A Shizuoka, Japan Roadtrip – Incredible Fuji views and so much more!
We spent 4 days 3 nights on the road driving and exploring various places around Shizuoka which included incredible Mt. Fuji views, waterfalls, great food, beautiful shrines. ocean side campsites and so much more. Please find below a detailed itinerary that you can use for your own holiday or roadtrip planning.
DAY 1
Kyukamura Fuji
Our first stop of our road trip was lunch at Kyukamura Fuji a hotspring resort that boasts an awesome view of Mt. Fuji. For lunch we ate a river salmon lunch bowl set meal and enjoyed a pretty spectacular view.
Our Lunch Price: ¥1320
Lunch price range: ¥1000~¥1700
Lunch Hours: 11:30am-1:30pm (Last Order)
Google map pin: https://g.page/kyukamura-fuji?share
Website: https://www.qkamura.or.jp/fuji/free1/?p=21
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Tanuki Lake
After lunch we drove a few minutes down the and parked next to Tanuki Lake which has an incredible view of Fuji. The surrounding area around the lake has easy nature hikes and trails and plenty of nature to explore.
Google map pin:
https://goo.gl/maps/BZqF8L6nrCFFrzMV8
Website: https://tanukiko.com/en/
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Tanuki Lake South Side Camp Ground
Across the lake from where we parked up is the Tanuki Lake South Side Camp Ground. We didn’t stay at the this campsite as it’s for tent camping only and we had a campervan but they take reservations in English via their website.
Google map pin:
https://goo.gl/maps/qj4FK1xWvbsJLaxLA
Website: https://tanukiko.com/en/south/
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Shiraito Falls
Just 10 minutes down the road from Tanuki Lake is Shiraito Falls. These beautiful waterfalls are 150 meters wide and fed by volcano spring water. We parked in a parking lot just across the road from the falls entrance and then walked just a few minutes down a cement stair trail into the falls area.
Shiraito Falls: Free
Parking: ¥200~¥500 (depending on the lot)
Lunch Hours: 11:30am-1:30pm (Last Order)
Google map pin: https://goo.gl/maps/zRTKcMaGBFo1w38KA
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Ofuji Local Farmers Market
Before heading to our camping spot for the night we went to a local farmers market to buy some vegetables for a BBQ dinner. If you’re looking for other groceries there are also supermarkets within 10-20 minutes.
Hours: 8:30am-4:30pm
Closed: Wednesdays
Lunch Hours: 11:30am-1:30pm (Last Order)
Google map pin: https://goo.gl/maps/dZSy2vqM26ZYpPL18
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Website:http://www.ohfuji.net/
Asagiri Jamboree Auto Camping Ground
Our camping spot for the first night is the Asagiri Jamboree Auto Camping ground. This campsite does have views of Mt. Fuji but during our stay here we were greeted with low cloud and fog.
Shower: 15 minutes – ¥300
Google map pin: https://goo.gl/maps/hNziTGBN3v4nBANUA
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Website: https://www.asagiri-camp.net/
Hananoyu Day use onsen
After dinner, we drove 10-15minutes to an onsen. This onsen is open throughout the night.
Price: 60min – ¥740
Open Hours: Closed for cleaning from 2AM~6AM
Google map pin:
https://goo.gl/maps/Df5UWgQkZ6mMqqUBA
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Website: http://www.tokinosumika.com/hananoyu/hotspa/
DAY 2
Edoya Jyohokuten Bakery
We started the second day with a nice Bakery. The morning set, serves delicious sandwich, small side dish, with a nice cup of coffee and it’s only 480yen.
Price: Breakfast set – ¥480
Opened Hours: 9:30am ~ 6:00pm
Closed on Thursday
Google map pin: https://goo.gl/maps/tLVAvo95b26Zpku78
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Mt.Fuji Heritage Centre
The Mt.Fuji Heritage Centre is a museum dedicated to Mt.Fuji. There are interactive exhibits, observatory deck with a great view of Mt. Fuji, a virtual Fuji hike, movie theatre and more.
Price: Adults ¥300
Under 15yrs ~70+: Free
Currently enrolled junior high school, high school, and university students: Free
Open: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Google map pin: https://goo.gl/maps/ubHUuZsSZj7N1XvT7
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Website: https://exploreshizuoka.com/mtfujicentre/
Parking (3 hour 200yen): https://goo.gl/maps/2AfpA76vMs8AMjPa8
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Omiya Yokocho (Just a few minutes walk from the Mt. Fuji Heritage Centre)
For lunch we headed to a local outdoor food area which is few minutes walk away from the Mt.Fuji Heritage centre. We had the infamous Fujiomiya Yakisoba but there are other food options as well.
