Trace the Roots of Shizuoka Tea at ChanoMe. A Moment of Tranquility with a Tea connected to Shoichi-Kokushi【Honyama Tea, Shizuoka Prefecture】

Located in Ohara, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka City, ChanoMe is a tea cafe that invites you on a journey to discover the origins of Shizuoka tea, which dates back to the Kamakura period. Run by Morita Seicha, a long-established tea wholesaler with a 70-year history, this cafe offers a unique opportunity to experience the depth of authentic Shizuoka tea through a hands-on tea experience using rare tea leaves associated with Shoichi-Kokushi. The cafe’s tranquil atmosphere, reminiscent of a traditional Japanese house, along with the soothing sound of a Suikinkutsu(buried earthen jar that makes sound when water drips into it (garden feature)), has earned it a reputation as a healing sanctuary.

In this article, we will delve into Morita Seicha’s commitment to quality and the concept behind the ChanoMe tea cafe through an interview with Junpei Morita, the company’s representative director.

What is ChanoMe

Located in Ohara, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka City, ChanoMe is a charming cafe that invites you to experience the world of Japanese tea. This cozy spot is run by Morita Seicha, a long-established tea company with over 70 years of history.

▲Nestled amidst the serene landscape of Ohara, surrounded by mountains and the WarashinaRiver, you’ll find  Tea Cafe “Cha no me”.

In an era dominated by bottled tea, Morita Seicha, a tea producer, opened ChanoMe an experiential Japanese tea cafe in 2016, with a mission to share the joy of brewing tea in a teapot.

The cafe features traditional Japanese elements such as a suikinkutsu (a type of water feature) and a tea room, creating a serene and nostalgic atmosphere. At ChanoMe, customers can enjoy the unique experience of brewing their own tea in a teapot and savoring the rich flavors of carefully selected Japanese teas paired with delicious sweets, offering a moment of tranquility.

A suikinkutsu is a unique sound-producing device found in Japanese gardens. It’s essentially a buried earthenware jar, about 1.5 meters underground, that produces a soothing sound. When excess water from a nearby stone basin drips into the jar, it creates a delicate, resonant tone that has been likened to the sound of a koto, a traditional Japanese harp.

Intorduce ChanoMe Cafe Menu

Morita Seicha, the company behind ChanoMe, specializes in high-quality tea leaves produced locally in Shizuoka Prefecture. We prioritize safety and quality, carefully selecting the finest tea leaves and processing them using our advanced tea-making techniques.

▲Morita Seicha has earned a stellar reputation for its exceptional tea-making techniques, as evidenced by numerous awards and accolades in various tea competitions.

Indulge in the beauty of a clear, vibrant green hue and experience the refreshing aroma of mountain-grown tea with our new cafe menu featuring Morita Seicha. Discover a world of taste sensations as we showcase the unique qualities of our carefully selected teas.

Fukuno Ka

“Fukuno Ka” is a highly popular premium Sencha tea from ChanoMe. Harvested around the time of Shincha (around early May), this seasonal tea is characterized by its natural sweetness and rich umami flavor.

With its delightful taste, it has gained popularity among both seasoned tea enthusiasts and newcomers alike, making it a perfect gift. According to Morita Seicha, the producer, they receive numerous orders for this particular tea.

▲Cha no Me’s staff will patiently guide you on how to brew the perfect cup of tea for each variety, ensuring that anyone can enjoy the delicious taste of tea from a teapot.

The delicious teas you enjoy at ChanoMe’s cafe can also be purchased at our retail corner. Once you’ve discovered your favorite, why not bring the ChanoMe tea experience home with you?

Legendary Set: A Taste of History Of Shoichi-Kokushi with Densetsu no Irodori

Densetsu no Irodori is a rare and exquisite tea cultivated in the tea fields in front of the birthplace of Saint Ikkoku, revered as the founder of Shizuoka tea. With an annual production of less than 50 kilograms, this tea is truly a treasure. It has won numerous awards, including the Grand Prize at the World Green Tea Contest in 2014 and the Gold Prize at the 10th International Fine Tea Competition.

At ChanoMe, we offer a Legendary Set that allows you to savor the luxury of this legendary tea in a cafe setting.

▲A Legendary Set: Seasonal Nerikiri and Your Choice of Dango. For this set, we’ve chosen a popular favorite: dango (rice dumplings) generously coated in a luscious, gooey Mitarashi sauce.

First brew: By using slightly cooled water at 50-60°C, you can fully appreciate the rich aroma, deep umami, and full-bodied flavor of the matcha.
(Our knowledgeable staff can provide personalized guidance on the optimal brewing method for each type of tea, including leaf quantity, water temperature, and teapot handling.)

Subsequent brewing: Simply pour hot water directly from the pot into the teapot to enjoy a refreshing and different flavor profile compared to the first brew.

