Shizuoka Beyond the Fuji View: Tea Fields, Izu, and Shimizu

Shizuoka produces roughly a third to 40% of Japan's green tea and is one of the country's two largest tea-producing prefectures (neck-and-neck with Kagoshima in recent years), and the rolling tea fields around Makinohara and the hills near Shizuoka City are worth a stop if you like tea or just want scenery beyond temples and cities. Some farms offer tastings or simple tours, though English support varies, so it helps to check ahead.

Izu, on Shizuoka's east side, has a rugged coastline, hot spring towns (Atami and Ito are the best known and easiest to reach by train), and decent beaches in summer. It gets crowded on weekends and holidays as a popular Tokyo escape, and public transport thins out past the main coastal line, so a car helps if you want to go beyond the train stops.

Shimizu, part of Shizuoka City, is a fishing port known for maguro (tuna) and other fresh catch — the sushi here is genuinely good and often cheaper than in Tokyo. On a clear day Mount Fuji is visible from parts of the Izu coast and from Shimizu itself, a nice bonus rather than the reason to come.