Yakisoba: Regular 450yen Large 600yen
Opened: 10:00am- 6:00pm
Google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/dxeHJrFmY8TP37FJ8
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Fujisan Hongū Sengen Taisha
After lunch we walked to the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha. This shrine and the grounds are very beautiful and a great place to wander through and explore.
Google map pin: https://goo.gl/maps/BUXZNf42VuG9PAKg7
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Gotemba( Nagao Pass)
After exploring the shrine, we headed to Gotemba. Gotemba is probably most famous for it’s outlet mall shopping but there are also numerous locations with incredible views of Mt. Fuji. Our first stop was Nagao Pass, an open on a mountain side that offers a great the view of Mt.Fuji. For us however, the clouds rolled in and blocked our view.
Google map pin: https://goo.gl/maps/zLKPpdLqM9f8WVxj8
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Toraya Kobo Café
Toraya Kobo café is a beautifully designed café located in a beautiful garden and sells traditional Japanese sweets and green tea. The green tea is refillable and it was so nice to relax in such a peaceful setting.
Price: Japanese sweets and Sencha (green tea) set is ¥660
Tea refills are free
Open Hours: 10:00am- 6:00pm
Closed: Tuesday
Seasonal Sweets (takeout) ¥300 ~ ¥330
Daifuku (only sells during weekdays • takeout) ¥300
Shaved Ice (only summer) ¥800
Google map pin: https://goo.gl/maps/A2TASRqZMeLqEJEK7
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Tokino Sumika (Illumination)
Tokino Sumika is a resort area with illumination display, several restaurants, a brewery, hotel, multiple onsen and more. The illumuniation tunnels and displays are free and open to the public to enjoy. After exploring the illuminations, we ate dinner at resort restaurant called Chame and then used onsen that’s that’s right next door.
Website: http://gotembakogenresort.com/
Google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/csJaaxDwZzoaFkay7
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Tokinosumika Chame
Price: ¥2000~ ¥2200
Opened: 11:00am- 9:30pm
Website: http://gotembakogenresort.com/restaurant-brewery/chame/#more-79
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Tokinosumika Chameyudono Onsen
Price: Adults ¥1500
Weekends/holidays ¥2000
Night (18:00 and later) adult ¥1200 Night – Weekends/holidays ¥1500
Open: 10:00am- 9:00pm
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Otome Parking
We stayed in a free parking stop for the night.
Google map pin: https://goo.gl/maps/5jo5KA9vNv7NFVhGA
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Fuji Hakkei no Yu
We didnt go to this onsen but Fuji Hakkei no Yu is an onsen right next to Otome parking (a short walk across the street).
Price: [Weekdays] 3 Hour Ticket: Adults ¥1,000, Children ¥500
[Weekends & Holidays] 3 Hour Ticket: Adults ¥1,300, Children ¥600
Opened: 10:00am- 20:00pm
Due to Covid: Second and fourth week of Thursday is closed
Google maps pin: https://goo.gl/maps/vuynUVbVYd2xu3sd7
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DAY 3
Kissa Fugetsu Café Breakfast
Just 10 minutes away from the Otome parking spot, Kissa Fugetsu Cafe where we got some breakfast. They offer a variety of thick toasts (bread from a local bakery) that come with a variety of topping options such as honey, egg, ham cheese, etc. One thing to note is that this cafe does allow smoking. During our time eating breakfast however, none of the other patrons were smoking and it was a very pleasant experience.
Price:
Coffee ¥400
Ham toast ¥440
Egg toast ¥440
Cheese toast ¥470
Opened: 8:00am- 8:00pm (Closes 7:00pm for Sunday)
Closed: Wednesdays
Google maps pin: https://goo.gl/maps/mME7uMLwtbxQN2b68
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Shuzenji
Shuzenji is one of the oldest hot spring resort towns in Izu peninsula and it’s named after the temple found near the center of the town. It’s perfect to explore on foot and it’s attractions include a small bamboo forest, several ryokan, a variety of cute shops and cafes, free foot onsen, and much much more.
Shuzenji Temple – Free
Wasabi Ice cream ¥350
Bamboo Forest Pass (Chikurin no Komichi) – Free
Shooting gallery – ¥350
Website: https://exploreshizuoka.com/shuzenji-a-walk-through-history/
Parking: ¥400
Google maps pin: https://goo.gl/maps/sfxJjtEfFeWsTv7YA
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Amago Chaya Shuzenji
After exploring Shuzenji, we had lunch at one of the local restaurants called Amago Chaya Shuzenji. This restaurant serves Amago, which means river trout in Japanese. These trout are found in the local crystal clean wasabi streams.
