The main destinations of this tour are located in the downtown area of Shizuoka City, which is about a 30 to 40-minute drive from Shimizu Port. I made this small-group taxi tour mainly with clients arriving at Shimizu Port in mind, but I can also accomodate people travelling in the Shizuoka City area.
Shimizu Port (or JR Shizuoka Station or your hotel in Shizuoka City)
Shimizu Port (or JR Shizuoka Station or your hotel in Shizuoka City)
・Shizuoka Sengen Shrine was revered by each ruler of Japan for many centuries, and its magnificent buildings and elaborate carvings are well worth seeing.The guide will explain how this shrine has been closely connected with the lives of local residents.
・After strolling through the Momijiyama Japanese garden, you can take a rest and enjoy a cup of local green tea at the adjacent tea house, where there are chairs.
・The large-scale stone foundation and the moats at former Sumpu Castle are the wonderful sights to see. And the inside of the Tatsumi Yagura arsenal tower is now a museum where you can learn about the bygone Sumpu Castle Main Tower and the history of the region.
・If you still have time, you might have a chance to walk down the old Sengen-dori Street and taste famous local dishes like Shizuoka oden (please note some of the shops on this street are closed on Mondays).
・If the weather is fine, we might view Mt. Fuji from an observatory, either the Nihondaira Observatory or Prefecural Office Observatory (please note the Prefectural Office Observatory is closed on the third Saturday and the third Sunday every month, as of 2018).
Guide fee, tour guide's transportation fees.
1. Taxi fare (we mainly use taxis for transportation. I'll contact you via text message with an approximate price).
2. Admission fees (if applied).
3. Food or drink you might buy along the way.
Please refrain from resorting to the "direct booking." I hope you will book after we reach an agreement over the total price (including the taxi fare) through the exchange of text messages.
1. This tour has a 4-guest capacity. But, if you are a group of 5 or 6 and are interested in this itinerary, please contact me anyway and I will see if it's possible.
2. Sumpu Castle Park (Sumpu Castle Ruins) contains several attractions in its huge compound, including a Japanese garden, two arsenal towers (museums), a statue of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the excavation site (as of July, 2018) of the original castle tower, among others. But, because of the long walking distance between each attraction, seeing all of them might tire you out. So you can freely skip some of them, and I will help you decide where to go.
3. Please refrain from resorting to the "direct booking." I hope you'll book after we reach an agreement over the itinerary and the total price (including the taxi fare) through the exchange of text messages.
Among the destinations of this tour, Shizuoka Sengen Shrine is very wheelchair-friendly. About 80 percent of the shrine's compound can be reached by wheelchair. Momijiyama Japanese garden is also very accessible to wheelchair users.
The following facilities require admission fees (but of course, you don't have to visit all of them):
Shizuoka City Cultural Properties Museum: 200 yen per person
Tatsumi Yagura Arsenal Tower: 200 yen per person
Hitsujisaru Yagura Arsenal Tower: 100 yen per person
Momijiyama Japanese garden: 150 yen per person
Please note that the above facilities are usually closed on Mondays.
Thank you for taking me on the Ukiyo-e Tour of Kanbara, Yui and up Satta Toge. I was especially pleased we saw Fuji-san clearly. I appreciated your guiding style. I found you organised, considerate and knowledgeable. I enjoyed the experience and your company. The tour is a highlight of my 3 week vacation in Japan. I would recommend it to people with an interest in the Edo period and Hiroshige's "53 Stations on the Tokaido" ukiyo-e.
Dear Neville-san, Many thanks for your warm comment! I also thank you for telling me a lot of interesting things during the tour. I thought that your idea of following Hiroshige's footsteps though the small towns of Yui and Kanbara was very interesting, and it actually rekindled my interest in the historical Tokaido Road. Well, of the 53 shuku (old post stations), you have visited two so far. How about exploring other interesting shuku sites next time? I will continue to study, and by the time you revisit Japan, I should be ready.
very accommodating and understanding. knowledgeable and well organized. easy to get along with. highly recommend.
Dear Larry, Many thanks for your review! It was good that the weather was fine, and I also enjoyed the time with you two. Please take care, and send my regard to cheryl. Thank you very much!
Koji was very knowledgeable on the area. He arranged a private driver for us which was very reasonable . He was prompt, courteous and flexible to our needs. He answered all our questions with more than expected . The time together went very quickly. I would highly recommend him and when I return will use him again.
Dear Rosanne, What an honor to me to receive such a good comment from you! It was a joy for us to welcome you two in this best season of the year. I hope that you can go back to your home country safe and sound and look forward to seeing you again.
We had a great day with Koji and Tetsu. Koji was extremely well organized and ensured that we saw a number of beautiful sites in the area. Tetsu is an excellent driver, communicated well with us and contributed greatly to our very positive day. Koji speaks very good English, had many relevant and important pieces of information and history to share with us and willingly answered all of our questions. He had a microphone in the van which was extremely helpful and appreciated. Our day was made more special by Mt.Fuji appearing and staying in clear view all day! Thank you Koji and Tetsu for giving us such a wonderful day and for ensuring that Mt.Fuji was so visible.????
Dear Marc, Many thanks for taking my tour today and writing the wonderful review! We also enjoyed spending time with you four. Thank you for asking us a lot of questions and giving us your feedback about the places you visited in Japan. Please enjoy the visit to Tokyo tomorrow. (I will convey your words to Tetsu the driver. He'll be glad.)