Shizuoka Prefecture

Sometimes referred to as Japan’s riviera, Shizuoka Prefecture is located along the country’s Pacific coast in the south of the Tokai Region and is perhaps most famous for its green tea plantations. The region is responsible for more than 40% of Japan’s entire green tea production, with many sites accessible to tourists looking to not only drink but interestingly, also eat! The most popular tea sites are in the city of Shimada, where visitors can take a nostalgic steam locomotive that snakes its way through the area’s many plantations on the old Oigawa Railway, with views of the surrounding mountain scenery another big incentive to jump aboard.