and there are a ton of places listed in Ginza. Any other suggestions for places to look out for in the Kansai or Kanto regions are welcome! :D

Side note: My avatar is actually some matcha soba I had while visiting the Obubu farm ;)
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pedant
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Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:07 am

in tokyo, i'd hit thés du japon's new shop: https://japaneseteasommelier.wordpress. ... ten-years/
see also viewtopic.php?f=44&t=842
rdl
Posts: 135
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 3:43 am

Mon Jan 20, 2020 7:12 am

The Saitama area is an easy trip from Tokyo and very welcoming.
I quickly found a website and either here or Teachat has more archived information.
https://www.digi-joho.com/bsc/saitama-s ... cking.html
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Bok
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Sat Feb 25, 2023 10:31 pm

It’s 2023, it’s almost Spring. Sakura has been already coming out - but the Chinese tourists have not yet, what a fabulous time to visit Japan!

It’s a noticeable drop in people traffic, so very nice to enjoy the sights and sniff the still fresh outgoing winter air.

Tokyo is bustling and busy as ever, food is still delicious and the shops are full of thing you never knew you absolutely needed…
Ethan Kurland
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Sat Feb 25, 2023 11:04 pm

Sounds great! Enjoy.
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Bok
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Sun Feb 26, 2023 4:54 am

In a hot spring outside of Tokyo (2h train) and the tap water is amazing for the Dongding I brought. Huge difference to the water in the city… and heated in a crappy plastic kettle!

Nothing better than a hot spring and some nice tea afterwards.
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pedant
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Sun Feb 26, 2023 10:27 am

awesome
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