Private Tea & Soba Class in Shizuoka: Learn from a Farming Family

Make soba noodles and taste tea straight from the fields where it grows.

A private class for one or two guests at a family tea farm in Shizuoka where you learn to make soba noodles from scratch, participate in a traditional tea ceremony, walk through tea fields, and eat what you prepare. The experience runs about five hours and includes a live English-speaking guide, lunch, and Japanese sweets. Public transportation reaches the farm.

Step-by-step itinerary

Rural tea farm experience in Shizuoka

• Walk through tea fields
• Learn traditional tea cultivation
• Make soba noodles from scratch
• Enjoy freshly prepared soba lunch
• Participate in Japanese tea ceremony
• Learn about tea history and brewing
• Stroll scenic farm viewpoints
• Enjoy traditional Japanese sweets

The Experience

You arrive at a working tea farm in rural Shizuoka and spend the day with the family that tends it. This is not a demonstration you watch from a distance. You make soba noodles yourself from the beginning, then eat what you've rolled and cut for lunch. You walk through the tea fields to see how the plants grow and learn the difference between the varieties the family cultivates. A traditional tea ceremony follows, where you learn the history and brewing techniques before tasting freshly prepared tea.

The day moves at the pace of the farm itself. You stroll the scenic viewpoints around the property, take in the countryside without crowds, and sit down to homemade Japanese sweets. Because the group stays at one or two people, there's no schedule pressure and no other visitors competing for the family's attention. Everything happens in English with a live guide who translates and explains as you go.

What’s included

• Walk through the tea fields and learn about traditional cultivation.
• make soba noodles from scratch and eat them for lunch.
• participate in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
• taste freshly brewed tea and learn its history and brewing methods.
• enjoy Japanese sweets.
• stroll the farm's scenic viewpoints.

Days and timesMon · 10:00

Meeting point and pickupNo pickup · ends where it startsMeeting point, per the operator: “Shinkansen Ticket Gate Exit, Shizuoka Station (Please wait outside the Shinkansen ticket gate, after you exit.)”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Onigiri Travel

Is this one for you?The day is five hours of hands-on work and walking at a relaxed pace, so you're active but not rushed. Book this if you want to actually make something and eat it, not watch a demonstration, and if you're comfortable with the farm's set menu. There's no way to modify meals for dietary needs.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

What exactly do I make and eat during the soba part?

You make soba noodles from scratch (rolling, cutting and shaping the dough yourself), then cook and eat your own noodles for lunch as part of the day's meal.

Is this a real working farm or a place set up for tourists?

It's a family-owned tea farm in active production. You're visiting their actual home and fields, not a tourist venue, and spending the day with the people who work there.

How much walking is involved?

You walk through the tea fields and around scenic viewpoints on the farm property. The itinerary is designed for all fitness levels and the pace is leisurely, not a hiking tour.

Can the farm accommodate dietary restrictions or allergies?

The farm cannot modify meals for gluten-free, vegetarian, or allergy needs, so you'll eat what the family prepares: soba, tea, and traditional sweets as part of the experience.

Do I need to know anything about tea or noodle-making before I arrive?

No prior knowledge is needed. The family teaches both the tea ceremony and soba-making from the start, and the guide explains everything in English as you learn.