About Shizuoka
Shizuoka Prefecture commands a long Pacific coastline between the Izu Peninsula and the Hamana Lake resort, with Mt. Fuji rising from its northern border. The prefecture's temperate climate, with warm winters and long growing seasons, produces Japan's finest green tea — the rolling hills south of Mt. Fuji are carpeted in geometric patterns of dark tea bushes as far as the eye can see.
Fuji-Shizuoka is the gateway to Japan's most sacred mountain. The Fujinomiya trail, one of four official climbing routes, begins from Shizuoka side and is the shortest path to the summit crater. Throughout the year but especially in spring, the Fuji Scenic Byway along the southern slopes offers views of the perfect volcanic cone rising above tea fields, orange groves, and bamboo forests — a quintessential Japanese landscape.
The Izu Peninsula juts into the Pacific Ocean like a gnarled finger, its rugged coastline dotted with onsen resort towns, fishing villages, and subtropical vegetation. Shimoda, at the peninsula's southern tip, was where Commodore Perry forced Japan to open to American trade in 1854, and the town's charming whitewashed kurofune (black ship) monuments and Perry Road stone-paved lane commemorate this pivotal moment. Shuzenji Onsen, inland in the peninsula's mountains, offers one of Japan's most authentic hot spring village atmospheres.
Featured Spot: Mt. Fuji & Suruga Bay
Suruga Bay, between the Izu Peninsula and the Miho Peninsula, is Japan's deepest bay at over 2,500 meters and one of the world's most productive fishing grounds. The bay is particularly famous for fresh cherry shrimp (sakura ebi), caught only here and in small numbers globally, available fresh in spring and autumn at Yui fishing port. From the Miho Pine Grove (Miho no Matsubara) UNESCO cultural site at the bay's edge, the classic view of Mt. Fuji rising beyond the curved pine beach is one of Japan's most celebrated landscape photographs.
What to Experience
- See the iconic view of Mt. Fuji from Miho no Matsubara pine grove by the Pacific
- Sip freshly harvested green tea at a traditional tea farm in the Shizuoka highlands
- Explore the hot spring village of Shuzenji and the historic port of Shimoda
- Taste cherry shrimp and fresh tuna sashimi from the deep waters of Suruga Bay
Best Seasons to Visit
Spring (March–May) is the premier season for cherry blossoms framing Mt. Fuji and the fresh cherry shrimp catch at Yui port. Summer is peak for sea activities on the Izu Peninsula and the official Fuji climbing season (July–August). Autumn (October–November) brings the second shrimp catch and comfortable temperatures for hiking. Winter offers clear skies with the most dramatic Fuji views from coastal observation points.