Hafen
Shimizu

Explore a park built around a nearly 400-year-old castle, an unusual shrine complex and a coastal pine grove that offers a stunning view of Mount Fuji. You will drive inland to Sunpu Castle Park, an expansive oasis developed around the ruins of a castle where the legendary Shogun warrior Ieyasu once lived. While the moats and walls are original, some of what you will see is a reproduction, including the main gate and the structure from which heavy stones were dropped on invaders. Inside, you will find a bronze statue of Ieyasu with a falcon on his arm.Visit nearby Shizuoka Sengen, a shrine complex that consists of three main shrines and other smaller ones. The architecture is Momoyama, which extensively uses lacquer, wooden carvings and gold leaf. Although the large worship hall and some of the corridors are currently undergoing renovation, the guests can see the beauty of the vermilion lacquered lacquer in the romon gate and the corridors after the renovation is complete. The worship hall offers a spectacular view of snowcapped Mount Fuji looming in the distance (Weather permitted) . Mount Fuji also plays a dominant role as the backdrop for the seaside pine grove Miho no Matsubara. The grove consists of more than 50,000 pine trees, including a 650-year-old tree thought to have mythical powers. The view from the shore with Mount Fuji lording over the scenery has been rated one of the top three views in Japan.

Enjoy a stunning view of Mount Fuji from a beautiful shrine complex built to honor one of Japan’s feudal lords and savor a seafood lunch at a bustling fresh fish market. Head to the Nihondaira Park Outlook, which offers a glorious view of Suruga Bay and majestic Mount Fuji. Kunozan Toshogu Shrine perches above the outlook, which you will reach via cable car. Dedicated to the feudal lord Tokugawa Ieyasu, who unified Japan in the early 1600s, the shrine is a complex of ornate bright-red buildings constructed in the Shinto style. While browsing, be sure to notice the guardian statue near the Romon Gate and the drum tower. The three main halls within the complex are elaborately decorated, but vary architecturally. The carved ceiling in Honden Hall is particularly interesting. For a bit of entertainment, you might select a random paper fortune from a box and then tie it to a string in hopes that the fortune will come true. This common practice at Japanese shrines is known as omikuji. Stroll through Kashi-no-Ichi, a large fish market on Shimizu’s waterfront. While the signage will be in Japanese, the guide will translate the names of the seafood that you may not recognize. Afterwards, you will enjoy lunch at a restaurant within the market before returning to the pier.

Gaze upon sacred Mount Fuji from several perspectives that include a hilltop shrine and a coastal pine grove so stunningly scenic that artists have captured its beauty for centuries.

Stop at the Nihondaira Park Outlook, which offers a glorious view of Suruga Bay and majestic Mount Fuji. Kunozan Toshogu Shrine perches above the outlook, which you will reach via cable car.

Dedicated to the feudal lord Tokugawa Ieyasu, who unified Japan in the early 1600s, the shrine is a complex of ornate bright-red buildings constructed in the Shinto style. Ieyasu’s son Hidetada, the second shogun of the Tokugawa government, built the temple to honor his father. The three main halls within the complex are elaborately decorated, but vary architecturally. The carved ceiling in Honden Hall is particularly interesting. For a bit of entertainment, you might select a random paper fortune from a box and then tie it to a string in hopes that the fortune will come true. This common practice at Japanese shrines is known as omikuji.

For a different perspective of Mount Fuji, you’ll drive to the seaside pine grove Miho no Matsubara. The grove consists of more than 50,000 pine trees, including a 650-year-old tree thought to have mythical powers. The view from the shore with Mount Fuji lording over the scenery has been rated one of the top three views in Japan.

Visit a serene shrine and one of Japan’s most stunningly natural seaside settings, both lying in the shadow of majestic Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain. Settle in for a drive into the beautiful countryside that lies in the foothills of Mount Fuji. Japan’s national symbol and one of its most extraordinary settings, Mount Fuji has been deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a sacred place and source of artistic inspiration. Prior to ascending Mount Fuji, climbers often pray at Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine, which you’ll visit. The shrine has been considered a guardian deity that prevents natural disasters and ensures easy childbirth. More than 500 cherry trees grace the surrounding grounds. Inside, there is a pond fed by melting snow and ice from Mount Fuji. The pond has been designated a Special Natural Monument and attracts pilgrims that come to purify themselves in the clear water. Next stop is the Mt. Fuji's 2th Station, at approximately 4,700 feet. You will have chance to see dynamic view of Mt. Fuji. The 2th Station offers stellar views of the mountain's magnificence. Last stop is the Mt.Fuji World Heritage Centre. This is newly openen in December 2017 and consists of three buildings. The central building is covered with the wood lattice and characteristic shaped of the inverted cone. This wood lattice is made from Fuji cypress. From the top floor, you will enjoy magnificent view of Mt. Fuji as picturesque.

