Off to Uji, the capital of tea! 🍵

Just like Yame Matcha, it’s a little-known fact that "Uji Matcha" isn't strictly limited to tea grown only in Uji. 🫣

As long as the tea leaves are produced in the four prefectures of Kyoto, Mie, Nara, or Shiga, and processed within Kyoto Prefecture, it can officially be called Uji Matcha! 🙆

 I bet many people would be surprised to hear that. 🌼
I visited Wazuka Town, which is often called the "heart" of Uji tea. 🙋

 This world-class production area yields about half of the tea leaves used for Uji tea—especially high-end Sencha and Tencha (the raw material for Matcha) ✨️

The area along the Wazuka River is prone to fog, which naturally shields the tea leaves from direct sunlight. This unique climate concentrates incredible sweetness and Umami within the leaves. 😌 In fact, Wazuka boasts the highest production volume of Tencha in all of Japan! 👑

I took a scenic drive from Uji Station through Wazuka Town 🚗³₃. The landscape is nothing but endless tea plantations, and there was plenty of fresh Matcha to enjoy everywhere I looked. ♡♡

 It is truly a paradise for tea lovers! 🌿