Shimizu, Japan

VOLCANIC BEAUTY

Mount Fuji, Japan’s tallest peak, overlooks this beautiful port town at the Northern end of the Izu Peninsula. One of Japan’s “Three Holy Mountains,” Mount Fuji is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, and is one of Japan’s official Historic Sites. Shimizu’s mild climate makes it perfect for exploring nature, like Miho-no-Matsubara, four miles of pine grove on the town’s seashore.

Bustling with activity from the region’s busy fisheries, the Port of Shimizu is a vibrant area full of commercial highlights you’ll want to experience before diving into the natural beauty at the town’s edges. Once you’ve ventured away from the town’s lively port, you’ll quickly understand why Shimizu, one of three wards in the city of Shizuoka, translates to Calm Hills.

A stroll through Miho-no-Matsubara will leave you not only refreshed and energized, but inspired. Home to more than 30,000 pine trees lining the seashore and a jaw-dropping view of Mount Fuji, it’s no surprise this scenic area has been the subject of many paintings, poems, and legends throughout Japanese history.