Delve into Japanese culture by visiting an art museum, enjoying a ritualistic tea ceremony and admiring one of the most spectacular views of sacred Mount Fuji.

Visit the Tokaido Hiroshige Art Museum in the fishing village of Yui. More than a thousand woodblock prints from Utagawa Hiroshige, a 19th-century master of the ukiyo-e genre, are beautifully displayed here. As you will discover while browsing the works of art, the ukiyo-e genre typically depicts subjects of everyday life that include landscapes, birds and flowers.

Hiroshige’s genius for landscape composition and color in works such as The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido influenced European painters such as Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh.

At a tearoom in a nearby park, you’ll enjoy a tea ceremony. You will be served traditional green tea, but the ceremony involves more than merely the beverage. It is a ritualistic art form in which the tea must be prepared and presented in a certain manner known as the Way of Tea.

Drive to the seaside pine grove Miho no Matsubara. The grove consists of more than 50,000 pine trees, including a 650-year-old tree thought to have mythical powers. The view from the shore with Mount Fuji lording over the scenery has been rated one of the top three views in Japan.

Sample a selection of sake made with water from Mount Fuji and then visit a heritage center dedicated to the mountain and its influence throughout Japan.

A scenic drive through the countryside will bring you to Fuji Takasago, a sake brewery founded in 1831 at the foot of Mount Fuji, where its groundwater is most abundant. The water from the snow melt that runs off the mountain takes nearly 100 years to filter through the earth’s underground layers, leaving the water extraordinarily pure.

Following an enlightening tour of the brewery, where you will watch rice being turned into sake, you will be offered a selection of Fuji Takasago’s rice wines. During the sampling, you may notice that the Mount Fuji water imparts a mild taste to the sake. Being high in amino acids, these sakes are also rich in umami, a flavor associated with rice wine.

You will gain a different perspective of Japan’s most celebrated peak at the Mount Fuji World Heritage Center nearby. Its exhibitions include Japanese art and literature that the mountain has inspired and paper screens that show Mount Fuji changing with the seasons. Another highlight is the building’s inverted lattice cone sculpture that mimics the shape of Mount Fuji when viewed in the reflecting pool.

The center was named to recognize UNESCO declaring Mount Fuji to be a World Heritage site for its solitary beauty, iconic shape and deep impact on Western art. It may well be the world’s most famous stratovolcano.

This mostly panoramic tour affords you magnificent views of Mount Fuji from both a hilltop outlook and a beautiful coastal pine grove so stunningly scenic that artists have captured its beauty for centuries.

Head to Nihondaira Park Outlook, which offers a glorious view of Suruga Bay and majestic Mount Fuji. You might also catch a glimpse of Kunozan Toshogu Shrine, perched high above the outlook.

Your scenic drive takes you to the seaside pine grove - Miho no Matsubara. The grove consists of more than 50,000 pine trees, including a 650-year-old tree thought to have mythical powers. The view from the shore with Mount Fuji lording over the scenery has been rated one of the top three views in Japan.

OVERVIEW

Marvel at glorious Mount Fuji while riding a cable car to a hilltop Shint? shrine and then delve into the Japanese culture by making chopsticks. While some people climb the 1,000 or so steps leading to the Kunozan Toishogu shrine, you will ride to the summit. The higher you ascend, the greater the views of the city below and majestic Mount Fuji beyond. No other sight in Japan is more iconic than the snow-capped mountain, the tallest peak in Japan. More wonders await you within the shrine complex, a collection of brightly painted ornate buildings dedicated to the sh?gun that unified Japan in the early 17th century. Be sure to notice the well-armed guardian statue near the Romon gate. You will experience Japan’s creativity at Sumpu Takumi Shuku, a cultural workshop where artisans produce traditional crafts using centuries-old techniques. There you will have the opportunity to produce your own pair of lacquered chopsticks hands-on.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Ride a cable car to hilltop Shint? shrine while admiring the views of Mount Fuji.
• Browse the shrine, which is dedicated to a revered sh?gun that brought peace to Japan.
• Create your own lacquered chopsticks at a workshop for traditional artisans.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Explore the traditions and treasures of Shimizu during this picturesque, half-day sightseeing excursion.

