hkskyline's 2025/6 SHIZUOKA adventure

[hkskyline]

Japan has seen a tourism boom in recent years thanks to its rock-bottom exchange rate. It's a sign of more significant economic decline that has been ongoing since the late 1980s when their economic bubble bursted. There isn't much the Japanese central bank can do about it, with interest rates kept low amidst low growth.

So with the main cities choked with foreigners and the problems associated with overtourism brewing resentment among locals, I decided to spend most of my vacation out in Shizuoka, an area between Tokyo and Nagoya with Fuji and sea views. There is a train pass specific to this region that made getting around affordable. Japan actually has many regional passes worth buying to explore beyond Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. I've been trying them out for a number of years and these are great alternatives while not compromising the main bullet points like sakura, fall colours, and fresh seafood.

Let's start with Numazu, my main base this trip. It's a small quiet town but Fuji is fully visible from the super cheap observation deck (100 yen only) and the port area was busy!















This region is also a huge green tea producer. So if you find Uji near Kyoto too busy, come here instead.



















You can also watch live auctions at the fish market if you are an early riser. I'm not one of those, so by the time I got here at breakfast time, it was all done for the day.







More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shizuoka.htm

[hkskyline]

Japanese supermarkets and souvenir stores offer eye-catching scale model displays and a variety of neatly-packed products to arouse your consumerist sentiments. I took some time to browse around Shizuoka station to grab some breakfast and foods to bring home.







Around dinner time, department store supermarkets start discounting their raw fish items so it is a good place to pick up a meal at a lower price.









This part of Japan is famous for green tea, and is now the largest tea producer in the country at about 40% of total production. It is believed it all started when a Zen monk brought tea seeds from China and planted them in this area in the 13th century.







With New Year's holidays, many local independent stores are closed or have drastically shorter hours. So I ended up grabbing dinner at the train station where shops and restaurants are generally open.



More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shizuoka.htm

[MolsonExport]

Great stuff. I can't get enough of Japan. I had a wonderful time on my two visits (2009, 2019). I will be back next summer, with the whole family.

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Great stuff. I can't get enough of Japan. I had a wonderful time on my two visits (2009, 2019). I will be back next summer, with the whole family.

I used to visit Japan 3x a year at least when I was based in HK. The exchange rate is still super good so you can start accumulating some yen!

[hkskyline]

The Mount Fuji - Shizuoka Area Tourist Pass includes a ride on the harbour cruise from Shimizu just outside S-Pulse Dream Plaza, a huge shopping mall south of Shimizu's train station.

You get to see a working port in action, including military ships, as well as Mount Fuji. Many children were busy buying feed for the hungry seagulls that will follow the boat from start to finish. They know the drill well, and won't hesitate to fly low and grab the food out of your hands.































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shizuoka.htm

[hkskyline]

S-Pulse Dream Plaza is a huge shopping mall south of Shimizu's train station. Opened in 1999, I came looking for the Sushi Museum hoping to be enlightened by its history and facts about the national cuisine.

500 yen later, I entered an empty museum which looked more like a social media hotspot where you can take photos with various displays, such as a reproduction of historic shops and market streets. I struggled to find the sushi connection.

Quite deep into the museum, I finally found a few plastic models of the different types of sushi. In the West, it's hard to get a decent variety of sushi, with Japanese cuisine heavily adapted to local tastes which are quite restricted to California rolls, salmon, and tuna.

There is no particular fixed rule on how to eat sushi, although the usual recommendation is to start with the light-tasting ones and progress towards the heavy-tasting pieces. There is also a debate on whether you dip the rice or the fish into soy sauce, or you use your hands instead of chopsticks.





























I exited down the stairs a bit disappointed. So I decided to grab a late lunch in one of the many restaurants, hoping its port location would be a good sign I would get delicious, fresh seafood.



More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shizuoka.htm

[hkskyline]

Shuzenji Onsen is a fairly easy short trip from Numazu or Atami. Nestled deep in the mountains, this onsen town is quite atmospheric that turns into a magical wonderland at night with tasteful lighting. This is one of the oldest resort towns on the Izu Peninsula.

The legend of this onsen town says back in the 8th century, a monk induced a rock to produce a sacred hot spring after seeing a young boy wash his sick father in the river, teaching them to use the hot water for healing.































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shizuoka.htm

[hkskyline]

Atami used to be a big seaside resort back in the economic heydays when wealthy corporations had lots of money to splash. That era is long gone but they've tried to revive tourism with many fireworks festivals throughout the year. It's a short train ride from Tokyo so geography is still to its advantage.

Most Japanese cities have covered shopping arcades and Atami is no exception. Come and enjoy local specialities such as kaisendon, a sashmi rice bowl from the area's fresh catch, custard pudding, matcha, fish cake, and more.































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shizuoka.htm

[hkskyline]

It's a Japanese tradition to visit a shrine or temple during the New Year holidays to pray for good fortune. So I expected Kinomiya Shrine to be super busy for New Year's day.

Legend says that some 1300 years ago, a fisherman met a young boy who asked to enshrine his statue in a cave with 7 camphor trees, and he will protect everyone who comes here.























The shop was selling some local specialty snacks for the special occasion, such as these balls in red bean soup as well as alcohol.



Behind the shrine is a huge camphor tree that is believed to be over 2100 years old. Visitors can walk counter-clockwise around the massive trunk to pray for an extra year of longevity and your wish to come true.











More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shizuoka.htm

[hkskyline]

The typical story-line is a major Japanese town had a historic castle that protected its residents, but was destroyed during World War II and rebuilt afterwards. Atami is a bit different. It is entirely new - built in 1959 on a hill overlooking the city. Its construction was a response to the tourism boom at the time.































More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shizuoka.htm

[mrnyc]

never enough japan — very nice.

[hkskyline]

Fujinomiya is the temple town of Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine, which worships Mount Fuji to calm its fury. Traditionally, pilgrimmages to climb the mountain have started from this city.

The Mount Fuji World Heritage Centre opened in 2017 with a museum and outdoor viewing deck. You slowly make your way up the 5-storey building along a spiral ramp to reach the terrace with exhibits along the way. Admission is a fairly affordable 300 yen (2026 price).









Views from the terrace are spectacular, and the crowds thin out substantially compared to the street level.





















More photos on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/shizuoka.htm

[geomorph]

The Fuji museum looks nice!