Duration: 2 days
From 87,000JPY
Embark on a unique trip hosted by a locally-based American deeply involved in the green tea cultivation process, learn about growing sencha, taste Japan’s rarest green tea. Explore the amazing flavors of Kochi.
Day 1
You have two options after landing at Kochi Airport to get to Otoyo Town. Take a bus (or a taxi) to Kochi, where you can change to a train to travel to the hill area, or just rent a car at the airport and drive there. If you choose to rent, we will take care of all the preparations. Get on the Kochi Expressway at Kochi Intersection after signing the lease and putting your luggage away. Take the road north to National Route 439, then exit 439 at the Otoyo interchange (Exit 9) and take National Route 32 to Iwahara.
When you get to Otoyo, you’ll be right next to the lovely Yoshino River, which snakes its way between the hills covered with forest. You will spend the afternoon with your host strolling around the tea fields and learning about the traditional farming and processing practices employed in this region of Japan, which is quite traditional. Everything is handmade and organic.
Dinner can be delivered, grilled, or you can go out to an Indian restaurant nearby.
Day 2
Before breakfast, rise early and stroll along the hillside roads. It’s time to make your way across the hillsides to the second highlight of the trip—a visit to a genuine goishi-cha farm—after breakfast, when your host will pick you up.
The remainder of the morning will be spent walking around the fields, touring the drying and processing plant, and, most importantly, admiring, smelling, and tasting the finished fermented product. You will comprehend why Goishi-cha is not just one of Japan’s most costly teas but also one of its rarest after witnessing the arduous procedure that goes into creating this distinctive beverage.
Around noon or a bit later, the tour will come to a conclusion. If you have the time, we advise going on the Yoshino River rafting tour in the afternoon, which takes you through numerous tea fields perched high up on the mountains.
Please be aware of your flight schedule as you return to the airport and allow extra time to return the rental car and check in for a local flight. Our recommendation is that you allow at least an additional hour for rental returns if you check in an hour prior.
