Shizuoka
JapanCfa
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
茶スコ、静岡 | Tea is wonderful, Shizuoka
Why visit
Sunpu Castle Park preserves the moats and reconstructed yagura turrets of Ieyasu's retirement palace. Kunozan Toshogu Shrine, less famous than Nikko's but the original burial place of Ieyasu before his transfer, is reached by a dramatic ropeway with Suruga Bay views. The Mount Fuji World Heritage center at Fujinomiya explains the volcano's cultural significance. Tea-tasting tours visit Makinohara Plateau plantations. Local food specializes in Suruga Bay sakura shrimp, Shizuoka oden, and the absolutely essential Shizuoka green teas. Use Shizuoka as a base for Mount Fuji's southern (Fujinomiya) trail.
When to avoid
The Shizuoka coastline is in an active earthquake zone (the long-anticipated Tokai earthquake). Be aware of evacuation routes near hotels. Summer humidity is brutal. Typhoons hit hard August to October. Shizuoka itself doesn't draw the international crowds of Kyoto or Tokyo, don't expect English-language services widely beyond major hotels. The Mount Fuji climbing season is brief (early July to early September). Attempting outside this period without serious mountaineering preparation is dangerous. Avoid driving in the narrow castle-area streets.
