Shizuoka prefecture 静岡県

Shizuoka Prefecture is located in the middle of Japan and is famous for Mount Fuji, the highest peak and symbol of Japan.

Shizuoka has been an important place since ancient times. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Shogunate, spent his youth and last days in Shizuoka and even today, Shizuoka is an important place and has a strong position. Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawai were founded and are still based in Shizuoka.

Shizuoka also has a strong position in fishing and agriculture. Lake Hamana in Shizuoka is also famous for eel farming. Shizuoka also produces most of Japan's wasabi. And, of course, Shizuoka is best known for its Japanese tea.

Tea cultivation in Shizuoka began in 1244 when the Buddhist monk Enji brought tea seeds from China to Japan and planted them in Ashikubo in Suruga. Suruga is therefore considered the birthplace of tea in Shizuoka. Tea production gradually grew and expanded massively in the late 19th century, when the Makinohara plain was cultivated for tea growing. In 1899, the port of Shimizu was opened and soon became the largest tea export port in Japan.

Shizuoka is also known for its success in tea production. It was here that Hikosaburo Sugiyama bred the first and still most widely used cultivar, Yabukita, in 1908. The very first Yabukita plant - which is now more than 110 years old - is still alive and well in Suruga-ku. Shizuoka is also the place where many tea harvesting machines were invented: in the 1950s a portable harvesting machine for one person, in the 1960s a portable harvesting machine for two people, in 1971 a powered harvesting machine.

Tea cultivation is spread throughout the prefecture and the largest tea producing areas include Makinohara, Shimada and Kakegawa - all located in the lowlands near the ocean. Other major tea producing areas include Kikugawa, Shizuoka, Fujieda, Fuji, Omaezaki.

In Shizuoka, Sencha and Fukamushicha tea are mainly produced. Other teas grown in Shizuoka include Bancha, Matcha and Kabusecha.