If you are looking for things to do in Omaezaki and Makinohara and want to take things slow here, this is a good place to start.
THINGS TO DO IN OMAEZAKI & MAKINOHARA
Want to get away from the city, hit the beach, meet the locals and chill? Then the coastal towns of Makinohara and Omaezaki, just 30 mins from Kakegawa Bullet Train Station, are worth a visit.
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OMAEZAKI LIGHTHOUSE & COAST
As a starting point, and visual landmark, you can’t go past a lighthouse.
The Cape Omaezaki is where the mighty Pacific Ocean meets the deep waters of Suruga Bay. Therefore, the Omaezaki lighthouse has played an important role in ensuring that boats find safe harbor since it was built by English engineers in 1874.
The lighthouse is open to the public and offers spectacular views up and down the coast.
HAMAOKA SAND DUNES & CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL
The Hamaoka Sand Dunes are a 15 min drive along the coast from the Omaezaki Lighthouse.
The dunes are a popular tourist spot and represent the start of a long stretch of Pacific Ocean coastline.
The best time to visit is mid-February / early March when the early blooming Kawazu cherry blossoms are in full bloom.
During this time, the locals have a cherry blossom festival and set up stalls selling local delicacies and locally sourced produce.
MAKINOHARA GREEN TEA EXPERIENCES
Shizuoka is one of the biggest green tea producers with tea plantations and farms dotted throughout the prefecture.
The Makinohara green tea plantation is one of the biggest in Japan with acres of neatly trimmed rows of green tea plants stretching off into the distance.
Grinpia Makinohara is one of the biggest producers of green tea in the area and offer visitors a chance to experience and learn about every aspect of the green tea harvesting procedure.
Green tea picking is available for visitors during the harvesting season.
If you would like a more immersive experience, visit one of local tea farmers in the area.
HIT THE BEACH
The most popular beach in the Omaezaki / Makinohara area is probably Shizunami Beach.
The beach is fairly protected from the wind by the Cape Omaezaki and is not as exposed to the Pacific Ocean as many of the other beaches along the coast.
This makes it popular with beach goers and families in the summer months and many businesses and beach shacks pop up along the beach area.
Possibly a little more than the Omaezaki area, this part of the area has a more traditional surfer beach vibe.
There are a number of surf shops in the area where you can rent a board and wetsuit and will provide lessons (unfortunately most of the information is in Japanese).
CHILL OUT LIKE LOCALS
In recent years, a number of new cafes, bars and beach-house style accommodations have popped up around the Makinohara beach areas of Sagara, Katahama & Shizunami.
One example of this is HAZ Cottage which is only 15 mins walk from Sagara Sun Beach.
The cottage is a renovated old Japanese style house that has been given a modern beach house feel.
Sit back and relax with local beer in hand while listening to the sound of waves.