Depart the pier for the scenic, approximately 30-minute drive to Shizuoka City, and a visit to the Miho no Matsubara Culture & Creativity Centre, an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Upon arrival, take a guided stroll through the pine tree forest en route to the sandy beach, and marvel at splendid views of Mt. Fuji (weather-permitting). In the event of rain, an alternate visit is made to the onsite Miho-Shirube Museum, where you can enjoy learning about the history of Mt. Fuji and Miho-no Matsubara.

Next, re-board your coach and head to Yui Honjin Park, built as a park and information centre in memory of the local lords who ruled during the Edo Samurai period. During your visit, take a guided tour of Yui Honjin Park and the Hiroshige Ukiyoe Museum, which is located within the park's grounds. The museum houses the original works of Hiroshige Utagawa, one of the most famous Ukiyoe artists during the Edo period.

Following your museum visit, walk over to the Miyukitei Tea House, which is also located at Yui Honjin Park. Upon arrival at the Miyukitei Tea House, proceed for an authentic tea ceremony experience and tasting of freshly-brewed green tea. At the conclusion of your tour, re-board your coach and commence the approximately 30-minute drive back to the pier.

Discover why Japan is ‘steeped’ in tea history during this immersive, half-day excursion and tasting at the Green Tea Farm.

Depart the pier for the scenic, approximately one-hour drive to the renowned Green Tea Farm. A local farmer greets your arrival, and escorts you on a tour of his factory. Along the way, discover how to pick, taste, and eat green tea. First, see and learn about the production process, and how it takes five years for new growth tea plants to yield the first harvest.

Explore the architectural and historic highlights of Shizuoka City during this picturesque, half-day sightseeing excursion.

Sumpu-Jo Castle and Momijiyama Park

Depart the pier for the scenic, approximately 40-minute drive to the Sumpu-jo Castle and Momijiyama Park. The Sumpu-jo Castle was built at the command of the first Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Today, the main building does not exist; however, the entrance gate was restored to its original design. Upon arrival, enter the gate and pass by a high stone wall surrounded by a moat, then proceed to Momijiyama Park. The park is a lovely Japanese garden surrounding a pond, and was designed with four different themes; Mountain, Mountain Village, Sea and Rural Area. All can be viewed during your guided stroll.

Shizuoka Sengen Shrine

Next, re-board your coach and proceed to the Shizuoka Sengen Shrine. This shrine is unique in that it is comprised of three different shrines, each with a different god. During your guided visit, marvel at some of the different shrines and gates, each of them adorned with elaborate minute sculptures and craftsmen's works.

Miho no Matsubara

Your final stop is at Miho no Matsubara. Upon arrival, take a guided stroll through the pine tree forest en route to the sandy beach, and marvel at splendid views of Mt. Fuji (weather-permitting). At the conclusion of your visit, re-board your coach and commence the short drive back to the pier.

Explore the history, traditions and flavours of Japan during this picturesque, half-day sightseeing excursion.

Fujisan Hongu Sengen Shrine

Depart the pier for the scenic, approximately one-hour drive to the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Shrine. Fujisan means 'Mt. Fuji' in Japanese, and this shrine was built in 27 B.C. by the emperor at that time to calm Mt. Fuji's huge eruptions. This shrine has enshrined Mt. Fuji, and was the first of the Sengen Shrines that were subsequently constructed throughout Japan. Upon arrival at this expansive, approximately 67,200-square-yard (about 56,188-square-metre) property, take a guided stroll. Along the way, see the main building, Mt. Fuji and other picturesque sights of interest.

Japanese Sake Brewery

Next, re-board your coach and head to the nearby Fuji Takasago Sake Brewery. Founded in 1831, Fuji Takasago is situated in an ideal location where Mt Fuji's groundwater is abundant for use. Today, this brewery combines traditional brewing methods with current technology to produce their sake. During your visit, take a guided tour of the facility, then proceed for a sake tasting. Afterward, you can purchase sake products to take home with you. At the conclusion of your visit, re-board your coach and commence the approximately 70-minute drive back to the pier.

Experience the breath-taking beauty and magnificence of the highest mountain in Japan from a few unique perspectives during this panoramic, full-day Mt. Fuji excursion.

