Take a short trip from Kakegawa Station and Explore Shizuoka’s Green Tea, Surf Beaches and Hidden Valleys.
The Kakegawa region of Shizuoka has plenty to offer visitors to Japan that are looking for unique Japanese experiences.
Easily accessible from Kakegawa Bullet Train Station are Kakegawa City, Fukuroi City, Makinohara, Omaezaki and Kawane.
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KAKEGAWA CITY
There are a number of great green tea experiences accessible from Kakegawa Station.
A short walk from the station and next to Kakegawa Castle is the Ninomaru Tea Room where you can try a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
Grab a Kakegawa Marutoku Passport, with which some tourism spots entrance fees and bus fares are discounted, and spend a day enjoying this authentic castle town.
A short taxi ride from Kakegawa Station is Kiwi Fruit Country Japan– a 10 hectare family owned kiwifruit farm that grows 80 varieties of the fruit and offers green tea experiences and also has BBQ facilities under kiwifruit vines.
FUKUROI
A short train ride from Kakegawa Station on the JR Tokaido Line is Fukuroi.
A 10 minute taxi ride from the Fukuroi Station is Akiha Sohonden Kasuisai – over 600 year old Zen Buddhist Temple.
As soon as you walk on to the hallowed grounds of Kasuisai Temple you are immersed in Japanese Zen spiritualism and wandering through the halls gives you a sense of the minimalistic lifestyle Zen practitioners have adhered to for centuries.
For those who wish to gain a deeper understanding of life in a Zen Temple try the Zazen experience or enjoy a special vegetarian meal.
Visit in Spring to see the peony blossoming in the traditional Japanese Garden.
KAWANE
Kawane is located in the foothills of the Southern Alps. It is about an hour and a half train journey from Kakegawa Station.
The journey to Kawane is as impressive as the destination – for the train ride from shin-Kanaya Station to Kawane area is a fantastic experience and you can choose to travel by Steam Locomotive.
Once you are in the mountains, there are a number of different experiences available. The most popular destination for visitors is Sumatakyo Onsen and the “Yume no Tsuribashi” (Bridge of Dreams).
MAKINOHARA
The Makinohara Tea Field plantations are a sight to behold. Neatly trimmed Green Tea bushels that stretch for as far as the eye can see.
Makinohara is a short trip from Kakegawa Station but to access the tea fields you will either need to travel by car, taxi, or bicycle.
Visit the Grinpia Makinohara and try your hand at picking green tea leaves and enjoy trying the different green tea ice cream flavors at the shop.
OMAEZAKI
The coastal area of Omaezaki is a 40 minute drive from Kakegawa Station and when you get there it feels as though you are totally off the grid.
Omaezaki is primarily a fishing town that is situated at the entrance to the nutrient rich Suruga Bay, where it meets the Pacific Ocean.
The local accommodation in the area take pride in serving the freshest seafood from the local markets.
The area is also famous for its annual International Windsurfing Tournament (Omaezaki Japan Cup), long surf beaches and sand dunes.
Omaezaki has the feeling of a sleepy beach town with a growing surf culture that is reflected in the new cafes and various events reminiscent of surf towns in other countries.