About this tour
When Mia from our BugBitten team did this tour near Tokyo, she spent a proper morning in the Kanagawa countryside learning how Japanese tea actually grows—not in a formal ceremony room, but out in the fields with a local tea master. The day runs four hours from mid-morning, and you pick fresh leaves (weather and season willing), taste several types of tea at your own pace, then sit down to a farm lunch made from what's grown around you. It's the kind of experience that strips away the tourism gloss and gives you real context for why tea matters in Japan.
Highlights
- Tea leaf picking in the fields with a local tea master guiding you
- Tasting matcha, sencha, hojicha, and more without the formal ceremony pressure
- Hands-on rice ball making using freshly cooked local rice
- Farm lunch featuring vegetable tempura and seasonal dishes grown on-site
- Photo session and Q&A time with your tea master
- Take-home pack of tea leaves picked during your visit
- Kaisei countryside setting feels genuinely removed from Tokyo bustle
- Vegan, halal, and gluten-free options available with notice
What to expect
You'll start mid-morning and head out into the tea fields with an English-speaking guide and the tea master. Expect a leisurely walk through the planted rows—the pace is relaxed, and you're learning as you go about how tea grows and what makes different varieties tick. If the season and weather cooperate, you'll pick some leaves yourself; it's not strenuous, just tactile and a bit meditative. After that, you settle in to taste several types of tea at your own pace. There's no rush or pretence here—it's about trying what you like and asking questions.
Then comes lunch. You'll make your own rice balls first, then sit down to eat alongside vegetables fried fresh, local rice, and whatever seasonal dishes the farm's put together that day. The whole thing wraps by mid-afternoon. Mia found the countryside setting genuinely quiet—far enough from Tokyo that you feel the shift, but accessible enough that getting there isn't a mission.
What travellers say
- Genuine countryside escape from Tokyo, not a packaged tourism box
- Tea master's knowledge and one-on-one Q&A time adds real depth
- Farm-to-table lunch connects the tea experience to local food
- Hands-on leaf picking and rice ball making feel purposeful
- Take-home tea leaves give you something tangible to remember
- Flexible meal options—vegan, halal, gluten-free all workable
- Tea leaf picking is seasonal and weather-dependent, not guaranteed
- Transport to Shin-Matsuda Station and venue is your own cost
- Walking through fields rules out those with spinal or cardiovascular concerns
- Insects and sun exposure mean sun protection and insect tolerance needed
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
This works brilliantly if you want to understand tea beyond a ceremonial performance. The farm-to-table lunch ties everything together—you taste the tea, then eat food grown in the same place. It's hands-on without being exhausting, and the tea master's Q&A adds real depth. Vegan and halal meals are sorted with advance notice, and gluten-free can be arranged too. It's wheelchair accessible, and the setting is genuinely peaceful.
Tea leaf picking is seasonal and weather-dependent, so you might miss that part if conditions aren't right—worth confirming ahead. The tour isn't recommended if you're pregnant, have spinal injuries, or poor cardiovascular health; it does involve walking through fields, though nothing steep. You'll need comfortable shoes (no bare feet), a sun hat, and sunscreen. Insect allergies and active cold/flu mean you shouldn't go. Transport to and from the start point (Shin-Matsuda Station) is on you, and the farmland walk means insects are part of the deal. Lunch is included, but any tea or souvenirs you want to buy on top are extra.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.