Tea is a cornerstone of Japanese culture.
And the town of Kakegawa, southwest of Mount Fuji, serves as one of the country’s premier
producers of this tasty commodity.
Easily reachable as a side trip from Tokyo, this quaint town also boasts a noteworthy
castle and top-rated bird park, making this a destination I was eager to visit for myself.
I’m Sam Evans, staff writer for japan-guide.com, and over the next two days I’ll be checking
out what Kakegawa has to offer.
Here’s the plan:
On day one we’ll take the shinkansen from Tokyo to Kakegawa, hopefully with a view of
Mt. Fuji along the way.
Once we arrive, we’ll visit the castle grounds and then spend the evening exploring Honjin
Dori, an atmospheric restaurant street in the center of town that is a favorite of locals.
On day two, we’ll start at the famous bird park, take a detour to see some stunning views
of Kakegawa’s tea fields, and move on to Kiwi Fruits Country where we’ll have a bbq
lunch, make our own tea, and pick kiwi fruit.
So follow along as we explore Japan's tea town, Kakegawa.
Day 1
Wow, heavy.
So we’re here, we’ve arrived at Kakegawa Castle; and I’m dressed suitably in genuine
armor that, even though made recently, was manufactured with the exact same techniques
and materials that it would have been in centuries past.
We’ve arrived inside Kakegawa Castle.
Now, most Japanese castles that stand today are reconstructions that are made using concrete,
but Kakegawa Castle is special because it was the first to be reconstructed using wood
in the traditional way.
So now we’re in the castle palace.
Now this castle palace is noteworthy, being one of only four in the country that has survived
since the feudal era.
Thank you very much.
You’re welcome.
Day 2
So we’re here at the Kakegawa Bird Park, considered by many to be the best in Japan.
And here as you can see there are a lot of residents that like a bit of company, and
I suspect, more than that, a bit of food.
So it’s great to get down here and have a bit of a novel experience.
Kiwi Fruits Country Japan has eighty varieties, eight zero varieties, of kiwi fruits.
Let’s go pick some.
So we can’t eat the one I just picked because they typically need about two weeks to mature;
but we can eat one of these.
And with that, our time in Kakegawa has come to an end.
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screen now or head over to japan-guide.com, your comprehensive up to date travel guide
first hand from Japan.
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Happy travels.