After arriving the night before, I was surprised when I opened the curtains to see an unobstructed view of the city
Mount Fuji looms in the distance. Despite blue skies around me, clouds do shroud the mountaintop every now and then.
There are good reasons to base yourself either around Shimizu or Shizuoka centre. It really depends on your circumstances and how your itinerary is structured. I had to return to Tokyo after my 1 full day of sightseeing so wanted to shorten the train ride slightly by staying here.
However, Shimizu is far more quiet than around Shizuoka station, so restaurant options are more limited and the neighbouring streets are quiet after dark.
This part of town's key feature is the port and the fish market. A long pedestrian bridge links the train station's east exit most of the way. Do stop and see if you can spot Mount Fuji from the bridge as well.
I arrived a bit late to see the actual Kashi-no-Ichi Market in action, although restaurants in the adjacent building were still open. Tuna is the specialty here. With the bay right next to you and your table looking at it, expect very reasonable prices for fresh fare.
The language barrier can easily be overcome by examining the plastic menu outside the restaurant. Take a picture of what you like and show the server inside.
Although it was only just past 6pm, the restaurants were quite empty and it seemed the city had already gone to bed.
Shizuoka Gallery Main Page
