Darjeelingish in Yamanashi Prefecture!
About Nanbu
Recommendations!
- The southern entrance to Minami-Yamanashi is the cultural crossroads of Shizuoka and Yamanashi Prefectures.
- Let a master tea maker teach you how to make delicious sencha tea!
- A fun town to play at pretending to be a local.
Nambu area, or Nambu-cho, is located on the southern side of Minami Yamanashi, adjacent to Shizuoka Prefecture. It is well-known as a tea producing area and mountains and forests cover nearly 90% of its area.
If you speak Japanese, you might think this town is called Nambu because it is located in the south, as the word “Nambu” means the southern part.
If you are a frequent traveler to Japan and have visited all over the country, you might have heard or seen the famous “Nambu tekki” (ironware). It is, of course, produced in Iwate prefecture, the northern part of Japan!
Guess why!
Both names are taken from the surname of samurai, Nambu clan, who ruled the areas in the 18th century. (cf: in the old days Shogun ordered leading samurais or feudal lords to change their territories in order to not let them accumulate wealth and power.)
Visit Tea Shops and Tea Fields!
Most of the tea fields in Nambu-cho are located on mountain tops, where it gets foggy in the early morning. The humidity and the difference of the temperature between day and night makes the exceptional quality of the tea. The tea sprouts are hand-picked from early May. Then they are carefully hand-rolled. Nambu tea embodies a refreshing taste and richness, combining the condensed greenery of the surrounding mountains with a velvety smooth sweetness and a refined aroma. With each sip, the delicate fragrance of young leaves gently tickles the nostrils, and a mellow sweetness spreads in the mouth, providing a sense of satisfaction that can even relax the tension of your body.
Least touristed area
Nambu-cho is the area still to be discovered by tourists, which means you can spend your vacation here as if you were the local residents! Reserve a small hotels with hot spring or rent a renovated old Japanese house, kominka!
