Travel Guide: Shizuoka, Japan

Roughly 40 percent of all the green tea drunk in Japan comes from Shizuoka Prefecture. Most of the people drinking it have never visited, which is one reason the prefecture remains relatively uncrowded by Japanese tourism standards despite sitting between Tokyo and Osaka on the Tokaido Shinkansen line and offering some of the clearest views of Mount Fuji to be found anywhere in the country.

Why Shizuoka, and When to Go

Shizuoka is not one thing. The prefecture covers a long coastal strip along Suruga Bay, a mountainous interior including the southern slopes of Fuji, and the Izu Peninsula jutting south into the Pacific. You can be eating freshly caught sakura-ebi (cherry blossom shrimp, a local Suruga Bay specialty) at a harbour restaurant in Yui, then two hours later be hiking through wasabi farms in a glacial valley near Utogi. The distances are manageable and the Shinkansen makes the whole region accessible.

The best seasons are spring (late March to May), when the tea harvest begins and Fuji is still snow-capped, and autumn (October to November), when the mountain is clear and the inland forests turn. Summer is valid if you want beaches on the Izu Peninsula, though August brings humidity and crowds. Winter is quiet and cold inland but onsen season at its best; the peninsula’s kinmedai (golden-eye snapper) is at its finest from late autumn through winter.

Getting There and Getting Around

From Tokyo, the JR Tokaido Shinkansen reaches Shizuoka City in about 60 minutes (Hikari services) or 90 minutes (Kodama). Atami, the gateway to the Izu Peninsula, is just 50 minutes from Tokyo. A JR Pass covers the Shinkansen segments.

Within the prefecture, local JR trains connect the main towns along the coast. The Izu Peninsula has its own private railways (Izuhakone and Izu Kyuko lines) that reach Shimoda in the south. Buses serve the interior valleys and tea country but on infrequent schedules; a rental car is the most practical option for exploring the wasabi farms of the Abe River valley or the tea fields of Kawane-cho. Driving is on the left; roads in the mountains are narrow but well-maintained.

Shizuoka City

Shizuoka City is the prefectural capital and the most convenient base for a range of day trips. The city itself has several worthwhile stops beyond its role as a transit hub.

Sumpu Castle Ruins and Park (Sunpu-jo Koen) is the former seat of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the shogun who reunified Japan. After retiring from political power, Ieyasu chose Shizuoka as his home and effectively ran the country from here until his death in 1616. Entry to the main park is free; the Higashi-Gomon gate and museum charge around ¥200.

Shizuoka Sengen Shrine (Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha) about 20 minutes north of the city by bus is the head shrine of a network of over 1,300 Sengen shrines across Japan, all dedicated to the deity of Mount Fuji. The grounds are forested and the approach cedars are ancient. For the serious version, the head shrine is at the fifth station on Fuji’s southern flank; the Shizuoka City branch is the accessible alternative.

The best place to understand Shizuoka’s tea obsession is the Nihondaira Plateau, reached by a short ropeway from the valley below. From the observation deck, on clear mornings, the view extends across Suruga Bay to the Izu Peninsula with Fuji above and behind. The drive up through the tea-covered hillsides is itself worth the journey; the terraced fields running in precise dark-green rows are most photogenic in the first-flush season from late April through May.

For food in the city: sakura-ebi (the cherry blossom shrimp specific to Suruga Bay) is the dish most closely identified with Shizuoka. The shrimp are tiny, pink, and sweet, served raw as sashimi, dried and tossed into rice, or fried into crispy kakiage tempura. The Yui district, 20 minutes east of the city by local train, holds the annual Sakura Shrimp Festival in May and has a cluster of dedicated restaurants along the port. The shrimp season runs spring and autumn; in summer you may be eating frozen stock.

For a reliable city lunch: the izakayas around Shizuoka Station’s north exit fill by noon with office workers ordering local soba (with local mineral water that changes the texture noticeably compared with Tokyo soba) and fresh fish from the bay.

The Wasabi Farms of Utogi

The Abe River valley north of Shizuoka City holds Japan’s most celebrated wasabi-growing region. Utogi village, about an hour by bus from the city, has terraced wasabi farms fed by glacial spring water that runs between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius year-round, the precise temperature range wasabi needs. The farms are designated UNESCO Globally Important Agricultural Heritage. Walking through the stone-walled paddies, the wasabi plants submerged in clear running water, is genuinely unlike anything else in Japan.

Most farms have small shops where you can buy fresh wasabi root (grate it yourself on sharkskin graters; the process matters) and sample wasabi in every form: pasta, ice cream, pickles. The wasabi tempura at the valley’s main rest stop is outstanding.

The Izu Peninsula

The Izu Peninsula is a separate ecosystem from the rest of Shizuoka in terms of feel: warmer, more subtropical, oriented toward the sea. It is also the prefecture’s most-visited area by domestic tourists, particularly in spring when plum and cherry blossoms coincide.

