Tea is one of Shizuoka Prefecture’s most popular local specialties, and in addition to the authentic Japanese tea that can only be found here, the sweets made with tea are also exquisite.
　Here we will be introducing popular tea cafes where you can enjoy Shizuoka Prefecture’s signature teas and sweets in a stylish atmosphere!
　Enjoy the various flavors of green tea that only Shizuoka Prefecture can offer, such as teas with different tastes depending on the type of tea leaves and roasting temperature, gelato ice cream and chocolates with different strengths of tea flavors!

○Recommended tea cafes within walking distance from JR Shizuoka Station
Cafe Issa (Shizuoka City)

Cafe Issa is conveniently located just inside the underground passageway at the north exit of JR Shizuoka Station. The cafe, which is run by the Shizuoka Tea Merchant Cooperative Association, offers three different types of tea on its weekly menu. The tea is carefully brewed by the staff and served alongside sweets in a relaxed atmosphere. You can also purchase high-grade tea leaves carefully selected by 50 tea merchants in Shizuoka City.

For more information, click here.

Nanaya Shizuoka (Shizuoka City)

The Nanaya Shizuoka store is known for its “world’s richest matcha gelato,” but they also offer delicious tea chocolates of different thicknesses. You can enjoy eating the variety of sweets that they sell at the store’s eat-in corner.
Nanaya is run by “Marushichi Seicha,” a long-established tea distributor established in 1907. In addition to the Shizuoka store, you can also visit the Fujieda store (see below) and Sud Ouest Makinohara store (inside Grinpia Makinohara), which are both in Shizuoka Prefecture.

For more information, click here.

CHA10 (Shizuoka City)

Cafe CHA10 (pronounced “Chato”) has a modern sky blue exterior, and is a place where you can enjoy new types of matcha drinks. We recommend the organic matcha produced locally in Shizuoka. They also offer a wide range of egg, milk, and white sugar-free vegan sweets from their health-conscious menu. The NITRO matcha, which utilizes nitrogen in organic matcha made with beet sugar, is a particularly popular item on the menu. We hope you have the chance to enjoy the rich, soft, melt-in-Your-mouth matcha beverages.

For more information, click here.

Maruzen Tea Roastery (Shizuoka City)

Maruzen Tea Roastery, operated by Maruzen Tea Co., Ltd., a tea wholesaler that has been in business for more than 70 years, has a tea roastery where the highest quality ichibancha (tea from the first harvest of the season) tea produced in Shizuoka Prefecture is roasted.
Light steamed and deep steamed tea leaves are roasted at 100℃, 130℃, 160℃, and 200℃ respectively. In addition, the gelato that they serve here is also made using tea leaves roasted at different temperatures, and the types of tea leaves used include sencha, gyokuro and hojicha. Please experience the difference in taste depending on the roasting temperature.

For more information, click here.

T’s green Omachi (Shizuoka City)

At T’s green Omachi, a variety of sweets such as green tea “nama” (raw) chocolate, age-dango (deep-fried dumplings made from glutinous rice flour), green tea milk warabimochi (jelly-like mochi), karinto manju (deep-fried treat made brown sugar dough and red bean paste filling), and tea pudding are offered to go with your tea. The colors, shapes, and serving styles of the sweets are so cute you’ll naturally want to take photos of them. These sweets are said to be flavored in such a way that you will find yourself reaching for a cup of tea after eating them.
Enjoy a pleasant and relaxing time with these charming sweets and delicious tea.

For more information, click here.

○Recommended tea cafes in Fujieda City, Kikugawa City, and Kakegawa City
Nanaya Fujieda Flagship Store (Fujieda City)

Nanaya Fujieda is the flagship store of Nanaya Shizuoka, which we introduced above. The Fujieda store has its own confectionary workshop attached to it, and the spacious store sells many kinds of tea leaves and original tea sweets, including a wide range of popular gelato flavors. From the eat-in corner, you can see the confectionery workshop.

For more information, click here.

san grams green tea & garden cafe (Kikugawa City)

San Grams is a tea brand that was founded in 2015 by Marumatsu Tea, a company has a history spanning back 100 years. While tea is generally made by blending tea leaves from various producers, san grams green tea & garden cafe offers “single tea leaves,” which are made from tea leaves from a single producer using different methods for each type of tea leaf. Please enjoy the unique flavor of the single tea leaves from various regions of Shizuoka Prefecture while gazing at the garden with its seasonal flowers from inside the cafe, which features a stylish bright white interior.

