Green-8 Cafe

Green-8 Cafe sits among the tea fields near Okitsu Station in Shizuoka City's Shimizu Ward, an area that has grown tea for the Tokyo and export markets for well over a century, and is run directly by the local tea farmers whose fields surround it. The tea flight, offering more than 30 varieties for tasting, is the centerpiece experience, letting visitors compare cultivars and roast levels side by side, while the floating terrace tea tasting lets guests sip while looking out over the rows of tea bushes themselves. Green tea sweets round out the light food menu. The cafe's dining area is built around the terrace concept, open-air or glass-enclosed depending on the weather, with a calm, unhurried atmosphere suited to slow afternoons rather than quick stops; casual dress is standard. Being farmer-run, the drink program is entirely tea-focused rather than alcohol or coffee, with the farmers themselves often on hand to explain the varieties. The cafe keeps limited hours, open Wednesday through Sunday, and closes on Mondays and Tuesdays, so weekend visits are popular enough that reservations are recommended.