Savor the evolving taste of matcha as you progress from the first to the second and third brews, paired with seasonal nerikiri sweets or your choice of dango (sweet dumplings).

Matcha Chocolate Fondue(seasonal menu)

Indulge in our limited-time Matcha Chocolate Fondue! Dip your favorite treats like dango (sweet rice dumplings), seasonal fruits, matcha chiffon cake, and marshmallows into our warm, rich matcha chocolate sauce. Our homemade matcha chocolate sauce is made with Okumidori, a special cultivar grown in our own tea gardens at Morita Seicha.

▲ A set of domestic black tea bags is included.

This popular menu item offers a perfect balance of sweet chocolate and the rich flavor of matcha, delighting both your taste buds and your eyes.

▲Cha no Me offers a variety of other cafe menus featuring matcha, all made with matcha cultivated in Morita Seicha’s own tea gardens.

To finish off, enjoy the remaining matcha chocolate sauce poured over ice cream. The warm and cold combination is simply irresistible.

Whole Matcha Shaved Ice(seasonal menu)

ChanoMe is known for its seasonal menu, and one of their summer highlights is the Whole Matcha Shaved Ice. This special treat is made by shaving a unique type of ice called Sennorihyou directly from a block.

Infused with actual tea leaves and matcha powder, this ice offers an authentic and deep tea flavor.

This seasonal matcha shaved ice is served with ice cream, sweet bean paste, and two types of syrup, allowing customers to customize their dessert. It’s so popular that during summer, there are often lines of people waiting to try this refreshing treat.

Roasted Sweet Potato Parfait(seasonal menu)

This hearty winter treat features a whole Kumamoto Beni Haruka sweet potato, sourced directly from a farm in Kyushu, Japan. Layered on a bed of chewy baked dango and fluffy homemade chiffon cake, the parfait is topped with sweet bean paste and creamy ice cream. The warm, freshly baked sweet potato creates a delightful contrast with the cool ice cream, making for a truly satisfying and substantial Japanese-style parfait.

Some of our cafe items are also available for takeout.

▲After placing your order at the takeout counter, you can pick up your item.

Interview: Inheriting Tea Cultivated in the Land of Saint Ikkū and Delivering it to the Future: We await you at Chanome

We interviewed Junpei Morita, the representative director of Morita Seicha.

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Experience the Bliss of Brewing Your Own Cup of Tea at Chanome: A Japanese Tea Cafe Where You Can Learn How to Brew Tea

–Can you tell us about the Japanese tea cafe Chanome?

This location where we operate Chanome was originally a retail store for Morita Seicha, our parent company. We renovated the building into a Japanese tea cafe and opened Chanome in 2016.

While bottled tea has become mainstream in recent years, we wanted people to experience the deliciousness of tea brewed in a teapot.

–So, you decided to create a cafe where customers can brew their own tea in a teapot, wanting people to know the deliciousness of tea brewed in a teapot.

Yes. We want to teach people how to brew delicious tea and introduce them to the charm of tea cultivated in the mountains of Shizuoka. That’s why we made it an experiential cafe where our staff explains the different brewing methods for each type of tea and customers can experience brewing tea themselves.

At Chanome, we sell Morita Seicha teas at more affordable prices than our online store. If you enjoy any of the teas on our cafe menu, you can purchase them right away.

A Legendary Tea Cultivated in the Birthplace of Shizuoka Tea: Discover the History of Shizuoka Tea with ‘Densetsu no Irodori

–Can you tell us more about Densetsu no Irodori, the signature tea at ChanoMe?

Approximately a 30-minute drive from ChanoMe, in Tochizawa (Okawa district), Shizuoka City, lies the birthplace and grave of Shoichi-Kokushi, who is considered the founder of Shizuoka tea. The tea plantation in front of his former home had been abandoned and overgrown for many years until Morita Seicha dedicated four years to its restoration.

The tea harvested from this revived plantation was named Shoichi-Kokushi ~ Densetsu no Irodori.

▲Shoichi-Kokushi ~ Densetsu no Irodori won the Grand Prize at the World Green Tea Contest in 2014 and has achieved a remarkable three consecutive victories since then.

–Shoichi-Kokushi is well-known as a monk who popularized Shizuoka tea. It’s fascinating that a tea bears his name. What makes this tea so special?

Over 50 people are involved in the harvest, carefully picking each leaf by hand. This labor-intensive process means that even professional farmers can only pick about 5 kilograms per day.

Furthermore, the tea leaves are reduced to about one-fifth of their original weight during the manufacturing process due to the application of heat. As a result, only about 30 kilograms of this extremely rare tea are available annually.

▲Typically, tea is harvested using the one stem, two leaves method, but Densetsu no Irodori is harvested using the one stem, one leaf method, meaning each leaf is picked individually from a single stem.