For more information, click here.

Enshu Chaya (Kikugawa City)

Enshu Chaya is a Japanese-style cafe located next to the Ogasa flagship branch of the popular local confectionery store “Takoman,” where you can enjoy cute and tasty sweets made with local ingredients.
To coincide with the shincha (newly-picked tea) season, the “Shiboritate Nama Mont Blanc Okoicha” (freshly squeezed thick green tea raw Mont Blanc) is offered for a limited time only, and tea lovers will be able to enjoy a tea-filled experience with the dessert made with green tea brownies, green tea gelato, green tea cream, and green tea Montblanc sauce.
Enshu Chaya’s signature dessert, “matcha zenzai” (Japanese red bean paste with soft mochi served in green tea soup) can also be enjoy year-round.

For more information, click here.

Nihoncha Kimikura Flagship Store (Kakegawa City)

On the first floor is a Japanese tea shop and the second floor is a cafe, and the high-quality Japanese tea and original sweets that change each season are offered at the cafe. The large windows on both floors offer a relaxing view of the Japanese garden, and the first floor sells not only tea, but also sweets and seasonal gifts, which make great souvenirs.

For more information, click here.

Kimikura Cafe (Kakegawa City)

This is the sister store of the “Nihoncha Kimikura Flagship Store,” which opened in 2017. Based on the concept of making tea more accessible and enjoyable for all, the cafe offers not only authentic sencha green tea, but also other drinks such as matcha lattes and tea with carbonated juice, as well as lunch dishes and sweets. There are also leash hooks installed on the terrace area, so you can enjoy a relaxing cafe time with your pets.

For more information, click here.

Takenomaru Sweets Cafe (Kakegawa City)

Takenomaru Sweets Caf, which can be found inside the historical “Takenomaru” building that was built from the Meiji to Showa periods and is located within the premises of Kakegawa Castle Park, has a relaxing and retro interior where you can spend a moment of tranquility while enjoying the view of the garden.
They offer high-quality sweets including the “Chabatake” and financier cakes made with the finest ingredients such as tea produced in Kakegawa and Shiranui mandarins, and have a perfect balance of sweetness and astringency. Please enjoy them with deep steamed tea grown in Kakegawa or black tea.
From the second floor of “Takenomaru,” you can enjoy a view of the castle tower of Kakegawa Castle.

For more information, click here.

Shizuoka Prefecture is known for its specialties such as tea, eel, strawberries, and wasabi, but it has also been a region where cattle have been raised since ancient times, as evidenced by the appearance of the Totomi cows in the “Kokugyu Juuzu”, an illustrated book written in the late Kamakura period (late 12th to early 14th century) that introduced ten domestic cattle breeds.
In various parts of the prefecture, the mild climate, blessed environment and soil, and the techniques and efforts of producers cultivated over many years have resulted in the production of beef brands bearing regional names such as “Shizuoka Sodachi,” “Enshu Yumesaki Gyu,” “Kakegawa Gyu,” “JA Mikkabi Wagyu,” “Ashitaka Wagyu,” and others.
“Shizuoka Wagyu” collectively refers to Shizuoka Prefecture’s Kuroge Wagyu brand that was created in 2017 after integrating such regional brands. The brand was created with the hope of spreading Shizuoka Prefecture’s Wagyu beef throughout the world.
In this article, we will introduce some recommended restaurants in the prefecture where you can eat such “Shizuoka Wagyu”!

○Fuji Area
Restaurant Grasse (Hotel Grand Fuji) (Fuji City)

The restaurant is located in the Hotel Grand Fuji at the foot of Mt. Fuji. The restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes including Wagyu beef steak that allows you to fully enjoy the sweetness and flavor of Wagyu beef raised in the rich nature of Shizuoka. You can enjoy both a special set menu as well à la carte dishes.
■Recommended menu
Wagyu sirloin steak, Wagyu fillet steak

For more information, click here.

○Central Area
Sanshotei Honten (Shizuoka City)

The restaurant is located in the Hotel Grand Fuji at the foot of Mt. Fuji. The restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes including Wagyu beef steak that allows you to fully enjoy the sweetness and flavor of Wagyu beef raised in the rich nature of Shizuoka. You can enjoy both a special set menu as well à la carte dishes.
■Recommended menu
Wagyu sirloin steak, Wagyu fillet steak

For more information, click here.

