So, how was “Fuji Matsuri” the wisteria festival in Fujieda ? I enjoyed it very much and because I had been still vigorous enough, I tried to hike up a hill behind the pond. I was not so sure of my stamina, though, it’s not Mt. Fuji, right ? With pet-bottled tea, here we go !
In ten minutes, I was gasping after all. ＾＾； Good sloping trail. But there, I found something. Fuji-no Sato Wisteria Garden ! Fabulous scent came on the wind. It would be in full bloom by now.
Along the pathway, I saw various flowers to let my brain refresh through eyes. Especially, colorful flowers in the picture fascinated me so much. Recognize that ? It's called Shakunage-no Michi, the rhododendron walkway.＾＾

Now, it took me about 30 minutes to walk up to the top. Magnificent view ! Refreshing air. What else do you expect ? Not to mention Fujieda City, I could see the further city, Yaizu, Suruga Bay over it, and even Izu Peninsula beyond the sea ! Peace and quiet. That made me feel as if we had had the devastating earthquake long long time ago.
By the way, this is not merely a hill. This is well known as clustered ancient tombs in the shape of mounds. Actually, you can find 28 tomb mounds of 500s – 600s ! I walked though the mounds and found lots of azaleas. Honeybees were jubilantly sucking nectar in the flower. I sat on a bench in the Fujimi-daira observation deck. Sound of wind, scent of flowers, and this magnificent view. I wish I could have stopped the time.

Now, it was time for me to go to Fujieda City History Museum. There, you can see unearthed articles researched and found from these tombs. Sounds fun ? ＾＾ Though Fuji Matsuri has already finished, I here attach a guide-map so that you can walk around Rengeji-ike Park with it. Wisteria is still good for now. Talking about white wisteria, "Shirafuji-no Sato", located in the north from Rengeji-ike Park, is having its best season for now. You can also hike up to Shirafuji-no Taki falls that looks like white wisterias. Enjoy yourself !

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So, I’m on my way to �A from �@ in the map. Next time, I’ll report the History Museum.

Have a good day !

“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English blog website for events & sightseeing. Always with you ! ＾＾

In Shizuoka Prefecture, this season, as well as varieties of flowers, green tea is becoming one of the colors of spring. Green field, I would say because it sometimes, somehow, reminds me of a soccer field ! Yes, we have such vast green tea fields in Shizuoka that we can boast No1 tea production in Japan every year. Green tea is not a single tea. Just like English tea differs by the production area as Ceylon, Darjeeling and Assam or the production process like Earl Grey, green-tea also has various flavors by the regions and making processes. Actually, we have 8 green tea plantation regions in Shizuoka, all of which have a distinctive flavor and definitely deserve No1 in Shizuoka and in Japan !

Now, we’ve just had “the 88th day” of spring today on May 2nd, which is often considered as the best season for green-tea leaf picking regarding flavor and nutrition value. And lots of tea store sells “Shin-cha” in the front. Though a bit expensive you may think, once you taste it, you will be obsessed by its sweetness and deepness of the flavor. Try to find the best one for you among varieties of shin-cha green tea !
Anyway, you come to Shizuoka, you try our green tea. You leave Shizuoka, you buy our green tea for your family.
Copy that ?＾＾

Enjoy our Shin-cha ! Have a good day !

“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English blog website for events & sightseeing. Always with you ! ＾＾

Currently, under the name of reconstruction assistance for the Japan Earthquake 2011, “Fuji Matsuri”, the Wisteria Festival has been held around Rengeji-ike pond in Fujieda. As I love wisterias very much, I visited Rengeji-ike Park a few days ago to see how lovely they were blooming this year.
It was a beautiful day. On standing by the pond, I could catch the scent of some flowers. Expectation made me hurry to walk around. First came azaleas into sight. Yae-zakura cherry blossoms were showing their best and the pathway was dressed with various kind of flowers ( actually I’m not familiar with flowers ＾＾；). Flying carps above the pond were swimming pleasantly in the air. The wind was still rather cold but all colors of spring made me feel warm in my heart.

In 10 minutes or so, I found a lodge that sells some chips and drinks, or where you can eat soba or udon noodle. I stepped in it to have a bit early lunch. Lots of visitors were already there having their lunch, chatting with friends. I took Tempura Soba noodle which cost only ￥480. Good lunch for me in taste and cost.＾＾

After lunch, I started walking again along the pond. Soon, the hero of the day appeared. Yes, Japanese wisteria ! As you can find the word “Fuji” ( Japanese word for wisteria ) in the name of the city “Fujieda”, wisteria is the symbol of Fujieda City. Most of the people in Shizuoka would imagine Fuji color from Fujieda City, or Fujieda City from Fuji color.
The general blossoming condition on that day was about 40%, I would say. Still, in the sunlit part, they seemed to have fully bloomed and I could take good pictures this year, too ! According to Fujieda City Tourist Association, wisterias around Rengeji-Ike Park would become its best around this weekend. That is, it’s best during Golden Week ( Japanese long holiday ) ! I love wisterias. I like the purple color. Deep and soft, something beyond expression. The sweet scent is really something ! I felt as if I had embraced by a fragrant angel in a cozy air. I sat on a bench, having a quiet time. Soft breeze passed through me as if to wash every bad thing away from me.

By the way, during the festival, until May 5, you can buy wisteria ice-creams at the hdqrs booth by the pond. I bought one. Lovely purple and slight wisteria flavor. I don’t think I need to tell you how it tasted, right ?＾＾ ￥150 each. They told me that all ice-cream had been sold out last weekend. Go for it to taste the-only-one !

