Go!Central Japan × Centrip JapanStep on to the JR Shinkansen
and Back in Time on the Tokaido

We begin our tale in Totoumi, not far from Lake Hamana, in present-day Shizuoka. Shizuoka produces over 40% of Japan's green tea. Green tea has been cultivated here since the 1200s. It is widely considered to be the Mecca of tea in Japan. Even if you've had green tea back home, nothing compares to a fresh brewed with Shizuoka tea leaves.

While you can drink fresh tea in Shizuoka, why not take it to the next level and pick some tea leaves yourself? There are a number of places in Shizuoka where you can wade out into the tea fields and experience what it's like to pick fresh tea leaves with your own hands. It's a great chance to learn how that delicious green tea winds up in your cup. For those looking to for an artistic tea experience, Shizuoka is also the perfect place to try a Japanese tea ceremony.

Visitors to Japan might be familiar with pot stickers. While seen as Chinese food in the West, Japan has made pot stickers its own thing. Hamamatsu, in Shizuoka, is known for having some of the best. These pot stickers are called gyoza in Japanese. If you're already a fan of these delicious dumplings, you'll be in heaven. If you aren't already a fan, here's your chance to try the best. They're usually filled with vegetables, so health-conscious travelers will enjoy these as well. Check out the links below for a some great gyoza restaurants near Hamamatsu Station.

If you're ready to step out of your culinary shell, or you're already an adventurous eater, the thing you definitely need to try in Hamamatsu is unagi. Unagi is the Japanese word for freshwater eel. It's usually grilled, smothered in barbecue sauce, and served over rice. Lake Hamana is said to have the most delicious unagi in all of Japan. If you're going to eat this beloved Japanese dish, there's no better place to try it than in Hamamatsu. Eastern and Western Japanese have slightly different styles of preparing unagi, with it being steamed as well in the eastern Kanto Region. Since Shizuoka sits in between the two areas, you'll find both styles of unagi served here.