Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture, long admired as the home of Mt. Fuji and the cradle of Japanese tea, is on a mission to remind the world that it’s more than just a pitstop on the bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka. With its irresistible combination of farm-fresh dining, fishing adventures beneath the gaze of Fuji’s snowy cone, and a tea festival of global proportions, Shizuoka is positioning itself as a destination that feeds the soul as much as the stomach.
A Fresh Chapter at Makaino Farm
The first stop is Makaino Farm, perched in the lush foothills of Mt. Fuji, where rustic charm meets culinary reinvention. Following a top-to-tail renovation, the farm’s restaurant now dishes up hearty, seasonal fare crafted from ingredients barely travelling further than the farm gate.
Local Fujinomiya produce takes centre stage, and the revamped shop tempts visitors with original sweets spun from the farm’s rich milk. This creamy indulgence locals insist is best enjoyed before you even leave the carpark. Think artisan chocolates, silky custards, and treats you’ll smuggle home in your hand luggage. Souvenirs? Certainly. But these are souvenirs with substance.
The World Comes to Tea
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when Japan’s tea capital decides to throw a party, wonder no more. This October, from the 23rd to 26th, Shizuoka hosts the World O-CHA (Tea) Festival, a heady celebration of leaves, brews, and global tea traditions.
Tea lovers can sip their way around the planet without leaving town. Expect to find everything from delicate matcha whisked with monk-like precision to fragrant blends from seven international tea houses recreated in authentic style. And then there’s SweeTEA Pairing 2025, a cleverly named, tooth-tingling showcase where sweets and specialty teas meet in flavour marriages that will have even coffee devotees considering conversion.
The World O-CHA market will be a playground for connoisseurs, with stalls laden with teas and teaware spanning the globe. It’s a reminder that while Shizuoka may be Japan’s green tea powerhouse, it also knows how to pour a good welcome for the rest of the world.
Fishing with Fuji in the Frame
For those who prefer wet-lined adventures rather than kettle-boiled, Shizuoka’s coastline offers something more exhilarating than a postcard. Along the Izu Peninsula, beginner-friendly fishing tours are reeling in curious travellers. Suruga Bay, fed by mineral-rich rivers and watched over by the stoic silhouette of Mt. Fuji, teems with horse mackerel, sea bream, and skipjack tuna.
It’s less about sitting in silence with a rod and more about embracing the elemental thrill of pulling dinner from the deep, then enjoying the satisfaction of knowing precisely where your next meal came from. This is sea-to-table at its most literal.
Why Shizuoka Matters Now
What’s striking about Shizuoka’s latest offerings is their stitching together culture, nature, and culinary flair. Too often, destinations are pigeonholed the tea capital, the mountain view, the fishing port. However, Shizuoka shows that it can be all three, and more.
For Australian travellers who’ve ticked Tokyo, sipped sake in Kyoto, and Instagrammed Hiroshima’s torii gate, Shizuoka represents something fresh yet familiar. It’s Japan in microcosm, where tradition isn’t locked in museums but poured into teacups, plated in farm restaurants, and reeled in from the bay.
So if you’ve been hunting for the next great chapter in your Japan travels, Shizuoka is quietly stepping forward with the confidence of Mt. Fuji at its back. And frankly, it deserves your attention.
By My Thanh Pham
