Shizuoka Green Tea & Wagashi Cake at Shizuoka JR Station: KIssa Issa Tea Cafe!

Service: Extremely kind and hospitable
Facilities and Equipment: Spotless clean. Entirely non-smiking!
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Great variety of green tea from Shizuoka City only on sale. Choice of three different teas offered every week. Local wagashi cakes!

4 years ago, in June exactly, Shizuoka JR Station was completely renovated and the basement linking the city to the north exit saw the birth of some very interesting shops!
If you arrive directly at Shizuoka JR Station take the stairs down and you will find Kissa Issa Tea cafe on your left. You will find it on your right if you reach the station from the basement passageway!

You are graciously invited to taste Shizuoka City Green Tea!
This cute little cafe was the idea behind a collaboration project between the Shizuoka City Tea Growers Association and the Municipal Government of Shizuoka City!

A great range of green tea bags, regularly changed, for a very reasonable price!
Bear in mind that Shizuoka Prefecture produces more than 45% of all green tea in Japan and that Shizuoka City is one of the main growing areas!

The whole list of Green Tea Growers and Companies in Shizuoka City!

You can also buy take-out hot green tea (but consume it on site. This is not Starbucks!)!

Green is the color of tea!
Closed on Wednesdays only, but always open on week-ends and National Holidays for the pleasure of the many visitors!

Smokers, keep out if you please!

More green teas on sale inside! The tea on offer is regularly changed to enable the sale of all the Shizuoka City green tea!

The Tea Cafe! A great place for a break between two trains or a rendez-vous with a special one!

Great staff! Local, smiling and so attentive!

The menu!

Written in Japanese, but the staff will try their best to explain it!

The three teas proposed on the menu every week are also displayed for purchase near the cash register!

There were two different Japanese wagashi cakes available made by Friand Kadoya, a top-class wagashi shop in Inagawa Cho, Suruga Ku, Shizuoka City, just south of the JR Station!
The one I chose is a kinton and sweetmeat/anko cake named Na no Hana/rapeseed flower!

And the tea I chose was a Tamachi No Aji Ichiban (made with first tea crop leaves)!

My set!
The staff prepare the first cup of tea and serve a pot of water for the next cups!

The first cup of green tea!

The brown pot contains enough hot water for the second and third cups of tea.
For the second cup of tea you pour hot water into the green pot first and then into the small tea pot filled with leaves.
This way your tea will be at the right temperature.
As for the third cup you pour directly the hot water from the brown pot into the small tea pot as the temperature will just right inside the brown pot by then!

The wagshi cake, a little jewel!

It is supposed to represent the shape of rape seed flowers!

Filled with sweetmeat!
And it’s vegan!
Made by Friand Kadoya (see below for details!)!

KISSA ISSA/一茶
Shizuoka JR Station, North Exit, Basement Square
Tel.: 054-253-0030
Opening hours: 10:00~19:00
Closed on Wednesdays
Entirely non-smoking!

FRIAND KADOYA Western and Wagashi Cakes
422-8062 Shizuoka City, Suruga Ku, Inagawa, 1-2-29
Tel.: 054-285-6860
Fax: 054-284-7037
Opening hours: 09:00~19:00
Closed on Mondays and some holidays in January and August

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