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Sample Schedule
Half-day | Starts from Nasu-Shiobara Station |
English guided throughout
This schedule serves as a guide. Exact timings may vary slightly depending on group size and seasonal conditions.
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Rina will meet you at the station and drive you through the mountain roads toward Daigo Town. Along the way, you'll get a first glimpse of the landscapes that have shaped this tea-growing region for over 500 years.
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A guided tour of the tea processing facility and the hillside tea fields, with an introduction to the history of Oku-Kuji tea — one of Japan's northernmost and most endangered tea traditions. You'll learn what makes this region's cold mountain climate so unique, and why fewer than 20 active farmers remain today.
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Mr. Komuro — winner of Japan's highest honour in hand-rolled tea — will demonstrate the nine-stage temomi-cha process before guiding you through parts of it yourself. Rolling tea by hand is harder than it looks, more meditative than you'd expect, and an experience that exists almost nowhere else in the world.
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Sit down with a selection of Oku-Kuji teas — green tea, roasted tea, and most importantly, the tea you just made with your own hands. Rina will guide you through the differences in flavour, aroma, and colour. Your hand-rolled tea is yours to take home as a souvenir.
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A relaxed lunch featuring local dishes from northern Ibaraki — the kind of food most visitors to Japan never get to try.
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From here, we can drop you at the most convenient station for your onward journey, or continue into the afternoon with another Hitamichi experience — a sake brewery visit, a shrine tour, or a local food walk.
Looking to make a full day of it?
Northern Ibaraki has more to offer than most visitors could cover in a single trip. After your tea experience, consider adding one of these to your afternoon:
One of Japan's three great waterfalls in Daigo Town. Dramatic in every season — thundering white water in summer, completely frozen in winter. A perfect way to end the day surrounded by nature.
Fukuroda Falls (袋田の滝)
Buckwheat has been grown in this mountain region for centuries. Learn to make soba noodles by hand from local producers, then sit down and eat what you've made.
Soba-Making Experience
Go deeper into Japan's tea culture with a formal tea ceremony experience — a beautiful complement to the hand-rolling session you had in the morning.
Traditional Tea Ceremony
Daigo Town is famous for its konjac (こんにゃく), made from locally grown konnyaku potatoes. Try making it by hand — a surprisingly fun and delicious experience that most visitors to Japan never encounter.
Konjac-Making Experience
All add-on activities can be arranged by Hitamichi. Let us know your interests when you enquire and we'll build your perfect day.