To make this rare tea accessible to as many people as possible, ChanoMe offers it in our café menu as the Densetsu Set and Tenku Set.

These sets have been very popular, attracting visitors from far and wide who come specifically to try this tea. It’s a wonderful opportunity for people to learn about the origins of Shizuoka tea and why Shizuoka Honyama Tea is considered the starting point of Shizuoka tea.

–A tea so deeply connected to the monk who popularized Shizuoka tea is sure to resonate with people beyond just tea enthusiasts.

Honyama Tea is the origin Tea from the Birthplace of Shizuoka Tea. What makes Honyamacha so special?

–There are so many varieties of tea produced in Shizuoka, such as Kawane tea, Mori no cha, and Kakegawa tea. What makes Honyama Tea unique?

Honyama Tea refers to tea cultivated in the upper reaches of the Abe River and the Ogari River in Shizuoka City. The mountainous areas along these rivers are prone to fog, which softens the tea leaves by mitigating the intensity of the sunlight. Additionally, the mineral-rich soil contributes to the tea’s vibrant green color, refreshing aroma, and elegant sweetness and umami. These qualities define Honyama Tea.

–I’ve heard that Honyama Tea is the origin of Shizuoka tea.

That’s correct. Approximately 800 years ago, during the Kamakura period, a high priest named Shoichi Kokushi, who founded Tofuku-ji Temple in Kyoto, traveled to Song (present-day China) at the age of 34. After six years of rigorous training, he acquired the latest knowledge and Buddhist teachings. Upon his return, he brought tea seeds as a gift for his mother and planted them in his hometown, Honyama.

This is considered the beginning of tea cultivation in Shizuoka, making the Honyama region the oldest tea-producing area in Shizuoka Prefecture. In other words, Honyama Tea is The Origin of Shizuoka Green Tea.

▲The weeping cherry tree at Shoichi-Kokushi’s birthplace in Tochizawa blooms beautifully in spring. The sight of its large branches swaying in the wind and scattering petals is truly breathtaking.

A Moment of Tranquility with Tea: Brewing the Perfect Cup in a Kyusu

I entered the tea industry when I was 20 years old and have been involved in tea production for over two decades. However, times have changed dramatically. The use of kyusu (Traditional Japanese teapots) has declined significantly, and the production of loose-leaf tea now exceeds that of tea for bottled beverages.

Additionally, the aging population of tea farmers is a pressing issue. Most tea farmers in Shizuoka are over 65 years old. With many tea plantations located on steep slopes in mountainous areas, the physical demands of tea cultivation are extremely challenging. As a result, tea leaf harvests have been decreasing each year.

To address these challenges, we are working to foster connections among tea producers to share knowledge and information. We are also actively promoting the use of kyusu for brewing tea.

▲Cha no Me has been featured on local television several times for its delicious tea and calming atmosphere, and we have a display of autographs from many famous people.

–Is it common for tea shops to work together?

Yes, there are networks connecting teahouses across Shizuoka Prefecture. One such organization is the “Shizuoka Tea Industry Youth Group,” which brings together tea wholesalers under the age of 45 in the prefecture. There are also nationwide networks.

Driven by our desire for people to experience the deliciousness of tea brewed in a kyusu, we opened a tea experience cafe called ChanoMe. Along with our delicious tea, we offer a variety of sweets such as grilled dango, nerikiri (sweet bean paste confectionery), and hojicha pudding.
We believe that brewing tea in a kyusu can foster communication and conversation among people.

In front of our shop, you’ll find the Warabiko Shimotsumayama Community Center. After enjoying charcoal-making experiences or a relaxing soak in the onsen, please visit Cha no Me. In our quaint teahouse, with the soothing sound of a suikinkutsu (water-dropping fountain), you can savor delicious tea and sweets while enjoying a moment of peace and tranquility.

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Information Of Chanome

Address	1827, Ohara, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka City, 421-1314, Japan
Website	https://www.instagram.com/cha_no_me.cafe/
Phone number	+81 54-270-1313
E-money and credit cards	Credit card payments not Available
Open	10:00 to 17:00
Closed	Mondays and the 4th Tuesdays
Parking lot	Available (4 cars)
Access	In front of Warashina City Mountain Village Interchange Center Warabiko Nearby Youchijima Bus Stop of Shizutetsu Bus Warashina LineAbout 30-minute drive via National Route 362 from Shizuoka City area toward Warashina

 

Writer	Norikazu Iwamoto
Career	Ochatimes chief editer. Meeting with Vice Governor of Shizuoka prefecture. Judge of Shizuoka 100 tea’s award in 2021~23. Ocha Times link introduced at website of World O-CHA(Tea) Festival 2022, Tea Science Center, The City of Green Tea Shizuoka,  Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.