Nasu no Hana Muan (Shizuoka City)

This Japanese restaurant offers a variety of “seasonal Suruga cuisine” in a modern Japanese atmosphere. The popular seared beef is made from Wagyu beef produced in the Shizuoka area, and is cooked medium on the inside and thoroughly on the outside. Other dishes include steak and shabu-shabu made with beef from Shizuoka Prefecture.
■Recommended menu
Seared Japanese Kuroge Wagyu beef loin

For more information, click here.

Tororojiru-no Chojiya (Shizuoka City)

Established 400 years ago, the restaurant originally opened as a teahouse in Tokaido and is famous for its tororo soup, which was depicted in Utagawa Hiroshige’s “53 Stations of the Tokaido”. Chojiya’s roast beef is made by marinating Shizuoka Wagyu beef in homemade white miso, an essential ingredient in the traditional tororo soup seasoning, to bring out the quality of the meat and the sweetness of the fat. Enjoy the mellow and flavorful taste of the Chojiya miso.
■Recommended menu
Shizuoka Wagyu Chojiya miso roast beef

For more information, click here.

Steak House Narushima Ryunan (Shizuoka City)

Steak House Narushima, which specializes in Kuroge Wagyu beef, offers original hamburger steaks and steaks of the highest quality of Shizuoka Wagyu.
The rich spice flavor of the hamburger steak and the sweet flavor of the oil oozing out of the sirloin steak unique to Shizuoka Wagyu beef will delight taste buds of meat lovers.
They also have a take-out menu featuring Shizuoka Wagyu dishes.
■Recommended menu
•High-grade Shizuoka Wagyu hamburger steak
•High-grade Shizuoka Wagyu sirloin steak
■Take-out menu (reservation required)
High-grade Shizuoka Wagyu lunch box, Shizuoka Wagyu hamburger steak 120 g, Shizuoka Wagyu sirloin steak 120 g, Shizuoka Wagyu filet steak 120 g, Shizuoka Wagyu roast beef 100 g

For more information, click here.

Kakuman (Yaizu City)

Kakuman is long-established Japanese restaurant located in Yaizu City. The restaurant is committed to local production for local consumption and offers a wide variety of menu items using Shizuoka Wagyu beef. You can enjoy a variety of dishes such as roast beef, hamburger steak, stewed beef tendon, steak, and oden hamburger steak with broth made from beef tendon.
■Recommended menu
Shizuoka Wagyu roast beef

For more information, click here.

Numazu Uogashizushi Nagarezushi Fujieda (Fujieda City)

Since the branch opened in Fujieda as the first “Nagarezushi” restaurant in Japan, this establishment has been popular among a wide demographic of customers, including families. The Fujieda branch is the only one among the Numazu Uogashizushi restaurants to serve Shizuoka Wagyu beef. We recommend that you try their meat sushi, which is made from the highest grade of A4 to A5 class beef, exclusively from local Fujieda farms.
■Recommended menu
Premium roast beef seared nigiri

For more information, click here.

With the current craft beer (microbrewery) trend, more and more breweries in Shizuoka Prefecture have been developing their own original beers using the local water and ingredients.

Starting with long-established breweries such as Gotemba Kogen Beer and Baird Beer, which have led the microbrewery trend from early on, there are a variety of unique breweries such as Hansharo Beer , named after the Nirayama Hansharo (Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace), a registered World Heritage site, Numazu Craft and Mt. Fuji Brewing which are brewed using spring water from Mt. Fuji.

When visiting Shizuoka Prefecture, we hope you will enjoy these specialty beers made with the natural blessings of the region.

○Izu Area
[Baird Beer] Baird Brewery Gardens Shuzenji (Izu City)

Baird Beer is brewed at a brewery built on the banks of the clear Kano River in Shuzenji, Izu City. In the tasting room on the third floor of the brewery, you can enjoy around 20 kinds of beer full of artisanal love.

In addition to the beer deck that offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, the brewery has a gift store, and a view of the lower level where visitors can watch the beer brewing process.

Outside, in front of the brewery, on the west side of the Kano River, there are outdoor tables where you can relax with your pets. There is also a campground attached to the site, so why not spend a luxurious time tasting delicious beer while taking in the beautiful surrounding natural scenery?

For more information, click here

[Hansharo Beer] Hansharo Beer Restaurant Homura (Izunokuni City)

Located next to the Nirayama Hansharo (Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace), a registered World Heritage site, Hansharo Beer brews both standard beers with a historical theme and a variety of limited edition beers.

