SABUKARU PREFECTURE GUIDE - SHIZUOKA
SABUKARU PREFECTURE GUIDE - SHIZUOKA
The Sabukaru Prefecture Guide is a new Sabukaru series, featuring the many beautiful prefectures of Japan. Since we usually focus heavily on Tokyo, we will be talking about the 46 other prefectures. The first of the series, being Shizuoka.
Shizuoka is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of Japan, most commonly known for being the home of Mount Fuji. With a population of roughly 3.6 million in 7,777 sq km. Compare that to Tokyo which has 14 million in 2,194 sq km. Shizuoka has a lot of breathing room.
Located on the southern coast of Japan bordering the Pacific Ocean, Shizuoka has a long history of being one of Japan's leading seafood producers. With many large & famous seafood ports, you won't be disappointed when you get some sashimi when visiting Shizuoka. Shizuoka is also Japan's leading green tea producer, making over 1/3 of the country's tea. Tea fields will be everywhere you go.
Shizuoka can be divided into 3 parts; eastern, central, and western Shizuoka. Eastern Shizuoka houses the famous Atami city, and Ryokan hotspot Izu city. Atami is famous for it's beautiful scenery, Hanabi festivals, museums, and much more. Some of the must-visit museums in Atami are the MOA Museum, the Trick Art Museum, and the sex-museum, Hihōkan. Central Shizuoka is home to Shizuoka city, the prefectoral capitol. In Shizuoka city, you will find the Sunpu Castle, where Sengoku-Edo period general Tokugawa Ieyasu lived. You will also be able to find countless Izakayas, all with great seafood. Western Shizuoka has Shizuoka's largest metropolitan area, Hamamatsu city. In Hamamatsu, you will find Hamamatsu Castle, Lake Hamana, and just a very large city you will never find yourself bored in.
Shizuoka may seem like a very seafood-based prefecture, but it is also home to some of the most beautiful wildlife & scenery in Japan. With countless mountains to hike, many large rivers, breathtaking roads to bike, there will always be something for every type of person to do.
Also a fun fact: Shizuoka directly translates to Silent Hill.
To get an introduction to what Shizuoka is like, check out some of the images we chose above.
