About Shizuoka

How to Get There

Shizuoka is accessible by the JR Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya and beyond as well as regular JR trains, highway bus and car. You can also fly into Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport.

Tokyo is the usual jump-off point for a journey to Shizuoka. Highway buses run regularly between Tokyo and Shizuoka, and take around the same time as a regular train. Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport, built in 2009, handles both domestic and international flights for several airlines.

From Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport to Shizuoka.

Shinkansen (Bullet train) By Tokaido Shinkansen for Shizuoka Station

From  To

・Hikari: About 1 hour from Tokyo, (one way 6,600yen)

About 1 hour from Nagoya. (one way 6,600yen)

About 2 and a half hours from Osaka. (one way 11,000yen)

・Kodama:   About 1 and a half hour from Tokyo, (one way 6,600yen)

About 1 hour from Nagoya. (one way 6,600yen)

About 2 and a half hours from Osaka. (one way 11,000yen)

※Nozomi doesn't stop at Shizuoka Station.

Shizuoka City

Nihondaira plateau offers a magnificent view overlooking the sea and neighboring mountains, including Mount Fuji. It has been designated as a National Scenic Site by the Japanese government.

Aoi Ward (葵区 Aoi-ku)

Aoi Ward is the largest of Shizuoka City’s three wards, from JR Shizuoka Station in the downtown core to the tip of the Southern Alps in the north, comprising both urban center and mountain range.

The Aoi-ku downtown area is one of the major gathering points for people in the city with a wide variety of shops and eateries, but the ward also contains quiet neighborhoods, beautiful parks (such as Sumpu Park with its castle ruins, or the lovely Johoku Park), and ancient structures like Sengen Shrine and Rinzaiji Temple, which are linked to important historical figures Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Imagawa Clan.

Area: 1,073.76 square km

Suruga Ward (駿河区 Suruga-ku)

This ward mainly contains the area south of the JR railroad and part of the area west of the Abe River. This part of the area is undergoing re-development operations, and is home to the Toro Ruins, the remains of a village founded almost two thousand years ago. Nearby the ruins is the Serizawa Keisuke Art Museum, and on the east side of the ward is the Nihondaira Zoo.

Suruga Ward lies along the Pacific Ocean, and many people enjoy Mochimune Beach, Hirono Beach Park, and the Ohama Coast.

Area: 73.05 square km

Shimizu Ward (清水区 Shimizu-ku)

Shimizu is comprised of the old Shimizu City, Yui, and Kambara, with its most outstanding feature being its port area, a center of business, entertainment, and cultural identity. Every summer tens of thousands of ward residents gather to dance and watch fireworks in the Shimizu Port Festival. Nearby are Miho Pine Beach and the home stadium of the J-League soccer team, the Shimizu S-pulse.

Just down the coast are the two quieter areas of Yui and Kambara, places that still capture the building styles of the past and maintain the old shuku lodging stations from the Edo Era four hundred years ago. These former towns are very famous for the sakura shrimp caught in the nearby Suruga Bay.

Area: 265.09 square km

Shizuoka Culture - Local favorite food

Sakura-Ebi Shrimp

In Japan,Sakura-Ebi (Sakura Shrimps) can only be caught in Suruga Bay.The body of the sakura shrimp is transparent, but the carapace has a lot of red pigment, so it looks pink. It seems that the Japanese name "Sakura shrimp" is derived from this.

Shizuoka Oden

The soul food of Shizuoka City. Shizoka-oden falls into the category known in Japan as B-kyu-gurume (B-class gourmet)? dishes that are tasty and hearty but unsophisticated. Gyusuji (beef tendons) and kurohanpen (black fish cake) are stewed in a dark black broth. You sprinkle laver and sardine or mackerel stock powder on the oden before eating it.There are dozens of oden restaurants in the Aoba Oden Machi and Aoba Yokocho areas in the city, attracting numerous drink lovers.

Tuna,Shirasu Sushi and Seafood

Shizuoka City has Shimizu Port,number one in Japan in catching frozen tuna. Shizuoka City is a region where seafood is very delicious.

Shizuoka Tea

Enjoy delicious Shizuoka Tea in Shizuoka City,the town of tea. Japanese cuisine (e.g. Sushi), is now attracting worldwide attention as healthy foods. Japanese green tea brings out of delicate flavors of the ingredients, and provides refreshment after meals. In Japan, green tea is not only enjoyed in tea time but also throughout the day – before, during, and after meals.