Country Japan Prefecture Kyoto Prefecture Local time Monday 1:58 AM | Region Kansai District Sōraku Population 5,011 (2008) | |
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Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) Website www.town.wazuka.kyoto.jp Weather 7°C, Wind N at 3 km/h, 69% Humidity | ||
Wazuka (和束町, Wazuka-chō) is a town located in Sōraku District, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
Map of Wazuka, Soraku District, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 5,011. The total area is 64.87 km².
Wazuka is mostly a farming town and prides itself in its top quality green tea actually said by many connoisseurs of tea to be no. 1 in all of Japan. Wazuka is home to roughly 300 tea growing families. The area was selected in the Kamakura period (1192 – 1333) for tea production and has enjoyed an 800-year history as one of the main production areas of Ujicha. Today, while Ujicha comprises only 3% of the tea produced in Japan, it enjoys royal status as one of the most highly prized and respected teas in the country. Also a considerable crop of rice is produced among other agricultural products.
Wazuka's band of top tea farmers known as the Yukichaken and the local community are in cooperation with NICE one of the major volunteer program companies and hold together the biggest annual work camp at the end of August lasting 2 weeks. The program is open to about 12 foreigners per year and an equal number of Japanese work campers.