Wazuka: All Things Green Tea

Know for its Sencha and Matcha teas, Wazuka is a highly regarded tea town in Japan. Tea was brought over from China by a Buddhist monk from Kaijūsen-Ji  Temple who was studying in China almost 500 years ago. In 1580 tea ceremonies were being held in newly created tea rooms. Sencha was made by steaming its leaves and Japan begin exporting it by the 1800s, tea accounted for 80% of Japan's exports.

A tour of the production and farming of green tea can be found at  Obubu Tea Farm. It is best to spend the night in Uji as it is closer to the tea farm (you can find detailed directions from Uji to the tea farm on the website). As you get close to Wazuka, you will see the winding tea fields dotting the landscape at the foothills of Mt. Juba.

Greeted by our hosts, we started with several tea samples. We then headed to a van to check out the tea farm and to learn about farming. Our guide Hiro, navigated his van around the precarious hills of Wazuka and had a great sense of humor. The tour provides lunch in a local Wazuka restaurant, a green tea Soba noodle. We then drove to the processing facility and learned about curing. The explanation of hand-rolled Sencha made me apprecite the all the attention that goes into creating the tea. Finally, we made our way back to the house to get educated on temperatures for brewing, preparing Matcha with a whisk, the health benefits of tea. The twist on this part of the tour is a Genmaicha salad and a green tea martini. The only thing left undone was green tea ice cream.

Hiking Japan's Historical Kiso Road

Kiso Road is an old trading route that connected Tokyo to Kyoto, popular during the 16th through the 19th Century, it was the favored route of the Imperial Family. Hiking the trail can't but make you stop and imagine a small crowded road with traveler's on horseback, as well as royalty being carried in Palanquin. The trail is 550 Miles long and runs through sixty-nine post towns. Tsumago and Magome being the most visited towns because of the towns restoration efforts and easy access.

The residents of Tsumago and Magome banned together in the 1970's to restore old homes, hide powerlines and added a trail to better connect the two towns. The town of Tsumago has removed all vending machines, banned additional above-ground power lines and requires its postman to dresses in a traditional Edo period costume.

We spent the morning in Tsumago and then hiked to Magome until late in the afternoon; returning before reaching the waterfalls Odaki & Medaki to catch a shuttle to our hotel. Our short 4-mile hike followed the Kisogawa river where we saw fisherman, waterfalls,  cherry trees,  daffodils, bridges,  and ancient markers.

You can get to Tsumago by taking the train from Nagoya to Nagiso, from Nagiso it is a short bus ride to Tsumago. Here is a map you can check for reference.

Master Key Onsen Town

A visit to Shibu Onsen is a historical and unique experience. Shibu is a hot springs/onsen town in the Nagano Prefecture that dates back 1,300 years. The Master Key refers to a key that gets you entry to nine Bath House's called Sotoyu Public Baths. In order to get the Master Key, you must stay at an accommodation that holds the Master Key. Some Ryokan, Inn or Hotel's pay for the upkeep of the Sotoyu Public Baths; like an Association. Finding the places that hold the Master Key can take a lot of research. I'm offering up the name of the Ryokan I stayed at to save you some research: Sakaeya Ryokan not only held the Master Key, but it was also my favorite accommodation on my trip to Japan.

First off you will need plenty of time to visit the nine Onsen as it might take some time to cool off particular baths, some of them were impossibly hot, others were already perfect. Our Ryokan gave use a detailed Shibu Onsen map; each onsen is good for specific ailments; stomach, intestinal, skin, acne, gout, eye, injuries, rheumatism and women's health. 

Be prepared to walk in wooden shoes and a Yukata (an informal summer kimono) down many streets to get to all nine Onsen.

You can also get a special cloth that you stamp with a commemorative seal at each onsen, after stamping all nine onsens and one at the Takayakushi Shrine, our Ryokan stamped it with the date! If you want to skip the overnight stay then you can stop at the Shibu Onsen Information Center and purchase a ticket for 500 Yen to one of the nine Onsen called Oy-u (number nine on the map). You will then go to a designated local Inn or Shop to get the key. Keep in mind that the famous Jagokundani Snow Monkey Park is very close to Shibu, although I visited offseason and it didn't seem busy it's possible it might be crowded in the winter.

You Must Try These Desserts While Visiting Japan

1. Taiyaki

We start our culinary dessert adventure at the Tsukiji Fish Market, if you stay on the right side of the market you will see many stalls with a variety of different foods. It is here where you can find Taiyaki, a pastry that is shaped to look like the Japanese Sea Bream. This dessert is made with pancake batter, poured into a mold, filled with red bean paste, chocolate, cheese or sweet potato and then cooked in the mold on both sides until golden brown.

2. Dango, Dango and, more Dango.

A mochi dessert prepared in several different ways, the one below is Anko Dango; it is topped with a fruit paste and is common to find it topped with a red bean paste. The flavor I tried was the Yuzu ( a fruit grown mainly in Japan, Korea, and China,  it has a very tart and sour flavor and looks like a lemon). Other choices included cherry blossom and green tea matcha. I also tried the boiled version called Mitarashi Dango which was my favorite, it is drenched a sauce made with soy, sugar, and starch.

3. Matcha Ice Cream & Sakura Gelato

This Green Tea Matcha Ice Cream I tried was in Tsuamgo. Check out Uji on the outskirts of Kyoto, you might want to try green tea ice cream here as this is the Green mecca of treats. You can also try Sakura Ice Cream close to cherry blossom season. I found some Gelato in a shop in Asakusa a little after the cherry blossom season.

4. Gohei Mochi & Anpan

You can find Gohei Mochi, and steamed walnut buns in Nagiso Town,  they are quite popular in the area. Gohei Mochi is made from white rice and is pounded into a cake and then skewered, coated in a sweet sauce and then cooked over an open flame. The steamed walnut bun, (Anpan) looks like a doughnut and is filled with walnuts or chesnuts. 

One of my favorite videos below, found this while doing a little food research for Japan. Enjoy!