Photo: 久保嶋宏明 / CC BY-SA 3.0Makinohara is the largest tea plateau in Japan, cleared from 1869 by unemployed Tokugawa samurai and Oi River porters. A mid-April call lands at the start of the first flush. The Shizuoka market’s first new-tea auction was on 18 April in 2025, and Grinpia’s picking opened on 11 April in 2026. The bushes are at their brightest green and the factory is running.
Grinpia is a working tea factory on the plateau with a free self-guided walk through the processing lines and a shop. The Tea Museum in Kanaya, on the far side of the plateau, is the context. It has the exhibits, a tea room, and free entry for anyone over seventy. Together they take about two hours plus the drives, which makes them a half-day, not a stop.
Five things the plaques won't tell you
- Picking is seasonal and starts in mid-April in a normal year. If the 2027 season has not opened on your day, the factory walk still runs; ask at the desk.
- The Tea Museum is free at 70 and over, with no booking. Students and disability-certificate holders with a companion also go free.
- Tuesday is the museum’s closed day. The 2027 Westerdam call is a Monday, so it is open; the November Diamond Princess calls can fall on Tuesdays.
- Carry cash. Grinpia’s payment methods are not published and the small local taxis may not take cards.
- Holland America’s tea-culture tour, which includes Grinpia and picking, runs only from late April to early October. It is unlikely to be offered on a 12 April call.
Together they take about two hours plus the drives, which makes them a half-day, not a stop.
Guided days from Omaezaki
Booked before you sail — there is no tour desk at the pier. Booking through these links supports the site.
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4.9★ · 9 reviewsSmall Group Japanese Green Tea Tasting in Shizuoka
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Questions people ask here
How far are the tea fields from Omaezaki port?
Grinpia Makinohara, the factory on the plateau, is about 25–30 minutes by taxi, which Holland America quotes as “a thirty-minute taxi”. Our fare estimate is about ¥7,000 each way. The Tea Museum in Kanaya is about 27 km and 27 minutes. There is no train and the local buses are not usable for a ship day.
Can I pick tea in April?
Probably, if the season has opened. Grinpia’s picking runs from late April to early October, but in 2026 it started on 11 April. It costs ¥1,000. Ask on the day; the free factory walk runs regardless.
Is the Tea Museum worth it on a Monday?
Yes. It opens Monday to Sunday except Tuesdays, 9:00–17:00, with the tea room from 9:30. Adults pay ¥500 and anyone 70 or over goes free. Pair it with Kakegawa Castle in a hired taxi on an eight-hour call.