ABOUT YAIZU CITY
Welcome to YAIZU CITY
Yaizu City, located in central Shizuoka Prefecture, is a town of fisheries thriving with deep-sea fishing and marine products processing. The weather is mild with an average annual temperature of 16.5℃, and snowfall is rare. The name Yaizu appears in the Kojiki and Nihonshoki, oldest writings in Japan. Legend says that Prince Yamato Takeru, on his way to conquer the East, used the divine sword to cut through the bushes and set fire to the enemy, which is thought to be the origin of the name Yaizu (meaning Burn and Harbor).
See & Do.
Discover your own beautiful views like the richness of Japanese cuisine and the marvels of Mt. Fuji in Yaizu City.
RECOMMENDED
PERFECT VIEWS
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Ports of Yaizu (Yaizu Port, Kogawa Port, Oigawa Port)
Yaizu City has three ports, Yaizu, Kogawa, and Oigawa, each having its own characteristics. Yaizu Port, which mainly lands bonito and tuna, boasts the largest catch turnover in Japan for five years running. Kogawa Port handles horse and other mackerels, while whitebait as well as sakura shrimp which can be caught only in Suruga Bay are landed at Oigawa Port.
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Yaizu Sakana (fish) Center
"Yaizu Sakana (fish) Center" is visited by about 1.7 million people annually. In this shopping center, you can enjoy the atmosphere of fish market while shopping and visiting eateries at about 60 stores which mainly offer fresh fish and processed marine food items from Yaizu.
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Yaizu Onsen (spa)
Mineral-rich, natural spring water wells up from a stratum about 1,500 m under the ground that formed some 19 million years ago, and is called "the goddess stratum." This slightly alkaline chloride spring, with salt content about half that of seawater, is gentle to the skin, highly moisturizing, and the heat is retained after bathing. The spa can be enjoyed at 9 locations in the city in a variety of styles such as a casual footbath, an open-air bath with great views of Mt. Fuji, and a private outdoor bath in the atmosphere of a fishing port town. The spa was ranked Number 1 in the "Refresh" category of "2019 Spa General Election."
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Fish Dishes
You can enjoy widely perse fish dishes other than sushi in Yaizu City all year. In addition to traditional Japanese fish cooking, there are some gourmet events featuring fish ingredients. Find delight in elaborately prepared original dishes and delicacies that are the pride of the city.
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Sushi
As expected from its thriving fishing ports, Yaizu City takes pride in its sushi cuisine featuring fresh fish. The super fresh tuna, mackerel, and other fruit of the sea delivered straight from the catch are unparalleled. Rare ingredients such as whitebait and sakura shrimp, a local specialty caught only in Suruga Bay, are also attractive.
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Isojiman (sake brewery)
Isojiman is the sake brand of a local brewery established in 1830. Uncompromisingly devoted to hand-making the highest-quality sake through the integration of tradition and innovation, it is made using top-notch Yamada Nishiki rice from Tojo area of Hyogo and infiltration water from Oigawa River, springing from the South Alps of Japan. Highly acclaimed abroad and at home, the sake has been served for the toasts at top international conferences such as the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit and the G7 Ise-Shima Summit. This long-established sake brewery continues its efforts to create real sake fitting to the times.
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Yaizu Fishery Products
Fishery products such as dried bonito flakes, namari-bushi (boiled and half-dried bonito), bonito tataki (seared bonito slices), tsukudani (fish boiled in soy sauce and sugar), and shiokara (salted fish paste) made from fresh bonito and tuna landed in Yaizu are delicious specialties of Yaizu. The production of fish pastes, such as kuro hanpen (minced and sliced mackerel and sardines), kamaboko, and narutomaki (cured fish meat pastes), also thrives in Yaizu.
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Yaizu Fishery Museum
This museum introduces the history of fishing in Yaizu, which has thrived since Japan’s Tokugawa period. In the museum you can find artifacts that show how the ancestors of Yaizu went about their lives and the process by which Yaizu grew from being a desolate beach with no port to one of the leading fishing ports in Japan, such as the bridge of a wooden bonito boat, a small coastal fishing boat, replicas of fishermen’s houses from the late Meiji period, fishing tools, and ancient documents.
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Hanazawa no Sato (Hanazawa historical village)
This tiny, rural community consists of about 30 houses along the "Yakitsube no Komichi" street, which regarded similarly as Tokaido route during the Nara period in the 8th century. You can enjoy a historic landscape where stone walls and wooden houses are integrated with the natural environment of rivers and mountain forests. The area was designated as the first National Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in Shizuoka Prefecture in 2014. There are many attractions such as Hokkeji Temple built around the 8th century, a water mill, and a traditional house converted to a cafe.