Price: ¥1540
Open: 11:00am– 3:00pm
Closed: Wednesdays
Google maps pins: https://goo.gl/maps/DejFAefKZkmgDbsh9
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Darumayama Kogen ResthouseFuji
Is a roadside rest spot with a cafe, toilets, and impressive mountain views. On our trip we passed by as the cafe was closed.
Google map pin: https://goo.gl/maps/yMduaBW3tFJ6Z2ih6
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West Izu Skyline
On our way to our campsite for the evening, we drove on the West Izu Skyline. This skyline is a twisty road, that’s fun to drive and offers amazing scenic views. Way out in the distance we could see Heda andMihama Penisula, one of our favourite places to visit during the summer.
Google map pin: https://goo.gl/maps/9CW1SshYmthCwVBL8
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Izu Matsuzaki Asobijima
For our third and final night, we stayed at a campsite called Izu Matsuzaki Asobijima. This campsite is on the Izu Peninsula coast and has a really beautiful ocean view.
This campsite includes spots with A/C power outlets for charging electronics, free Wifi, clean heated toilets, and free access to bicycles. The owner and his little family are wonderful and very friendly.
There are several activities you can experience in this campsite including, fishing, kayaking, snorkelling, trekking etc. but most if not all of these activities require reservation.
One thing to note, is that the way in and out of this campsite is extremely narrow, especially if you have a campervan like us. For us to get in an out required a 3-point at the small bridge near the campsite entrance.
Price: ¥8,800 （4 people, One car）
(additional persons ¥2,200 each) / maximum 6
Showers: 3min – ¥100
The activity experiences requires a reservation.
Kayaking
For 1 person, 1 day course: ¥11,000
For 2 people (1 adult and 1 kid), 1 day course: ¥17,600
For 2 people (2 adults), 1 day course: ¥22,000
Snorkelling
Comes with the Kayak for free but snorkelling experience is only during the summer.
Bicycles
Customers who stay at the campsite can borrow the bicycles for free.
Website: http://www.asobijima.com/
Google maps pin: https://goo.gl/maps/w7LS2v79Xk8st9Xm8
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Seseragi no Yu (Nishi Izu) Day use Onsen
Instead of using the showers at the campsite, we went to small local onsen.
Price: Adult (above 12) ¥600
Child (6 – 12years) ¥200
Open: 9:00am- 8:00pm
Closed: Monday’s
Google maps pin: https://goo.gl/maps/om6xqTPHe4gWuM4K7
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DAY 4
Dogashima – Cave Excursion
Dogashima is a beautiful spot on the west coast of of Izu. There are hiking trails along the coastal cliffs and at the dock there are boats that you can buy a ticket for that will take passengers on on a 20 minute coastline cave excursion.
Price: Adult (Middle school and above) ¥1,300
Children (Elementary) ¥650
Google maps pin: https://goo.gl/maps/bgm1ChyARiE4GoKq5
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Website: http://izudougasima-yuransen.com/
Wasabien KADOYA Lunch
After Dogashima we headed to Kawazu, the last spot on our 4 day road trip. For lunch we stopped by at a restaurant that serves a variety of fresh Wasabi dishes. I was stunned to learn that it can take up to 18 months for the wasabi to grow to size that we had for lunch.
Lunch Kawazu price: ¥1,300
(Wasabi rice bowl set or zaru soba noodles with fresh wasabi)
Opened: 9:30am- 2:00pm
Closed: Wednesday’s
Google maps pin: https://goo.gl/maps/NaZhg4MjzTa7cBeD8
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Kawazu Seven Waterfalls
Kawazu area is probably most well known for beautiful sakura flowers along the river in the spring, but its also famous for it’s 7 waterfalls. After a delicous lunch walked over to the nearby Oodaru waterfalls which actually has an onsen hotsprings at the base of it and then walked over the Shokeidaru waterfalls. Getting to the various waterfalls that we visited was roughly about 25 minutes of walking along the nature paths. The pathway trails are beautiful, scenic and easy for just about anyone to walk on including children.
Google map pin: https://goo.gl/maps/bZgmWh977Hh6ozVN8
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Website: https://www.japanhoppers.com/en/chubu/easternizu/kanko/1052/
Kawazu Nanadaru Loop Bridge
While heading home back to Tokyo, we took the Kawazu Nanadaru Loop Bridge. This unique bridge is a double spiral that stems a total of 45 meters out of the valley and into the mountain side.
Google map pin: https://goo.gl/maps/tz9SnqsvGdA3mt9e9
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For more location information and travel ideas in Shizuoka please visit: https://exploreshizuoka.com
