The Ultimate Gyokuro Green Tea Experience with an Award-Winning Tea Master

The ultimate drop to savor the hidden treasures of Kyoto with all five senses.

Kyotanabe City, Fushinji, known as one of Japan's leading gyokuro production areas. This is a private program where you can visit "Yamashita Shinjuen," which has been producing gyokuro for three generations, and experience the depth of Japanese tea that the world can be proud of while touring tea fields and tea processing facilities.

Your guide will be Mr. Yamashita Shinki, the third-generation owner. While inheriting traditional cultivation and tea processing techniques, he incorporates knowledge gained from tea-producing regions across the country and pursues the potential of gyokuro.

The wind that passes through the tea fields, the aroma of the tea leaves, the texture of the vessel felt in your palm. And the deep umami concentrated in a few drops. Enjoy a special time that can only be experienced here, tasting gyokuro with your "five senses" while engaging in conversation with the owner.

(*This activity is available by request. We will inform you of the availability after confirming your desired date and time.)

Overview of ActivitiesOverview of Activities

Visit one of Japan's top gyokuro villages
Special guidance by the third-generation ownerVisit one of Japan's top gyokuro villages
Special guidance by the third-generation owner

Kyotanabe City, located in the southern part of Kyoto Prefecture, is known as one of Japan's leading regions for gyokuro production.

For three generations, Yamashita Shinjuen has continued the tradition of gyokuro making in this area. The third generation leader, Mr. Yamashita Shinki, grew up watching his grandfather, the first owner of the garden, and has trained in tea-producing regions across the country while preserving the inherited traditions.

In this experience, the owner himself will guide you through the tea fields and tea processing facilities. You will unravel the characteristics of the land where gyokuro grows, the cultivation methods, the differences from regular sencha, and the processes involved in turning tea leaves into a cup of tea, all through the words of the maker.

Learn from the craftsman who shone as the best in Japan
Kyotanabe's gyokuro spreading to the worldLearn from the craftsman who shone as the best in Japan
Kyotanabe's gyokuro spreading to the world

Mr. Araki Yamashita's gyokuro won the first prize and the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award in the 2022 "National Tea Competition Gyokuro Division." It is highly regarded not only in Japan but also overseas, including in Paris.

On the other hand, the owner aims not just to produce high-quality tea. With the desire to make gyokuro more accessible and enjoyable, he conveys new ways to savor gyokuro in daily life.

This is a rare opportunity to learn directly from a producer who has received the highest accolades in the world of tea quality competition about the essence and tasting methods of gyokuro.

Experience the aroma, flavor, vessel, and space
The world of gyokuro concentrated in a single dropExperience the aroma, flavor, vessel, and space
The world of gyokuro concentrated in a single drop

After touring the tea fields and the tea factory, we return to the tea room to savor the gyokuro brewed by the garden owner.

The gyokuro, carefully extracted over time at a low temperature, boasts a rich umami and gentle sweetness that differs from the typical image of tea. In the small droplets, the power of the land, the skill in cultivating the tea leaves, and the delicate sense of water temperature and extraction time are concentrated.

We check the color and aroma, touch the vessel, and focus on the flavor that slowly spreads in the mouth. While enjoying a conversation with the garden owner, it is a quiet and luxurious tea time where we receive gyokuro with all five senses.

Flow of experienceFlow of experience

0:00〜0:10｜Arrival・Tasting of Cold Brewed Gyokuro
After arriving at Yamashita Shinjuen, you will be guided to the tea room. First, while enjoying the cold brewed gyokuro, you will receive an explanation about the experience.

0:10〜1:00｜Visit to Tea Fields and Tea Factory
Under the guidance of the owner Yamashita, we will tour the tea fields and the tea factory. You will learn about the cultivation methods of gyokuro, the characteristics of the production area, and the process from freshly picked tea leaves to finished products.

1:00〜2:00｜Tasting "The Ultimate Drop" and Conversation with the Garden Owner
We return to the tea room to enjoy gyokuro brewed right in front of us by the garden owner. While savoring the aroma and umami, we will hear about the owner's thoughts on gyokuro production and the various ways to enjoy tea.

*Please note that the tour locations and schedule may change depending on the weather and the conditions of the tea garden and tea production facility on the day of the visit.

OverviewOverview

• Operating period
  From October to February (excluding Sundays)
  ※ Please contact us at least one month before the desired experience date.
  ※ This activity is available by request. We will confirm the feasibility after your application and notify you of the reservation confirmation.
• required time
  Approximately 120 minutes
• capacity
  1 to 6 people
• fee
  If participating alone: 1 person 38,000 yen (tax included)
  If participating with 2 to 6 people: 1 person 19,000 yen (tax included)
  
  ※Children aged 6 and above are subject to the experience fee.
• What is included in the fee
  - Experience program at Yamashita Shinjuen
  - Guided tour of tea fields and tea production area by the owner
  - Tasting of cold-brewed gyokuro
  - Serving of gyokuro in the tea room
  
  The following are not included
  - Transportation costs to Yamashita Shinjuen
  - Meal costs
  - Interpreter guide arrangement fee
  - Transportation arrangement fee for hire cars, etc.
  - Other individually added arrangement costs
• implementation location
  Yamashita Shinjuen
  7 Kōgedani, Fugenji, Kyotanabe City, Kyoto Prefecture
  ※Hire option: 50,000 yen (tax included)Google Map
• Language support
  Japanese
  ※If you wish to participate in English, you can consult about arranging a guide knowledgeable in Japanese tea.
  ※Option for arranging an interpreter guide: 30,000 yen (tax included)
• Cancellation Policy
  20 days or more before the experience date: 20% of the experience fee
  6 days or more before the experience date: 50% of the experience fee
  2 days or more before the experience date: 80% of the experience fee
  On the day before or on the day of the experience: 100% of the experience fee
• Clothing and Important Notes
  - Please come in comfortable clothing and easy-to-walk shoes to walk through the tea fields and tea production areas.
  - For outdoor visits, please prepare warm clothing and rain gear according to the season and the weather on the day.
  - The content of the tour of the tea fields and tea production areas may change depending on the weather, tea growth, and production conditions.
  - There is no transportation provided by the facility. Please come by car or taxi.
  - Taxis from Kyoto Station can be arranged separately upon request.
  - If you wish for guidance in a foreign language, we will arrange a guide knowledgeable in Japanese tea separately.
  - Please consult in advance about itineraries that combine meals and nearby sightseeing.
  - The photos published are for illustration purposes.