The “Hansharo Beer Restaurant Homura,” located next to the brewery, offers charcoal-grilled made with local ingredients!

There is also an open terrace overlooking the reverberatory furnace, so you can enjoy a nice refreshing glass of beer with delicious charcoal-grilled dishes such as meat and seafood while admiring the World Heritage site?

For more information, click here

[Wind Valley Beer] Dairy Kingdom Oratche (Kannami Town)

At Dairy Kingdom, beer is brewed using natural water from the Fuji-Hakone mountain range drawn from a 300-meter-deep well on the property and locally grown organic barley.

Because the beer is not heat-treated or filtered, it contains active beer yeast, which is known as a health food, and boasts a rich flavor.

At the restaurant, you can also enjoy dishes made with fresh vegetables and dairy products grown at Orache Farm.

There is also terrace seating available for visitors with pets.

For more information, click here

[Numazu Craft] Numazu Craft Tasting Room (Numazu City)

Numazu Craft is brewed using water from the Kakita River, one of the three clearest streams in Japan. Under the concept of “Slow Beer, Slow Life,” they brew delicious, high-quality beer.

At the tasting room, located near Senbon Matsubara overlooking Suruga Bay and Mt. Fuji, ten fresh, original beers on tap are served all year round.

Food is not offered here, so you can bring your own food and beverages to enjoy.

For more information, click here

○Fuji Area
[Gotemba Kogen Beer] Gotemba Kogen Toki no Sumika Grand Table, Restaurant Mugibatake (Gotemba City)

At Gotemba Kogen Toki no Sumika , beer is brewed using subterranean water from Mt. Fuji, and at the two restaurants on the premises, visitors can taste beer fresh from servers directly connected to the brewery.

The “Grand Table ” offers a variety of creative cuisine, including generous portions of grilled dishes and authentic Neapolitan pizza baked in a wood-fired oven. Also, the buffet-style restaurant “Mugibatake ” offers more than 40 all-you-can-eat dishes, including steaks and seafood rice bowls, as well as six types of craft beer.

For more information, click here

[Mt. Fuji Brewing] Mt. Fuji Brewing (Fujinomiya City)

At “Mt. Fuji Brewing,” located next to the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine , clear, gentle beer made with spring water from Mt. Fuji is brewed on-site.

Just like the water from the springs of Mt. Fuji, which has been flowing out the earth over a long period of time, a great deal of time and effort is put into creating a refreshing taste!

You can also see the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine and the Kanda River through the windows of the restaurant.

For more information, click here

○Central Area
[West Coast Brewing] WCB Taproom (Shizuoka City)

West Coast Brewing, located near the Mochimune Fishing Port in Shizuoka City, started brewing beer in June 2019, producing a variety of beers, mainly IPAs.

The taproom serves freshly brewed beer, so you can enjoy the luxury of enjoying craft beer while feeling the gentle sea breeze in the port town of Mochimune.

For more information, click here

[Aoi Brewing] The Pint Shack (Shizuoka City)

Aoi Brewing was the first company to start brewing craft beer in Shizuoka City, and their wide range of beers, which people say you never get tired of drinking, can be enjoyed at the Pint Shack, a beer stand inside the Den Bill building located just a 5-minute walk from Shizuoka Station.

It’s a great place to stop by for a break from shopping, to meet someone, or hop in after dinner, when you feel like having a little more to drink, or even just for one drink.

For more information, click here

○Western Area
[Kakegawa Beer] Bucket Here (Kakegawa City)

Kakegawa Beer is brewed by “Kakegawa Farm Brewing,” where artisans who have studied the art of making beer in Belgium incorporate local specialties such as Beni Hoppe strawberries and hojicha (roasted green tea) into their brews.

At Bucket Here, a directly operated beer pub, ten different beers can be enjoyed at any given time.

For more information, click here

[Hamamatsu Beer] Mein Schloss (Hamamatsu City)

Mein Schloss is an authentic beer restaurant located inside a building reminiscent of an old German castle, and four kinds of beers are brewed here on a regular basis based on the “Reinheitsgebot” (also known as the beer purity law) a series of regulations written in Germany limiting the ingredients in beer. In addition, they also offer one or two additional types of beer depending on the season.

The menu features a wide variety of dishes including German cuisine, so you can enjoy an international meal while sipping on beer.