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Fishuna Park
Fishuna Park is a place where you can enjoy the sea of Yaizu. Using the tides of Suruga Bay, it creates a natural aquarium in the form of rock pools where children can come into contact with fascinating sea creatures. The fishing zone is safe for both adults and children, with fences and benches available. Depending on the season, the fish that can be caught by sabiki fishing or lure fishing include black sea bream, sea bass, and bigfin reef squid.
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Tea Ice
This shaved tea ice is made from Shizuoka tea, one of the three most famous teas in Japan. Tea from Shizuoka Prefecture, which boasts approximately 40% of Japan’s tea production, is made into this unique and original shaved ice by tea wholesalers and cafes. Shaved tea ice of different shapes, flavors, and arrangements, including dark matcha, black tea, hojicha green tea, and sencha green tea is available in a range of locations around Yaizu for you to try.
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Yaizu Uogashi Shirts
Yaizu uogashi shirts are local shirts made of tenugui (hand towel) and yukata (summer kimono) fabric that dries quickly and is highly breathable. They are thought to have originated when fishermen made tenugui they had received into shirts for work, and are also known as “tenuguijuban.” With their colorful design and patterns, nowadays they are loved by all generations and are popular as souvenirs. The shirts are worn at work by staff at city hall and local financial institutions and companies as part of the “Cool Biz” campaign to dress casually during the summer months, and Uogashi Cool Biz is a hallmark of summer in Yaizu.
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Yaizu Shrine
Yaizu Shrine dates back over 1,600 years and is mentioned in the Engishiki, an old document written around Year 900. It enshrines legendary prince Yamato Takeru as its primary deity and is also referred to as "Irie Daimyojin. " The Aramatsuri (the most important Shinto ritual of the Yaizu Shrine) is held annually on August 12th and 13th. Especially on the 13th, two mikoshis (portable shrines) are vigorously carried all over the city. During the Aramatsuri, a shishikiyari leads the procession to purify the roads, while young girls sing in clear, resounding voices.
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Rinsoin
Rinsoin Temple is said to have been built in 1471 in Egenoshima in the Kogawa area of Yaizu City, and moved to its present location based on the prophecy of a shugenja ascetic. The solemn zazen hall is said to have been rebuilt in 1728, and it hosts zazen seated meditation sessions. The temple is also known as a hydrangea temple, and every year in June around 300 hydrangea plants decorate the approach to the temple and its precincts.
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Fujimori/Oi Hachimangu Shrine Rice Planting Ritual Performance
Oi Hachimangu Shrine is thought to have been built in the Heian era (980s) to express gratitude for the water from the Oi River and to enshrine the spirit of water. The Fujimori rice planting ritual performed each year on March 17 is a traditional Japanese art that expresses the process from the cultivation of rice fields to the harvesting of the rice in the form of dance, and is performed to pray for a rich harvest and prevent flooding from the Oi River. This dance was designated as a national Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1977.
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Sakura (Cherry Trees) in Yaizu
Sakura, or the blossoming of cherry trees, is a hallmark of spring in Japan, and the beautiful color of cherry blossom can be seen around Yaizu City. Early-blooming Yamanote Sakura cherry trees that reach their peak after mid-February line a 2 km stretch of the left bank of the Asahina River, and stunning cherry blossom views are also provided by the cherry blossom petals floating on the Kiya River in Sumiredai, the cherry trees on the banks of the Tochiyama River from where Mt. Fuji can be seen, and cherry trees in many other locations.
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Fisherman’s Flags
Fisherman’s flags were used to inform those waiting for fishermen to return to port that they had a bountiful catch. These days, they are used as decorations for boats, launching ceremonies, port arrivals and departures, and as New Year’s decorations. The brightly colored patterns are visible from far out at sea, and use motifs that are considered auspicious, including treasure ships, cranes, turtles, and sunrises, to pray for a good catch and for safety. Each item is carefully hand-dyed at a dyehouse, and this connects the vitality of this fishing town from the past to the present.
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Landscapes with Mt. Fuji
There are many spots in Yaizu City from which you can enjoy superb views of Mt. Fuji. Out on the shore of Hamatoume Beach, you can see a harmonious panorama of great Suruga Bay and Mt. Fuji, or a local landscape of fishing boats and Mt. Fuji from Kogawa Port. Even in the city, you can see Mt. Fuji towering behind Mt. Takakusa, the mountain of Yaizu City.