Today, I’ll show you one of my favorite places in Shizuoka.
Changing trains at JR Mishima Station to Izu-Hakone Railway, as far as the last station, for about 30 minute boarding, and you will be there in “Shuzenji” !! Now guess where I am going ? UK and Canada ! I’m not lying.＞＜
From Shuzenji Station, I took a bus from #6, not an airplane.＾＾； Surprisingly Mt. Fuji welcomed me after 20 minute boarding. In the fresh air it is standing surrounded by mountains. You can at least feel the air of UK or Canada in this park “Niji no Sato”, literally means “Home of Rainbow”. So rainbow of what ? Flowers of various colors, I felt intuitively at first and finally found it may include cultures and peoples as well.

After the short interview with a staff there, I stepped in Niji-no-Sato to take pictures. Oh, I’ve got to inform you of the brochures. He offered me guidebooks with an easy-to-read map perfectly written in English, with the supplemental remarks that they had also guidebooks in Chinese and Korean. Though some staff members seem to speak English, I’m sure you won’t get lost with these guidebooks.

Anyway, I went through the main gate of “Niji no Sato” to take a look around. First thing I saw was a picturesque British mansion, that is one of the very images of Rainbow. Though I wanted to stroll around the British Village, I took the locomotive “Romney Railway” that had just arrived at the station not to waste another extra minutes. This locomotive is the real model that runs in GB. It goes back and forth between British Village and Canadian Village.

I got it off at Canadian Village and was very impressed to see the Totem Pole. I studied English mostly in Vancouver. Happy days with dreams and hopes, very lucky now to have been able to make the best of it.＾＾ In Canadian Village, you can find a food stand, a restaurant, souvenir shops and the Kaleidoscope Museum by the lake, where you can try and enjoy various kinds of kaleidoscopes in hand. If you are with kids, please don’t miss the occasion to try Indian Fort in the woods. This is an athletic field with a slide of 150m long !

Walking through the village, I got to “Fairy Garden”. The roses in “Royal Rose Garden” which includes about 100 kinds of roses were almost in full bloom and I got captivated by the sign board in front of the Café saying “Rose Ice-cream”. How could I pass it up ? Faint pink-colored ice-cream with the scent of roses. One bite made me feel as if I had been in a Rose Garden……Oh, yeah, actually I was……＾＾；

After the lovely ice-cream fell into a deep sleep in my stomach, I walked down “The alley of a fairy” to Iris Garden in “Japanese Garden”. Best season for irises now. The Hydrangea was also supposed to be with many flowers, but it seemed to have been late this year.
Dog-tired I had been by the time I got into the Japanese Garden, I looked for the place to take a rest. No wonder, regarding the fact that Niji-no-Sato is ten times as large as Tokyo Dome. There are still many spots to see left here.
I sat on a bench, and maybe good time to have coffee now.

Next time, I’ll start from “Japanese Garden”.

Have a good day !＾＾

Niji no Sato

Access From JR Mishima Station ⇒ By Izu-Hakone Railway to “Shuzenji”
⇒ From Bus Terminal #6 bound for “Niji no Sato”
Admission ： ¥1000 for adults／¥500 for children under 12
Closed ： On Tuesdays, mid-Dec, Late Jan
Opening hours ：
April – September 9:00-17:00
October – March 9:00-16:00

“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English website for sightseeing, always with you ! ^^

On July 7th, once a year, a pair of lover is allowed to meet each other by the bridge of the Milky Way. His name is “Hiko-boshi”, one of the stars in the sky, and hers “Ori-hime”, also a star, separated by the Milky Way by her father “the God” for the laziness after they got married. We celebrate this day every year as Tanabata Festival, or Star Festival with wishes on strips of colored paper on the branches of leafy bamboo hoping it won’t be rain.
People walk on the street with Japanese cotton Kimono “Yukata” on during the festival. That’s our traditional style, or a fashion of summer festival !
Now, let’s see how many festivals we have in Shizuoka !＾＾

We’ll have many fireworks in July and August. I’ve just tried to a list of Fireworks Festivals by area so that you can make a better plan.

