Miho Beach & Shizuoka City - worth going?

Hi,

We’ll be in Nagoya for a few days next month and thinking to do a daytrip. We have a JR pass and one option we are considering is Shizuoka city since it’s only just over an hour train ride from Nagoya

Wanna ask the forum if Miho no Matsubara to see Fuji-san (weather permitting) is worth going ?

and also whether Shizuoka city itself is a good city to explore on foot ?

Thanks in advance

We've been to Mihono Matsubara Beach a few times. Last visit was 2021. We always drive there. Mt Fuji view is super on the condition that weather permits. Drive is 20 - 30 mins range from JR Shizuoka station. Normally visitors drive there. There's a car park near the visitor centre building. We drive to Nihondaira and Toshogu Shrine along with the beach.
Sunpu Castle Park is 15 mins walk from JR station. Self drive is more convenient in the region.

I have done Miho no Matsubara as a day trip from Tokyo (I guess it’s about the same amount of time on the shinkansen as coming from Nagoya) and found it to be worthwhile. I did not have a car. You need to research the transportation carefully, but I took a boat from Shimizu one way, which was pretty fun, and then a bus back to Shimizu (a short hop from Shizuoka to Shimizu by local train). The views of Mt. Fuji from the beach were very good, and in general I found Miho no Matsubara to be a pleasant, low-key tourist destination that is not overcrowded and where you will see very few foreign tourists. Being a foreign tourist myself, I can’t exactly rail against them, but so many places in Japan have lost their specialness to overtourism. I think that Mino no Matsubara is one that hasn’t. You have to go on a good clear day in order to see Mt. Fuji.

I’m not sure how much there is to do in Shizuoka City itself, but I can recommend the Momijiyama Garden in Sumpu park (see https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6352.html). At least, it was very nice in February when I visited (the plum trees were exquisite). I’m not sure what will be playing there in December, though. If there is still fall foliage it might be lovely. Sumpu Castle park is an easy walk from the JR Station. I also have been to the Prefectural Office Building (Kencho) that is right next to this park. There is an observation floor with nice views (including of Mt. Fuji if it’s a clear day), and it is free to go up in it. It doesn’t compare to the lavish observation decks in places like Tokyo or Osaka, but it won’t be crowded, and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to get in.

What I could say about both Shizuoka City and Miho no Matsubara is that if you are expecting a knock-your-socks-off experience, you probably won’t find it, but if you are open to experiencing what is in fact “the real Japan” you can find it in these places, without the dreadful overlay of way, way too many tourists surrounding you.

If I was in the mood for a knock-my-socks-off day trip from Nagoya I would probably head for Kyoto and go to some of the very many wonderful temples that have not been affected by overtourism. There are just so many fabulous ones that get almost no foreign tourists and not even very many domestic ones. I can never get enough of Kyoto, and always just roll my eyes when people comment that they’ve already been there so they don’t need to go again…

Thanks both for the replies !

If Mount Fuji is visible and you like photography, Miho no Matsubara is a great place to visit. As one of the other posters mentioned, the boat ride from Shimizu adds to the enjoyment.

As for Shizuoka City, Sunpu Castle and its garden are nice. Nihondaira and Kunozan Toshogu Shrine are also worthwhile. I haven't been to the Hiroshige Museum, but it does interest me.

When you guys talk about the boat ride, are you referring to this ?

https://www.shimizu-cruise.co.jp/en/

I took the water bus (not the larger cruise boat) that goes from the pier next to the Kashi-no-Ichiba market (a short walk from JR Shimizu Station) to a landing pier where you have to walk a little way (but not far) to get to Miho no Matsubara itself. The boat said “S-Pulse Dream Ferry” on it, so possibly it was a different operator (but maybe not). Note that I did not go to the S-Pulse Dream complex, which seems to be highly promoted. When I finished at Miho no Matsubara a caught a bus that went to Shizuoka Station. There was a combination ticket for the boat and bus that I bought at the ferry company ticket office at the departure pier next to Kashi-no-Ichiba.

This was back in 2017, so some things might have changed, but it looks like they still have the water bus that departs out of what they are calling Pier Ejiri (which is where the Kashi-no-Ichiba is). This is what I would recommend if you just want a fun ride that will get you to Miho no Matsubara (or you can just get a bus both ways, if you want).

Clarification: I’m sorry—I can’t remember whether the bus I took after visiting Mino no Matsubara went to Shimizu or to Shizuoka Station! It is not that small a difference, as from Shizuoka you can catch the shinkansen, whereas from Shimizu you have to then take a local train to get to Shizuoka. If you have a choice, get a bus to Shizuoka…

In any case, it is quite possible to do all this without a car, although driving opens up options that public transit cannot offer.

I am the OP and just want to report back and to thank everyone for their input!

We took the ~1 hour train ride from Nagoya to Shimizu Station and walked to the Kashi no Ichi market. We explored the fish market a bit and had a pleasant kaisendon lunch overlooking the water.

From the fish market, we then took the water bus to Miho Beach (15 mins walk from the dock) where we had an uninterrupted 180 degree view of Mt Fuji without any crowd (just a few locals fishing), It was a beautiful day as well with cloudless blue sky.

We missed the bus to take us back to Shimizu, but no issues as we waited for boat to take us back to the fish market.

Totally different atmosphere and vibes from Lake Kawaguchi (no cafes, souvenir shops, activities etc), but it is worth a daytrip if you want to avoid the crowd !