For more information, click here

Shimizu Seafood market “Kashi no Ichi” is located southeast of JR Shimizu Station, adjacent to the Port of Shimizu. From the outside it doesn’t look very fancy, but on the day I visited, it was crowded with customers. Let’s go ahead and quietly slip in through the central entrance.

Fishes catched from the Suruga Bay grilled shellfish, dried seafood… This is what you can expect from the Port of Shimizu, with the largest tuna catch in Japan! My heart is so excited to see all the seafood!

Ichiba Hall at “Kashi no Ichi” in the Shimizu fish market

From the central entrance of “Kashi no Ichi” market, the building on the right is the Ichiba Hall and the building on the left is the Maguro Hall. Ichiba Hall is the gift souvenir area, and Maguro Hall is the dining area. Of course, there are some seafood eateries attached to the souvenir area as well.

Ichiba Hall has around 20 shops where the intermediate wholesalers sell directly to the general public, so you can expect the fresh food with reasonable prices. You can find tuna, sushi, dried fish, whitebait, shrimp, crab, frozen food, dried food and vegetables. What a huge variety of products for sale.

On the first walk around, I did a bit of survey. Then on the second walk, it was time to shop for souvenirs while negotiating for the prices.

My top recommendation of the day was the raw oysters that you can eat right away.

Just splash on some lemon juice and you can eat them right there. The first thing that hits you is the sharp sourness of the lemon that cuts through your nose, followed by the scent and saltiness of the brine, and finally the rich, milky flavor of the oyster spreading throughout your mouth. I was surprised by how it felt! Truly a luxury!

You don’t get the chance to eat raw oysters like this very often. Next time, I will have it with some beer!

Maguro Hall at Kashi no Ichi in the Shimizu fish market

Next, let’s go to the Maguro Hall with its rows of seafood restaurants. This is seafood restaurant county, with seven seafood restaurants on the first floor and another seven on the second floor, for a total of 14.

Every restaurant brings its catch to the storefront. Little models (or sometimes the real thing) of the dishes they serve crowd the space in front of each shop with indicators saying “Highly recommended!!” It’s a lively atmosphere, and the young staff standing in front of the shops are full of energy when they invite customers to come in.

These impresive food models are so fun to looking at them. Above all, they are beautifully made and look just like the real thing.

During the lunch hour of this day, the place was so crowded with people that it was difficult to even walk.

I would recommend that you anticipate how crowded it will get in this are, and plan your route based on that. It starts to get crowded from around 11 o’clock, so you need to make your reservation early.

When we were there, we went back and forth, unable to decide which restaurant to sit at. Finally, we settled for the Ryoshi-Meshi Kishiya on the first floor of the Maguro Hall. Ryoshi-Meshi Kishiya is very popular. You can enjoy a nice kaisendon while gazing out over the Port of Shimizu here. The dishes we chose were…
Kaisendon (1350 yen) and a Natural Sashimi Set Meal (1650 Yen) with deep-fried Sakura Shrimp Kakiage (500 Yen).

 The seafood was fresh and the portion sizes were substantial, leaving us more than satisfied.

The kaisen-don was made with vinegared rice. Light and fresh, it paired wonderfully with the sashimi and soy sauce.

The sakura shrimp kakiage was veritably crispy and savory, and we could fully enjoy the delicious taste of the sakura shrimp. Perfect score for this one as well.

Boarding the water bus from the Shimizu fish market

There is a water bus stop just in front of the Maguro Hall at the Shimizu fish market. We can board it and go to Miho, S-pulse Dream Plaza/Hinode and Tsukama.

Going to Miho by the water bus also seems fun. The water bus operates one-way, sailing counterclockwise around the bay from Ejiri (in front of Maguro Hall) → S-Pulse Dream Plaza/Hinode → Miho → back to Ejiri.

You can create fun memories aboard the water bus. Whether with family or a romantic partner, you should give it a try.

So, what did you think? I really enjoyed the Ichiba Hall and Maguro Hall at Kashi no Ichi in the Shimizu fish market. I hope you can pay it a visit.

The Awaga Dake rises over Kakegawa, a major production area of deep steamed tea. The tea grass farm, which is indispensable for the World Agricultural Heritage “Shizuoka Tea Grass Farm Farming Method” managed in this area, is protected between locals and visitors along with the beautiful environment of Awaga Dake.

In spring, cherry blossoms are in full bloom and the buds are in full bloom, and in winter, the famous “Kaposhi” (bundled to dry the tea grass applied to the tea plantation) can be seen.