Rengeji-ike pond is 1.5km around. Maybe you can tour around it in 30 minutes at most. You can enjoy flowers through the year, like, in spring, it begins with Sakura cherry blossoms, Wisterias, Azaleas, Irises, and Hydrangeas, fascinating us all the time with various faces.
If this trip is not enough for you, just as I did, why don’t you hike the hill behind the pond ? I’ll introduce the hiking trail in the next report.

Have a good day !

Rengeji-ike Park
Access from Fujieda Sta ： 20 minutes by #2 bus to “Rengeji-ike Koen Iriguchi” and 5 minutes walk.
Admission ： Free
※ Fuji Matsuri ( Wisteria Festival ), held until May 5

“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English blog website for events & sightseeing. Always with you ! ＾＾

Days pass as if nothing happened. Facing all matters and vestiges about the earthquake and tsunami, we are walking in Japan again to make a new life. Time to weep for old days has finished. Something new is what is longed for these days.
So, today, I introduce a new recreation facility opening today ! It’s called “Juku no Mori” ( literally means “A forest with the trees and the sky” ) and we were invited the private preview the other day. I tell you about it.

Juku-no Mori is located at the foot of Mt. Fuji, in Gotemba. Though we were supposed to be astonished by the overwhelming sight of Mt. Fuji behind the main building “Visitor Center”, unfortunately, due to the hazy weather, it was hiding in the clouds.

Screen Image from the top of Mt.Fuji ＾＾；

We stepped in it after a few moments. Spacious room. Souvenir shopping area including local vegetables and self-defense military goods came first on the ground floor. Stairs to the second floor. We went up. There was a café on the left and internet booths on the left. The front was covered with glass and a large garden was seen behind it. We were led to the “Tenku Theatre” where we could study the history of Mt. Fuji. We saw lots of panels and materials explaining it with the help of monitors or voice announcements. A large diorama explains how Mt. Fuji changes by the season with projected colors and the huge screen shows various faces of Mt. Fuji. You can listen to it in English, Chinese or Korean if you ask for it.

The winter landscape around Mt.Fuji

The summer landscape around Mt.Fuji

After we looked around the visitor center, we walked in the garden. It was very refreshing for us to stroll around in the air of Mt. Fuji. A chopper appeared in our sight. Because this facility is mostly administered by Gotemba City and partly the self-defense force ? Lava holes were definitely something to see. The spacious lawn square and the broad dome are where you can sit and have lunch, they said. Events are also to be scheduled there. We walked through the Sakura promenade with lots of cherry blossom trees along it. “Park Golf” is not ready yet. It’s going to be opened in autumn, 2012.

Otainai-onsen Health Center

After you enjoy all of them, refresh yourself in onsen hot-spring. Otainai-onsen Health Center is on your way back to the visitor center !

TV coverage recently often says, “reboot Japan through tourism industries”. I really think so. I hope hundreds of thousands of people enjoy at Juku-no Mori.

Have a good day !

Juku-no Mori
Access from Gotemba Station ：20 minutes to the bus stop “Otainai-onsen”
Admission ： Free
Tenku Theatre Museum ： ￥300 for adults
Open Hours ： 9:00 – 17:00 ※ Closed every Tuesday

Otainai-onsen Health Center
Admission ： ￥500 for adults／￥300 for children ( 3 hours, weekday )
￥700 for adults／￥400 for children ( 3 hours, weekend )
Open Hours ： 10:00 – 21:00 ※ Closed every Tuesday

“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English blog website for events & sightseeing. Always with you ! ＾＾

Green Tea season has begun. I guess everyone in Japan already knows AKB48, a group of Moe girl singers, but also here in Shizuoka, a new group was just newly formed the other day. That is “CHA88”. As AKB stands for Akiba or Akihabara, CHA also has profound meanings ! Cha literally means “Tea” in Japanese but this is not only that ! “C” is the initial letter of “Communication”, ”H” of “Hospitality”, and ”A” of Association”. And as 48 says the number of the member, 88 means something. Have you ever heard of “Hachiju-hachi-ya”, 88 nights for green tea plantation ? I ever talked about “Risshun”, the beginning day of spring, remember ? They pick up green tea leaves on and around the 88th day counting from Risshun, which is considered as the best season for green tea in flavor and nutritional value. New tea leaves are picked, in warmer climate, from around mid-April or late April but I’ll bet you like “Hachiju-hachi-ya” better than that. It’s totally different !
Of course, CHA88 consists of 88 members, from late 10s to 70s. They wear aprons and Maid costumes. Slightly Moe, aren’t they ?＾＾；

Now, as for CHA88 activities, they are going to various spots in and outside Shizuoka for PR of Shizuoka green tea. You can find them in such places as roadside stations in Shizuoka, Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport, Ocha-no Sato, and Hamanako Garden Park almost every day. Or on weekends and holidays, you can see them at Hamamatsu Sta., Kakegawa Sta., Shizuoka Sta., Shin-Fuji Sta., and Mishima Sta. They are also meant to appear at various event spots to serve visitors nice and good Shizuoka green tea ! You may see them even in Tokyo or Nagoya. If you’ve got any chance to find them, please feel free to say “Hi” kindly to them. They may not understand English, I’m sure they will smile you back !

By the way, the 88th day from Risshun this year falls on May 2 this year. According to that, a small event is to be held called “Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport “Wind Road” Walking”. It is to take a refreshing walk from JR Kanaya to the airport, 8.8km set up for 88th day. On your way along the course, there are 8 tea spots prepared where you can enjoy various new green tea of Shizuoka. You can also have a small gift after walking. No competition. Keep walking at your own pace. Participation fee is ￥500. Any inquiries, please contact us from here.

Have a good day !

“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English blog website for events & sightseeing. Always with you ! ＾＾