Atami is the closest resort town to Tokyo and carries traces of its 1960s and 70s heyday as Japan’s honeymoon capital. The MOA Museum of Art above the town holds an exceptional collection of Japanese and Chinese antiquities and has views over the bay worth the ¥1,600 entry. The onsen here are genuinely good; many hotels along the hillside have outdoor baths facing the ocean.

Shimoda, at the peninsula’s southern tip, is where Commodore Perry’s black ships forced Japan to open to Western trade in 1854. The town has more historical substance than most coastal resorts, including Ryosen-ji temple where the Convention of Kanagawa was signed. The surrounding coastline has several beaches with unusual black volcanic sand. The Izu Kyuko line from Atami to Shimoda takes about 80 minutes.

The standout ryokan experience on the peninsula is at the Iro Zaki coast near Shimoda or at the properties around Shuzenji, a hot spring town inland. Seiryuso in Shimoda is a traditionally styled inn with fine gardens and kaiseki meals built around kinmedai and local shellfish. Rates run from ¥25,000 to ¥45,000 per person per night including dinner and breakfast, which is standard for a quality ryokan. Book well in advance for weekend stays.

For more casual eating, the covered market street in Ito city has a dozen small restaurants selling kinmedai cooked various ways; the salt-grilled version, simple and direct, is hard to improve on.

Mount Fuji from Shizuoka

The most dramatic view of Fuji from below is from Miho no Matsubara, a pine-fringed spit of land near Shimizu that appears on countless ukiyo-e woodblock prints. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site (designated as part of the Fujisan World Heritage ensemble). Access by bus from Shimizu Station; a 10-minute walk through the pines brings you to the beach.

For those who want to climb: the Fujinomiya Trail on Fuji’s southern slope is the steepest and most direct route to the summit (3,776 metres). The climbing season runs from early July to mid-September; outside this period the trails are officially closed and hazardous. The fifth station starting point at Fujinomiya is reachable by bus from Shin-Fuji Station. Allow 6 to 8 hours round trip for the summit attempt. Book a mountain hut if you plan an overnight to catch the sunrise; the most established huts on this route fill months in advance.

Where to Stay

Shizuoka City (mid-range hotels from ¥8,000 to ¥15,000 per night) is the best base if you plan day trips in multiple directions. The area around Shizuoka Station has multiple business hotels at competitive rates.

Atami (resort hotels and ryokan from ¥15,000 to ¥50,000+ per person) suits those prioritising onsen and coastal atmosphere. Book in advance for weekends; weekday rates drop substantially.

Shuzenji or Shimoda on the Izu Peninsula are the right choices for immersive ryokan stays and slower travel. The ryokan format (tatami rooms, in-house onsen, set kaiseki meals) requires advance booking at the better properties.

For budget stays, Shizuoka has a small number of guesthouses and hostels near the station from around ¥3,500 per night per person.

Eating and Drinking

Beyond sakura-ebi and wasabi, Shizuoka’s food identity is built around its coastal position. The seafood here, particularly suruga bay eel (unagi), fresh-caught kinmedai, and locally farmed oysters, is high quality and generally cheaper than in Tokyo.

Green tea deserves time: not just as a drink but as an ingredient. Shizuoka tea cafes serve matcha sweets, hojicha (roasted tea) ice cream, and tea-infused soba in ways that go well beyond the tourist standard. The tea fields of Kawane-cho in the mountains above the Oi River produce some of Japan’s most complex teas; several farms offer guided tasting sessions from April through autumn.

Gyoza in Shizuoka style (smaller and crispier than the Utsunomiya style better known abroad) has a loyal local following. The Sengen-cho area of the city has a cluster of gyoza restaurants that regulars treat with some seriousness.

For a drink: the prefecture produces some respected craft sake. Garyubai (卧龍梅), made in Shimizu, is one of the more widely available premium labels outside the prefecture.

Practical Notes

Language: English signage is limited outside major stations and tourist spots. Download Google Translate with Japanese OCR for menus and signs; it helps more than any phrasebook.

Cash: Japan continues to be heavily cash-dependent outside major cities. Shizuoka’s smaller restaurants, rural guesthouses, and farm shops typically do not accept cards. 7-Eleven ATMs in Japan reliably accept foreign cards.

IC Card: A Suica or Pasmo contactless card covers all local trains and buses in the prefecture and is more convenient than buying individual tickets.

Etiquette reminders: Remove shoes before entering ryokan rooms and traditional restaurants where seating is tatami-level. Tipping is not practised and can cause confusion. Onsen require washing before entering the communal bath and tattoos are a practical barrier at many traditional facilities.

The straightforward advice that most guides omit: buy a bag of first-flush shincha tea at a Shizuoka farm in May, take it home, and brew it properly. It will taste nothing like the green tea you have been drinking elsewhere, which is exactly the point.