Relax and enjoy the time that passes leisurely in the mountain village around Awagatake, looking up at the “tea characters” as they change from season to season.

Logening and seasonal mountain village experience with family and friends

EXPERIENCING: Chanosato Adventure Experience Program

The Higashiyama tea plantations are located in Kakegawa City and are a haven for over 300 different species of grassland plants and diverse creatures. One popular program in the area is the “Chanosato Adventure,” which offers participants the chance to explore the tea plantations and interact with local residents who live in the mountain village. Visitors can choose to run around with a map or take their time and enjoy the hospitality of tea farmers. With over 30 checkpoints to explore, participants can experience the natural beauty of each season at their own pace.

For those interested in history, there is also a course that takes visitors through the historical sites of Hisaka Post Station Town, shrines and temples such as “Koto Hachimangu Shrine,” and a walking course on the Cha-kusaba road at the summit of Mt. Awagatake and the foot of the mountain. There is also a course that leads to “Kurama Onsen” and “Matsuba Falls” in the mountains for those seeking a more adventurous experience.

Long-established teahouses that remain in the difficult place “Nakayama Pass” on the Tokaido

EAT, SHOP, and SEE at: Ougiya

Walking along the Sayono Nakayama Pass is a great opportunity to immerse oneself in history and nature. The pass is surrounded by lush greenery, and the view of the mountains and valleys is breathtaking. The walk takes about two hours and is a relatively easy hike.

One of the highlights of the pass is the monuments of Waka and Haiku, which are inscribed with famous poems about the Nakayama Pass. These monuments serve as a reminder of the long history and culture of the Tokaido.

Another must-visit spot along the pass is Kunobu-ji Temple, which is said to be related to the legend of the Seven Wonders of Enshu At Night. The temple has a serene atmosphere and is a great place to reflect and relax.

After exploring the temple, visitors can stop by Ogiya, a teahouse on the pass that has been in business since the Edo period. Ogiya is famous for its kosodate-ame, a traditional candy made using a unique method that has been passed down for generations. The candy is made with rice flour and sugar and is shaped like a baby bottle or pacifier, symbolizing the wish for children’s health and prosperity. The teahouse also serves other traditional snacks and drinks.

Overall, a walk along Sayono Nakayama Pass is a fantastic way to experience the rich history and culture of the Tokaido while enjoying the natural beauty of the area.

More than sightseeing and less than moving in, in a tea village

STAY at: Tradition Japanese Lodging “Tabinoya”

Live slowly at the mountain village inn, “Tabinoya”, which was renovated from an old private house built in 1951. You can choose from meal plans that include owner-recommended experience programs and seasonal limited plans, or accommodations that offer either meal service or whole-house rentals (meal service includes cooking experiences for guests to enjoy).
With the owner recommended Tea Picking experience, you can take a car from Tabinoya and reach the tea plantation within 20 minutes. These tea fields are grown using the “Cha-kusaba” (Grass tea field) method, a registered World Agriculture Heritage practice.
During tea season, you can enjoy unique food experiences made with freshly picked tea leaves, such as tempura and mixed dishes. You’ll have a chance to experience the culture and lifestyle rooted in the rural mountains, and it will be a nostalgic memory for adults and a new experience for young children.

The goal the “TEA” letter, and get rewarded with a beautiful view and a delicious cup of tea

SEE: Awaga Dake

It takes about one hour to reach the summit. At an elevation of 532 meters, the Awagatake is a low mountain located in the Higashiyama area of Kakegawa City, known for its giant “TEA” character symbol. One of the charms that make people say, “No matter how many times you climb it, you’ll want to go again” is the beautiful scenery of the World Agricultural Heritage “Shizuoka’s Cha-kusaba method” which can be seen at the Terrace. After walking through a group of giant rocks covered in moss, illuminated by the sunlight filtering through the trees, we can see the summit is near. After paying a visit to the “Awawagyu Shrine,” we head to the “Kapposhi Terrace.” As if to reward the people who have walked through the mountains, a magnificent view overlooking the majestic Pacific Ocean can be seen. Then, we enjoy a relaxing time with a meal made from Kakegawa tea and local ingredients at the attached café.

Start & finish point of Awagatake trekking

Take a REST at: Higashiyama Ippuku-dokoro

This rest area is located at the trailhead of Mt. Awagatake, and on weekends is often bustling with hiker and cycler.
It is also the departure and return point of trekking to enjoy nature while strolling in the mountains.

