Guided in Japanese: Sunpu Castle Park, Shizuoka Sengen Shrine and Miho-no-Matsubara

Description

Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.

Surrounded by beautiful scenery and striking views of Mt. Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture is a modern city with great ties to its historic past. Begin your adventure back in time with a scenic motorcoach ride to your first attraction, Sunpu Castle Park. A lush, emerald green garden surrounds the park's showpiece, the ruins of Sunpu Castle. Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu built the castle in 1585 and lived there on two occasions. Its remains hint at its former grandeur. The Edo Period castle was surrounded by moats and stone walls whose size and fortitude can still be seen in the ruins. The castle's gate and turret have been restored, and inside the turret there is a reference library with restoration documents and excavated models. You'll also find a bronze statue of Ieyasu with a falcon resting on his arm, erected by the castle's keep near a mandarin orange tree believed to have been planted by Ieyasu. The park has four different landscaped gardens and a traditional teahouse where visitors can enjoy a ceremonial tea service at an additional expense.

From the park, continue on to Shizuoka Sengen Shrine, a complex of seven shrines, the three main ones remodeled over a period of 60 years beginning in 1804. Sengen Shrine contains 26 "Important Cultural Assets" and an extensive collection of historical artifacts from the Tokugawa shogunate that ruled Japan for 300 years during the Edo Period. Sengen Shrine is also noted for its dramatic architectural style and extensive use of gold leaf, lacquer and wood carvings.

Complete your day at Miho-no-Matsubara, a picturesque pine grove along the eastern coast of the Miho Peninsula, given the distinction of "New Three Views of Japan," a designation of scenic beauty. This inspirational spot for artists offers dramatic views of Mt. Fuji, and if you walk deep into the pine grove, you'll spy a 650-year-old Japanese black pine called Hagoromo-no-Matsu. Believed to have mythical origins, its branches spread in every direction, and it is said that an angel bathing in the waters hung her clothes on its branches. A fisherman took the garments, and the angel had to win them back by dancing for him. Beside this legendary tree, there stands a monument of a French ballerina who composed a dance inspired by this legend.

After a day of beauty and cultural sights and hopefully a camera filled with wonderful memories you'll board your motorcoach for your return trip to the ship.

Special Notes:

The museum at Shizuoka Shrine is not included in the tour.

The terrain at Miho-no-Matsubara is sand. Please wear comfortable shoes.

Views of Mt. Fuji are weather dependent.