Shimizu, Mt. Fuji, 2nd Station, Dynamic Mountain Views

Depart the pier for the scenic, approximately 1.5-hour drive to the approximately 12,388-foot-high (about 3,776-metre-high) Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan and an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mt. Fuji is also the national symbol of Japan, and has been immortalized in art and worshipped through the centuries. Mt. Fuji is divided into stations, with the first being at the base of the mountain and the 10th being the summit. Upon arrival at Mt. Fuji's 2nd Station, located at a height of approximately 4,700 feet (about 1,432 metres), enjoy a breath-taking dynamic view of the mountain's magnificence.

Mt. Fuji World Heritage Centre, Spectacular Panoramic View of Mt. Fuji

Next, proceed to the Mt. Fuji World Heritage Centre, which was newly-opened in December 2017 and consists of three buildings. The central building is covered with wood lattice made from Fuji cypress, and the characteristic shape of the inverted cone. From the top floor, enjoy a spectacular panoramic view of Mt. Fuji.

Nihondaira Yume Terrace, Panoramic Views Overlooking Mount Fuji and its Surrounds

After lunch, head to the Nihondaira Yume Terrace for incredible, 360° panoramic views overlooking Mt. Fuji (weather-permitting), along with iconic sites such as the Shimizu Port, Miho Pine Grove, Izu Peninsula and the Southern Alps. Following your visit, re-board your coach and commence the short drive back to the pier.

Embrace the grandeur of Mt. Fuji and its surrounds during this memorable, half-day excursion to the Shiraito Waterfall.

Fujisan Hongu Sengen Shrine

Depart the pier for the scenic, approximately one-hour drive to the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Shrine. Fujisan means 'Mt. Fuji' in Japanese, and this shrine was built in 27 B.C. by the emperor at that time to calm Mt. Fuji's huge eruptions. This shrine has enshrined Mt. Fuji, and was the first of the Sengen Shrines that were subsequently constructed throughout Japan. Upon arrival at this expansive, approximately 67,200-square-yard (about 56,188-square-metre) property, take a guided stroll. Along the way, see the main building, Mt. Fuji and other picturesque sights of interest.

Shiraito Waterfall

Next, re-board your coach and proceed to the Shiraito Waterfall, an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Renowned as a beautiful waterfall, Shiraito means 'white thread'. During your visit, marvel at the scenic splendour of the waterfall and its surrounds. At the conclusion of your visit, re-board your coach and commence the short drive back to the pier.

Explore Shimizu at your leisure during your full-day (8-hour) sightseeing tour via private car. Customise your own itinerary or choose to see an overview of the area's highlights.

Depart the pier with your driver and English-speaking guide in an air-conditioned car and discover the city and surrounding areas at your own pace. Your exclusive tour concludes back at the pier.

Explore Shimizu at your leisure during your half-day (4-hour) sightseeing tour via private car. Customise your own itinerary or choose to see an overview of the area's highlights.

Depart the pier with your driver and English-speaking guide in an air-conditioned car and discover the city and surrounding areas at your own pace. Your exclusive tour concludes back at the pier.

Explore Shimizu at your leisure during your full-day (8-hour) sightseeing tour via private van. Customise your own itinerary or choose to see an overview of the area's highlights.

Depart the pier with your driver and English-speaking guide in an air-conditioned van and discover the city and surrounding areas at your own pace. Your exclusive tour concludes back at the pier.

Explore Shimizu at your leisure during your half-day (4-hour) sightseeing tour via private van. Customise your own itinerary or choose to see an overview of the area's highlights.

Depart the pier with your driver and English-speaking guide in an air-conditioned van and discover the city and surrounding areas at your own pace. Your exclusive tour concludes back at the pier.

Discover the exquisite natural beauty of Shimizu during this scenic, half-day sightseeing excursion.

Nihondaira Ropeway and Kunozan Toshogu Shrine

Depart the pier for the scenic, approximately 30-minute drive to the Nihondaira Ropeway, gateway to the Kunozan Toshogu Shrine. Upon embarking the ropeway en route to the shrine, take in spectacular panoramic vistas of the Pacific Ocean, as well as Byobu-dani and Jigoku-dani, or 'Deep Valley'.

Upon arrival, ascend the steps and visit the Kunozan Toshogu Shrine. Built at the request of the first Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, this shrine exhibits wonderful craftsmanship in its pillars, decorative roofs and strong gate.

Miho no Matsubara

Following your visit, descend the Nihondaira Ropeway, re-board your coach and head to another picturesque viewpoint, Miho no Matsubara. Upon arrival, take a guided stroll through the pine tree forest en route to the sandy beach, and marvel at splendid views of Mt. Fuji (weather-permitting). At the conclusion of your visit, re-board your coach and commence the short drive back to the pier.