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I feel so sorry because most of these websites are for Japanese. If you have some event in mind to take part in, please feel free to ask us through this blog for further details.

Enjoy your stay in Shizuoka !

“Shizuoka Guide”　is our official English website for sightseeing, always with you ! ^^

Mt.Fuji Shizuoka Airport

On June 4-6th, we made a great event for the 1st anniversary of Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport. Anyone who has ever come to Shizuoka using this Airport? Though it is not so big as NRT or KIX, actually merely a local airport, it has international flights to Seoul and Shanghai.

As you know, hundreds of problems and troubles follow against the construction of airport and we were no exception. But what with one thing and another, we finally accomplished to open the airport on June 4th, 2009.

Information Center

The fact is that we’ve been, or are being so desperate for customers to come in or go out through this airport with a big smile. Far from “stable” yet but it will be someday, and it must be!!

If you have any opportunity to come in this airport, please be sure to drop by the Information Center on the ground floor. You can find it very easily after seeing this picture, right? Just in front of the arrival lobby, the first thing you see when you get out of the gate, maybe＾＾； They have many guidebooks for visitors from abroad especially in English, Chinese or Korean. Get them as many as you can to save time and money!

All for English !

In the weekend, the airport gets flooded with people. Some are to get on the flight and others are with their friends or families to see the airplanes taking off or landing. The brief description in the building is that the check-in counter, the arrival lobby for domestic and international, the international departure lobby and the information center are on the ground floor, the domestic departure lobby, a large giftshop, the exhibition room of local information around the airport and “Omotenashi Corner” on the second, and an eating place and observation deck on the third.

Omotenashi Corner

You’ve got to visit Omotenashi Corner to taste the real green tea of Shizuoka!! Free of charge, of course. They serve local green tea and kindly explain the distinction of Shizuoka green tea and its histories. For those who don’t understand Japanese, they have good brochures written in English, Chinese and Korean.

So what about my guide of Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport? Please check the flight information from the official website below.

Oh, and one more thing !
We are just ready for your message or questions through this blog. Click “comments” to post them.

Have a good trip !＾＾

Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport
Access ： Direct buses are available as below. ※as of June, 2010
Airport 　⇔　JR Shizuoka Station　　50 minutes／¥1,000
Airport 　⇔　JR Shimada Station　　25 minutes／¥ 500
Airport 　⇔　JR Kakegawa Station　 30-40 minutes／¥700

“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English website for sightseeing, always with you ! ＾＾

Now, I’ve just arrived at the final destination, “S-Pulse Dream Plaza”!
This is not only a sightseeing point, but our requisite of life. In this shopping mall, you can see a large supermarket and a drug-store on the ground floor, about 20 shops and food-stands on the 2nd floor and a large amusement rooms on the 3rd floor. I often come here for shopping in the supermarket, import shops and stores of daily necessities and miscellaneous goods. Even a movie theater is on the 4th floor.
Then what is for visitors? As I mentioned before, Shimizu is very famous for its fish landing. So what is associated with fresh fish? Yes, Sushi!! As we have histories, Sushi has its history. If you have interests in it, go on to “Shimizu Sushi Museum” that tells you anything about sushi. Or if you get hungry, walk around in “Shimizu Sushi Court” that includes about 10 sushi restaurants individually distinctive and distinguished to welcome customers. Some sushi restaurants prepare takeout sushi so that you can have lunch by the sea.
If you want some specialties for your family or friends, step into “Suruga Souvenir Court” on the ground floor. The Ferris wheel “Dream Sky” ride is for spectacular scenery of Shimizu Port! If you are with your girlfriend, go ahead on it to dream in the sky! Mt, Fuji can be seen from everywhere around on a fine day.
Please refer to this English official website for more details.

Now, let’s walk around. Along the deck by the sea shore, people stage events with food stands around. Music and street performances attract not only visitors but also us, local people. Over the deck is a small private-yacht harbor. Walking or just sitting on the lawn looking over the sea or having lunch or coffee, chatting with friends, is fun!! Time passes too fast here.

