Shizuoka

Shizuoka (静岡) is the capital city of Shizuoka prefecture in Japan's Chubu region. In 2005, Shizuoka absorbed the neighboring city of Shimizu (清水).

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site with integrated machine translation.

Get in
Shizuoka is a stop on the Tokaido Main Line and Tokaido Shinkansen Line between Tokyo and Osaka, and on the Tomei Expressway.

By plane


Buses run from Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport to the Shizuoka train station in about an hour at a cost of &yen;1000. While the airport was built right over the Tokaido Shinkansen line, there is no train station serving the airport.

The nearest major airports are Haneda and Narita Airports in Tokyo, and Chubu International Airport in Nagoya. It takes approximately two hours to reach Shizuoka from Haneda or Chubu on the fastest train services, a little longer from Narita.

By train

 * The Tokaido Shinkansen runs one Hikari train per hour which stops at Shizuoka (and pauses for about 5 minutes while faster Nozomi trains barrel through the station). It is one hour from Tokyo (¥‎6350), 50 minutes from Nagoya (¥‎6350), 90 minutes from Kyoto (¥‎10240), and 1 hr 45 min from Shin-Osaka (¥‎10880) using this train.
 * All-stopping Kodama trains take a bit longer, and the same prices are charged for normal reservations. However, you can take advantage of the Puratto (Platt) Kodama Ticket (Japanese), which offers a discount for Kodama services if you purchase at least one day in advance. You get a reserved seat and a coupon for a free drink (including beer) which can be redeemed at a "Kiosk" convenience counter inside the station. With this ticket a trip to Shizuoka costs &yen;4600 from Tokyo (90 minutes), &yen;4600 from Nagoya (80 minutes), &yen;7600 from Kyoto (2 hr 15 min) and &yen;8100 from Shin-Osaka (2½ hr). Kodama trains run once an hour from Shin-Osaka and Kyoto; twice per hour from the other cities. All Kodama trains can be used, except for early morning departures.
 * Standard local trains from Tokyo take about 3 hr 15 min at a cost of ¥‎3350, requiring at least one change of trains at Atami or Numazu.
 * Wide View Fujikawa limited express trains make several daily round-trips to Shizuoka from Kofu on the Chuo Line. The ride, in train cars with larger windows, costs ¥‎4620 and takes about 2 hr 15 min.
 * Hamamatsu can be reached by either Shinkansen (30 minutes) or regular JR (1½ hours).

You can ride all of these trains for free with the Japan Rail Pass.

By bus
From Tokyo, JR/Shizutetsu Sunpu Liner buses run every 1-2 hours from the Shinjuku Highway Bus Terminal (Busta Shinjuku), arriving at the Shizuoka train station in 3 hours (¥‎2930). These buses make a 20-minute rest stop at the Ashigara Service Area on the Tomei Expressway.

Some buses between Tokyo and Nagoya only stop at the Shizuoka interchange of the expressway, on the outskirts of the city. Local buses run frequently to Shizuoka station from another bus stop close to the interchange in 15 minutes.

Overnight buses run from Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.

Get around
The Shizutetsu train line runs from Shin-Shizuoka station in the Cenova shopping mall to Shin-Shimizu station. It is worth noting that none of the stations are integrated into the JR train system. However, Shizutetsu Buses do operate service from Shizuoka station to the Cenova mall. Shizutetsu buses can be used to get anywhere in the city.

Do
There is a rotenburo (unisex communal bath) for those brave enough to try it in beautiful surrounds on the coast called Fujiyoshi Onsen.

Buy
Each Saturday there is a flea market at the shrine in central Shizuoka. The vendors sell mainly Japanese knick knacks such as tea sets, lacquerware and the like. You can haggle about 30% off their asking prices without working too hard, or try for more if you`re especially stingy.

Eat
Near the port, we can eat fresh fish, such as sushi.

Drink
Shizuoka Cola is a unique locally made tea-flavored cola, using Shizuoka's famous tea.

Go next

 * Mount Fuji, the iconic Japanese volcano
 * Fujieda
 * Fujinomiya
 * Kawanehon
 * Yaizu
 * Shimada
 * Kakegawa
 * Numazu
 * Shibakawa