Tea Picking Experience

　Wazuka Town is popular with foreign visitors as it is relatively close to Kyoto, offers scenic views, and provides the opportunity to experience tea picking.

　It is a frequent stop on tours. The chance to try tea leaf tempura and sample a variety of teas is particularly popular.

　At this time of year, the tea fields are covered with black sheets known as ‘kanreisya (cold-proof netting)’. This is to prevent sunlight from reaching the tea leaves, thereby bringing out the umami flavour of the ‘tencha’ used to make matcha. 

　Due to the growing global demand for matcha, the use of these black sheets has increased year on year, and in some places, the entire landscape is covered in them. This vast expanse of black sheets is a sight that can only be seen in the spring, just before the harvest.