Overview of today:
After a fine breakfast at Hotel Associa Shizuoka, I meet my Volunteer guide for the morning. We take a bus into the hills to Nihondaira with views over the Suruga Bay. Mt. Fuji dominates our attention. We walk around a bit, then go up the road to the Nihondaira Ropeway, a tram with a Shinto shrine tucked in the corner launches us out over a steep valley to the bamboo forests surrounding yet another resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the Kunozan Toshogu Shrine, another Nikko Toshogu Shrine I would say. The chill winter sun brings out the astonishing color and detailed wall carvings. The Kunozan Toshogu Museum next to it is a real surprise. We hitch a ride back into town and my volunteer guide departs. I take a short train and bus ride to the “S-PULSE DREAM PLAZA (where do they get these names?) and enjoy the Shimizu Sushi Museum and finally a late lunch of…sushi of locally caught fresh fishes. Before returning to Tokyo I finish off with a little JR Shizuoka shopping at the Sumpu Rakuichi for traditional crafts and Issa for green tea. ♨

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