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3 cities
Province · Chubu
Shizuoka
Mount Fuji seen from the south, the tea plantations, the Izu Peninsula, the Atami hot springs, Kunozan Shrine and Miho no Matsubara beach.
In the photo: Shiraito Falls, in Shizuoka.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The province
Get to know Shizuoka
Shizuoka stretches along the Pacific coast between Tokyo and Nagoya and occupies the southern side of Mount Fuji. It is Japan’s largest producer of green tea, with plantations on the Makinohara hills, and also produces wasabi and mandarins. Hamamatsu, the largest city, is known for musical instruments and eel from Lake Hamana.
On the southern side of Fuji, Miho no Matsubara beach, with its seaside pine trees, is part of the mountain’s UNESCO heritage. In Fujinomiya, Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha is the main shrine dedicated to Fuji, and Shiraito Falls drops in veils along a stone cliff. Three of the four climbing trails start in Shizuoka: Fujinomiya, Subashiri and Gotemba.
The Izu Peninsula has hot springs and volcanic coasts. Atami, the closest to Tokyo, has a beach and fireworks on several nights a year. The Jogasaki coast in Ito has lava cliffs and a suspension bridge. In Shimoda, Commodore Perry’s ships anchored in the 19th century, and the first U.S. consulate was located there. In Kawazu, early-blooming cherry trees line the riverbank, and the west coast at Dogashima offers views of Fuji across Suruga Bay.
In the capital, Shizuoka, the Nihondaira plateau has views of Fuji and a ropeway up to Kunozan Toshogu, the first mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu. In the Oi River valley, a steam train runs through tea plantations up into the mountains, where a suspension bridge spans a green-blue lake.
Destinations
1 destination in Shizuoka
Cities
3 cities in Shizuoka in the guide
Shizuoka
Atami
Gateway to the Izu Peninsula, Atami is a hot-spring resort on the hillside above Sagami Bay, less than an hour from Tokyo by shinkansen. It has the MOA Museum of Art on the hilltop, Kinomiya Shrine with its giant camphor tree, an urban beach and shopping streets near the station.
Shizuoka
Itō
A hot-spring resort on the east coast of the Izu Peninsula, Ito has hundreds of springs, bathing houses and the former wooden ryokan Tokaikan, by the Okawa River. To the south, in the Izu Kogen area, are the cone of Mount Omuro, reached by a chairlift, and the Jogasaki coast, with lava cliffs and a suspension bridge over the sea.
Shizuoka
Shimoda
A port city on the southern Izu Peninsula, Shimoda was one of the first Japanese ports opened to foreign ships in 1854. It has Perry Street along a canal, the Ryosen-ji temple, clear-sand beaches like Shirahama and, farther south, Cape Irozaki at the tip of the peninsula.
When to go
Fuji is most often visible from October to February. Kawazu’s cherry trees generally bloom in February. The first tea harvest, shincha, takes place between April and May. Izu’s beaches attract swimmers in July and August. The coastal winter in Shizuoka is mild and sunny.
Getting there
The Tokaido Shinkansen connects Tokyo to Atami in about 40 minutes, to Mishima in about 45 minutes, to Shizuoka in about 1 hour and to Hamamatsu in about 1 hour 30 minutes. Odoriko limited expresses run from Tokyo to Ito and, via the Izukyu Railway, to Shimoda. Mount Fuji Shizuoka Airport (FSZ) handles domestic flights and services to some Asian cities. The Oi River steam train departs from Kanaya.
Your questions
Frequently asked questions about Shizuoka
Where can you see Mount Fuji in Shizuoka?
From Miho no Matsubara beach, the Nihondaira plateau, the tea plantations near Fuji and Fujinomiya, and Izu’s west coast at Dogashima. The right-side window on the bullet train heading toward Osaka also shows the mountain on clear days.
How to get around the Izu Peninsula?
By train to Atami, Ito and Shimoda along the east coast, and by bus for the interior and the west coast. A car makes it easier to combine both coasts in two or three days.
When do the Kawazu cherry trees bloom?
Generally in February, about a month earlier than Tokyo’s cherry trees. The trees line the Kawazu River, a few minutes from the station.
Where to visit tea plantations in Shizuoka?
On the Makinohara plateau near the airport, and in the hills around Fuji with the mountain as a backdrop. Regional tea houses and museums offer tastings and explain production.
Beyond the guide
