Editors note: The Sister City relationship of Oceanside and Fuji City was founded in 1991. In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Sister City relationship, OsideNews will features a series of articles about Fuji, written by the Fuji City Tourism Division and Fuji-Oceanside Friendship Association.

Continued from previous Fuji-Oceanside sister city article

Shizuoka prefecture is the largest producer of green tea in Japan. Fuji City is located in the east part of Shizuoka prefecture.
The history of the cultivation dates back to the mid 19th century. Japanese Samurai had settled in this area and started cultivating the fields.
Thanks to the suitable soil conditions as well as the great demand for tea exports, the flourishing tea plantations created a beautiful landscape. The English and Chinese people extol Fuji’s tea as unrivaled by any other.
Large tea plantations spread about Fuji city, all the way to the south of Mt. Fuji. In spring, before the tea is harvested, you are able to see the marvelous collaboration of a large number of tea fields and Mt. Fuji at the same time.
In Fuji city, the natural conditions such as hours of daylight, clean water from Mt. Fuji and warm weather, are just right for growing some other crops too. Besides green tea other specialties are Japanese pears, tangerines, strawberries, blueberries and kiwifruits.