It also houses a tea shop run by local tea farmers, providing information on Higashiyama tea, seasonal highlights of Awagatake, and guidance on nearby attractions. The “Fukamushi-cha” (deep steamed green tea) of Kakegawa is well-known, with its deep taste and a rich natural sweetness. Inside the shop, visitors can find those Kakegawa tea made from the “Shizuoka tea-grass field farming method” along with other agricultural products and handmade processed goods.
Please enjoy a pleasant time with friendly shop assistants while sipping on delicious tea.

Get a taste of the local cuisine and the stunning Mt. Fuji scenery at Gotenba City. Enjoy specialties like tenbakoshi hikari and mizukakena, and try the local favorite Mikuriyasoba. Don’t miss the kamado cooking experience of tenbakoshi Hikari at the farmhouse inn, it’s sure to be a memorable trip.
Come experience the beauty of Mt. Fuji in all four seasons on a country getaway.

A farmer’s happy breakfast, even the okoge (scorched rice) is tasty

STAY at: Gotemba farmstay Matsunoha

The owner of this cozy inn enjoys collecting and fixing old things. He renovated an old soba shop into a charming place to stay. You can learn how to cook kamado rice using a traditional furnace attached to the eaves, which is a great experience!

Using fresh water from the nearby Futago-suijin spring and pesticide-free homemade rice, the rice is cooked with firewood for an authentic taste. Kids particularly love helping with the firewood. The freshly cooked rice has a glossy finish and is delicious with locally acclaimed sakura egg.

The side dishes are just as impressive, featuring vegetables and homemade wasabi picked fresh from the morning harvest in the back field, and pickled mizukisai in winter. Many families take home the leftover rice to make rice balls. Please let the owner know when booking, so you can enjoy these hands-on activities like chopping firewood, making soba noodles, smoking meat, or making konnyaku.

“Mikuriya soba” is the mother taste of Gotemba

EAT at: JA Fuji-Izu Soba-dokoro

Gotemba was called Mikuriya in the past, and its gourmet is “Mikuriya Soba”. This warm and hearty dish, made with various ingredients, was traditionally prepared by mothers for local festivals and gatherings such as New Year’s celebrations. The soba restaurant run by JA Fuji-Izu is one of the “Mikuriya Soba Serving Teams” that upholds the tradition of this special dish. It is a popular restaurant visited by many customers daily. The delicious secret of the fragrant soba, made from locally produced soba flour, water, and natural yam, lies in the sweet broth topped with chicken and local vegetables. It’s a taste that warms the heart with its motherly touch.

Experience making your own tea & exploration of the wind hole of Mt. Fuji

EXPERIENCE at: Katsumata Tea Co.,Ltd.

Katsumata Sei-cha operates an organic tea garden located at the foot of Mt. Fuji, surrounded by breathtaking nature. They offer a range of hands-on events to share the area’s rich history dating back to the time of Minamoto Yoritomo, as well as the culture of specialty tea. Visitors can pick safe organic tea leaves, hand-massage them, and create unique tea bags with herbs grown in the tea garden. The company is also expanding into the world of tea culture and sharing various local charms with visitors through nature classes led by President Katsumata, who has an extensive network of contacts. Additionally, visitors can explore the wind caves of Mt. Fuji, accessed through a secret spot near the tea garden, which maintains a constant temperature of 15°C throughout the year, creating an enchanting experience to uncover the mysteries of nature.

“Gotemba Koshi-hikari” – the fruit borned from the passion of farmers

SHOPPING at: Farmers Gotemba

It is a JA directly managed shop where you can find delicious local vegetables, special Shizuoka Wagyu beef, special Mizukake-nazuke (pickled green vegetables), handmade dumplings and other side dishes. Sometimes there are rare vegetables that are not often available in supermarkets, so it’s fun just to look around!　
Among them, “Gotemba koshi Hikari”, which is nurtured by the cool highland climate and the water of Mt. Fuji, is now popular as a brand rice that is highly evaluated nationwide due to the enthusiasm and efforts of the creators.
At the eat-in corner of the store, you can enjoy handmade onigiri using gotemba koshi hikari and curry with plenty of vegetables at reasonable prices. Access to the Tomei Gotenba IC is also convenient, so you can easily pop in for a souvenir of fresh and reliable specialties!

If you want to see the whole Mt. Fuji, then this is the place!

