Monday, December 25, 2017

Shizuoka Short cycling & Green Tea Farm Experience (2/2)

Hello, Welcome to my blog!
I am Hirokane at Local Travel partners.

Today I would like to intorduce our 
Shizuoka Short cycling & Green Tea Farm Experience.
(continued from my last blog post)

After viewing the green tea farm of the Moriuchi Tea Farm,
we visited their farm house.


This house was built more than 150 years ago.

The board reads:
Honyama Meicha / Moriuchi Tea Farm
Honyama is the brand name of tea around this area.
Meicha means refined tea

Let's go inside.


Moriuchi-San preparing our tasting experience with 4 kinds of tea.


There is also a traditional Japanese tatami room.

These nice 2 photos (below) are courtesy of Moriuchi-San.


As you can see one may really experience a relaxing moment there!





This farm has been welcoming many overseas travelers. 

They enjoyed viewing tea farms, tea picking outside, 
tea tasting and tea farming lecture inside.


We tasted 4 kinds of tea which are made from the same tea leaves.
Green Tea, Paochong Tea, Oolong Tea, Black Tea,

Have you ever experienced any of them?
This was my first tasting experience.

It was really amazing!
Each taste is quite different and all the tea are so delicious.
I can't believe these are made from the same tea leaves!

You can do the same with their "Tasting 4 kinds of Japanese green tea experience"
made from  different tea leaves.
(This is the most popular course with overseas travelers.) 


We enjoyed 4 kinds of tea and Japanese confectionary.
The green jelly cake one includes Wasabi!


Lecturing about tea farming and preparing the various kinds of tea.


We leaned about all the hard work to make such delicious tea.


We were offered delicious tea and had a wonderful time.
We stayed longer than we expected!


This is a room where the make and preserve tea cakes.


Moriuchi-San, 
Thank you so much for your warm hospitality and delicious tea!

Now we are heading back to town on our bikes.


Going through  old Sengen street 
(japanese language site)


Shizuoka Local food at an "Oden" shop.


This  Shizuoka Oden, a very popular local food!


Going through  Sumpu Castle park,


The statue of General  Ieyasu Tokugawa inside  Sumpu Castle Park


After visiting Sumpu Castle Park, we went back to JR Shizuoka Station.
It took  about 10 minutes by bikes.


Our reliable members, 
Thank you so much for your cooperation!

We are refining this exciting new program  and will start offering it to you soon!

Thank you!



Friday, December 22, 2017

Shizuoka Short Cycling & Green Tea Farm Experience!(1/2)

Hello, Welcome to my blog!
This is Hirokane at Local Travel Partners.

Last week, we had a cycling test to check a new activity
in Shizuoka City. 
We would like to offer this new activity to overseas travelers 
who are interested in cycling and green tea farm.


Hybrid Bike × Green Tea Farm Experience 
Start  from JR shizuoka Station North Exit 

All members love Shizuoka, cyclng, and  speak English.

 Robert-San (second left) is from France.
He has been living in Shizuoka City more than 40 years!

He always moves around on his bike and has a good knowledge 
 of Shizuoka.
He speaks French, English, Japanese.

Today. let me introduce this cycling test.


The schedule is as follows:
1 hour Cycling with comfortable hybrid bikes starting from JR Shizuoka Station
About 10 kilometers (one way)

Going through downtown Shizuoka City
Cycling along beautiful and safe riverside of Abekawa River
Visiting Moriuchi Tea Farm up in mountains

Enjoy the great views of a Green Tea Farm (2 spots)
Tasting 4 kinds of tea in their 150 years old farm house
Lecturing about tea farming and the making of various kinds of tea

Visit (Return Path)

Total Duration:3 hours and 30 minutes


Here we go!


Close to the JR Shizuoka Station north exit

This is the last Shogun's residence of Edo era (19th century).
The last Shogun Yoshinobu Tokugawa  lived there for 20 years.

There is a beautiful Japanese garden inside Fugetsuro.
Now, Fugetsuro is a location for wedding ceremonies
and also includes restaurants.

It acquired more national fame when the Japanese Emperor and Empress
 payed it a visit in 2017.



This is the main street of downtown Shizuoka City,


Gohuku mean Kimono or Clothes
But there are not only clothes shops but also various kinds of establishments.
For example, some famous ramen shops, department stores,
drugstores, Starbucks, book stores, convenience stores, izakaya,
jewelry shops and so on.


Wow, a unique manhole!
Mount Fuji, Miho Pine Tree Grove, Kunozan Toshogu Shrine,
these are all famous tourist attractions in Shizuoka City.

it is inscribed with:
"Shizuoka City, the town that Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa loved"

Actually, there is one hidden meaning of this picture
because it includes an old Japanese proverb:

1,Fuji 2,Taka 3,Nasubi
(in English)
1,Mount Fuji, 2, Hawks 3, Eggplants, 

 It means that if you can dream above 1,2,3 on the 1st day of the year,
you will be granted with a very lucky year!


Robert-San knows many places that have unique manholes.
His blogs about Shizuoka, below.
Please check them in his blogs about Shizuoka, below:


We  went along the Abe River.

It is a very comfortable road for cyclists.


Though this place is not so far from downtown, the scenery changes all along.
Now, we are already in a countryside.


We finally arrived to Uchimaki area.
We can view a wide green tea farm around this area.



It is a tea plantation spreading on the slopes at our back.
There is an uphill climb before reaching this farm.

But it was not so hard for us because we were on these hybryd bikes (24 gears)





More excellent photos taken by Moriuchi-San,


The members are listening to her explanations of this tea farm.


The lady on the left is Moriuchi-San.
Thank you for welcoming us, Mrs.Moriuchi!

To be continued
(next: tasting tea experience in her 150 years house)

Thank you!



Saturday, December 2, 2017

Cycling in a Local Area of Shizuoka/on 5th November,2017

Hello, Welcome to our blog!

We are a travel agency in Shizuoka City, Japan.

I am Hirokane the manager of this company.

Today, I would like to introduce  our cycling event that we held on 5th November, 2017.

This blog post is continued from my last blog post.


We started this cycling trip at 8:00 am from Mochimune Fish Port.
We visited Mochimune Beach, crossed the Ocean Bridge, and cycled 
along the Mariko River,
We stopped at the old traditional Chojiya Restaurant,and reached 
We returned from there.


Inside the tunnel. 
It was so mysterious. The air was so cool.


Autumn leaves on the road.


Next, we visited Nishikawa Farm.


The man on the right is Mr. Nishikawa the owner of this farm.
They are growing "Jabutikaba" on this farm.
Do you know this fruit?


This is the fruit of Jabutikaba.
This fruit is from South America.


As you can see, this fruit grows directly on the trunk of the tree.


Jabutikaba Juice!  It was very refreshing and tasty.
Especially for us thirsty people after cycling.


Thank you for making us delicious juice!


Oh, pretty car! 
This car is not a decoration. You can use it.


On the farm, space is provided for relaxation.
A nice spot to enjoy tea time.


Nishikawa-San, Thank you for your warm hospitality!
On this farm you can also experience pizza-baking on request.


We are riding back to Mochimune Fishing Harbor
 along the Mariko River Cycling road.


Now we came back to Sarry's Cafe in Mochimune.


Funny lunch time with the members of the day at Sarry's Cafe!

Thank you so much for your participation!

This event was planned and held under the collaboration
of Club Sarry's & Local Travel Partners.

We can also provide guided cycling tours 
 or rental hybrid bikes.

If you are interested in this course, please feel free to contact us!