Japanese tea picking and ancient Edo streets of Kawagoe

Meeting at the hotel is available with additional fee.
       

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Description

The Saitama department, adjacent to the northern part of the Japanese capital tends to be forgotten, far from the major tourist sites of Tokyo, Yokohama, Kamakura; however, it's an area full of surprises.
Today, it is time for you to visit one of its most beautiful sites in this region and discover the secrets of tea picking in one of the best plantations in the archipelago.

From Seibu-Shinjuku Station (a 10-minute walk from Shinjuku Station), it will only take you one hour to get to the beautiful Japanese countryside. During the Kamakura period (1185-1333)  Japanese people began to cultivate tea in the lands of the Sayama region.
It is still today one of the three best tea producers in that part of Japan with Kyoto and Shizuoka.
Old folk songs prove this ancient popularity, lyrics said : "The color is Shizuoka, the perfume is Uji (Kyoto), and the taste is Sayama".

Sayama is a region located on a wide plateau, where winter temperatures thicken the tea leaves, and harmonize the perfume perfectly.
We will take a stopover at one of Sayama's tea plantations and experience of tea picking.
After a short theoretical lesson, place to practice! You will have the opportunity to rent a traditional costume (500 yen) to improvise you as a true gatherer of the feudal era.
You will have deserved thereafter, the tasting of delicious tea leaves tempura and refining of tea leaves.After we learnt about tea culture at Sayama, visit the historic town of Kawagoe, called "Little Edo", preserving the architecture of the ancient times.
The old neighborhoods of the time are included in the list of protection of traditional Japanese heritage. Formerly, Kawagoe was named the "mother Edo" because the city used to exceed the capital city Edo at that time.
It was rich in agriculture, tea, sweet potatoes and other goods gathered in Kawagoe, then transported to Edo via the neaby Shingashi River and Iruma river.
Therefore, Kawagoe is called "the kitchen of Edo".
Today, more than 7 million visitors travel every year and its reputation continues to expand in global.In addition, Kawagoe shows the architectural evolution of Japan from the late nineteenth century to the first half of the twentieth century, and the latter haof of the twentieth century. You will be a witness transition of Japanese archtecture.
The old quarter is full of places of interest not to be missed, such as the old traditional candy district in the Kashiya Yokocho area.
You will also see a beautiful old wooden bell tower, that announces hours meanwhile clocks are not in common in the nation.
In the same vicinity, there is the Kawagoe Museum wherein exhibits traditional parade floats (Dashi) which parade in the wide streets during the festivities.
Guests can relax in one of the "Edo" style cafes before visiting the various souvenir shops, offering a wide variety of items.
Then continue your stroll and taste the delicious local food before visiting the many little shops punctuating the old streets.
You will also have the opportunity to taste different Saitama sake sold in funny drink dispensers (4 small glasses of sake for 500 yen).

　　　　

We are waiting for you for this little adventure in the heart of ancient Japan to discover all the secrets of its history, its culture and its gastronomy !
 

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