SEE the: Otome Pass

The observation deck, which I climbed a little on foot from FUJIMI CAFE on Otome Pass, is a superb view point where you can see Mt. Fuji from the highest summit in Japan to the vast foot! 

It is an elegant figure also called “Otome Fuji”, and it is counted as one of the 10 views of Gotenba’s Fujimi. If the weather is good, you can see the lights of mountain climbers on the mountain surface on summer nights, and in winter when the air is clear, you can enjoy the night view of the lower world, and it shows various expressions depending on the season.

Otome Pass is located in the northeastern part of Hakone Outer Ring Mountain, and is also popular as a hiking trail. At FUJIMI CAFE, which is a place of relaxation in the pass, you can enjoy “FUJIMI Burger” of patty molded with Shizuoka Prefecture “Akashi beef” without connecting, and handmade financier with cute Mt. Fuji type.

　

Oguni Shrine is a historic shrine in Morimachi, the little Kyoto of Enshu

History of Oguni Shrine

Oguni Shrine, located in Morimachi in western Shizuoka Prefecture, is the oldest shrine in the region. According to the shrine tradition, its origins date back to the 6th century. In the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, the Imperial family and warlords had deep religious faith, and the shrine was revered as Ichinomiya of Totomi Province. The shrine has a long history, with successive shoguns having built and repaired the shrine buildings and donated to the shrine territory, including Tokugawa Ieyasu rebuilding the shrine during the Edo period (1603-1868).

God of Oguni Shrine, Ōnamuchi-no-Mikoto

The Ōnamuchi-no-Mikoto (also called “Okuninushi no Mikoto”) enshrined at Okuni Shrine is the god who appears in the “White Rabbit of Inaba”. In that story, he is depicted as a kind-hearted deity who rescued a rabbit that had been stripped naked. He is generally known and loved as “Daikoku-sama”, and is called in many legends by several names, including “Ohmononushi no Kami” and “Utsushikunitama-no-Kami”. This god exerts great power by giving people knowledge and wisdom about land development, industry development, and medicine. Thus people revered him as the God of Land Management, Prosperity of Industry, Marital Harmony, Matchmaking, and so on.

Ancient forest full of minus ions

After paying homage to the main shrine, we took a walk in the ancient forest on the grounds of Okuni Shrine. The Ancient Forest is a vast sanctuary of about 300,000 tsubo (approx. 331,000 m²). Walking through the large cedar and cypress trees, the mysterious atmosphere and the shower of negative ions helps to release the tension of daily life.

The approximately 1,000 maple trees in the forest turn fresh green in spring and deep red and yellow in fall, making it a popular photo spot for social networking. I visited in January so the cool, dignified air that filtered through the trees was very pleasant and refreshing to the body and soul.

This is the sacred “Oo-sugi” cedar dedicated at the side of the approach to the shrine. Because of its age, and because it was toppled by a typhoon that caused extensive damage to the Japanese archipelago in 1972, the trunk is hollowed out, but the remaining outer annual rings alone are over 500 years old.

Next to the sacred tree is a stone called a “Tachiagari–ishi (rising up stone)”. It is said that Tokugawa Ieyasu sat on this stone and rested when he visited “Okuni Shrine” to pray for good fortune. He then overcame many adversities every time he visited the temple and finally unified the country, thus giving the stone its name. If you feel bad about your past failure, how about coming here to sit on the stone in honor of the Ieyasu story of life, and wishing for a second chance at life?

Lastly, we will introduce Koto-machi Pond, an oval-shaped pond along the approach to the temple. On an island in the center of the pond there is the Munakata-sha shrine. There is a custom in this Koto-machi Pond, which is to make a wish and “wait for that” (koto-machi), and when the wish is fulfilled, release carp to express gratitude to the God that granted you the wish.

Stroll down Oguni kotomachi Yokocho with its nostalgic and comfortable atmosphere.

After strolling in the ancient forest, visit Oguni kotomachi Alley, where you will find Japanese tea cafes, dumpling shops, rice cracker shops, soba noodle shops, and other small stores. On this day, we had pizza, spaghetti and warabi mochi from KOTOMACHI Cafeteria. Warabi-mochi is a specialty of this place. The handmade, freshly made warabi-mochi are lavishly covered with Shizuoka matcha green tea or with the finest kinako (soybean flour). There are many other lovely sweets for sale, so please stop by Oguni kotomachi Alley for a break after your visit to the shrine, or to purchase souvenirs.