Deeply inhaling the sea breeze, you may feel like stepping out to the sea. You can’t blame yourself for it. This is what we are. But it is also true that nobody can seduce you into the sea. Now, here is a good idea. Take tour boat “Bay-Cruise”. The cruising fare is quite reasonable and you can choose the tour plan depending on your time and cost allowed for it. I show it below just for your information as of June, 2010.

15 minute cruise
¥450 for adults ／¥230 for children under 12
20 minute cruise
¥500 for adults ／¥250 for children under 12
35 minute cruise
¥900 for adults ／¥450 for children under 12
45 minute cruise
¥1000 for adults／¥500 for children under 12

This tour boat station is for Bay Cruise and Sea bus. If you’re taking Ferry to Izu, you have to walk about 3 minutes to ferry station “Marine Terminal” for boarding. Please refer to this official website of S-Pulse Dream Ferry though written all in Japanese.
Beside the tour boat station is a bricked square with observation corridors. In the weekend, various events are held here and I sometimes participate in flea-markets with friends to introduce my stories. Stories of what? Tell you someday.＾＾

Now, how was my guide of Shimizu Port? Too obscure yet? Nothing explains better than your eyes. Don’t miss the opportunity to come to Shimizu in Shizuoka Prefecture and feel the fascination of facilities in the nature.

Have a good day!＾＾

Free Shuttle Bus

S-Pulse Dream Plaza

Access ： From JR Shimizu Station
○Free Shuttle Bus : JR Shimizu Station East Exit (10 minutes)
○Shizutetsu Bus : Bus Stop #3 as far as “Hatoba Verkehr Hakubutsu-kan”
○Sea Bus : From Ejiri (15 minutes) ¥200 ※See previous article for more details

Opened ： Basically opened 7 days a week
※Opening hour differs depending on shops and restaurants
10:00 – 20:00(Shops)／22:00(Sushi Court)／18:00(Sushi Museum)／24:00(Cinema)

“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English website for sightseeing, always with you! ＾＾

Five minute boarding from Ejiri or Kashi-no-Ichi took me to the Fishing Park on the sea. You can land on it free of charge.
Now, what’s on it? A reception booth for those who fish is seen first. The outer space is the fishing area and you need to pay ¥500 to enter there. In the shop is sold things such as fishing tackles, baits, rental rods and snacks. Beside it, there is a vending machine of cup-noodle. It would be better for you to bring your lunch if you’re gonna stay long here. Rest spaces are prepared for those who wanna have tea or lunch. A part of the land is covered with artificial lawn so that kids can play safely while adults get crazy for fishing.
Now, you can imagine how it is? See this page for more pictures.＾＾

From this Fishing Park, you can look over the Shimizu Port. Fortunately, I could see the Suruga Bay Ferry. This Ferry connects between Shimizu Port and Toi Port, located in the middle of Izu Peninsula, for 65 minutes. If you wanna go to Izu for fresh sashimi or exclusive hot springs from Shimizu without car, I strongly recommend you to make the most of “Izu Dream Pass”. This is the suggested plan, with one way ferry boarding and unlimited ride of trains and buses for 3 days, or 2 days. Please see this this Englich brochure with illustrated map
just for your image.

Now, can you see a large ship and white giraffe-like cranes over there? That is also a part of Shimizu Port, operated as an international trading port. Actually, Shimizu Port is known as one of the largest trading port in Japan. After the terrorist incident of 9.11, 2001, they fenced almost all wharves in Shimizu to take measures for terrorists. I am personally against it because we have only little space for fishing……
On a lovely day, we can see Mt. Fuji in this direction.＾＾

Anyway, enjoy the panorama view from the megafloat deck. I’ve gotta go! So what is the next destination? I told you. S-Pulse Dream Plaza!! Maybe someday I’ve got to show you “Shimizu S-Pulse”, the professional soccer team, ready to win victory this year! Ten minute boarding on the sea bus from the Fishing Park and you will see the large facilities with a Ferris wheel.

Next, I’ll show you S-Pulse Dream Plaza.

Bye for now!＾＾ｖ

Fishing Park From Ejiri or Hinode by sea bus
Time table as attached ※ as of June, 2010

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“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English website for sightseeing, always with you! ＾＾