Tea terraces, Mount Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
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Tea terraces
Located about 30 miles from Mount Fuji's storied summit, Shizuoka is considered the green tea capital of Japan, with about 40% of the nation's tea grown in the city's vicinity. That amounts to a lot of leaves, considering steaming cups of steeped tea are a mainstay of traditional Japanese meals. One thing our photo's sun-soaked shrubs won't be used for, though: matcha. That coveted umami-tinged powder comes from tea plants grown specially in the shade, with no exposure to heat or sunlight prior to grinding for use in drinks, desserts, and more.
Patchwork fields, yellow rapeseed, green crops, tilled earth
Yellow canola field with farm buildings and blue sky
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