Shizuoka

What colors come to mind when you think of Tokyo? For me, it’s Tokyo Tower’s brilliant red and the night sky's deep black. When I think of Kyoto, I imagine the vibrant red of Torii gates, the green of nature, and the noble purple. Like this, […]

Have you ever wondered what it takes to master the art of Japanese calligraphy? We had the incredible opportunity to interview Shoran, an accomplished Japanese calligrapher and creator of Matcha Calligraphy. This art form is truly unique—a blend of traditional matcha and the timeless elegance of […]

Suruga is considered to be one of the shining pearls of Shizuoka Prefecture, and we here at Arigato Travel couldn’t agree more. One of the area’s original provinces, Suruga is known not only for its abundance of natural beauty but also for its deep-rooted culture and […]

Tokyo is a wonderful place to enjoy the exceptional adventures that are only possible in a large metropolitan center with a seemingly endless range of globally influenced food, art, and culture available 24/7. After spending a few days in a dense concentration of urban opportunity,  visitors […]

Welcome to part three of our four-part series on notable tea regions in Japan. So far, we’ve covered both Kagoshima Prefecture and Fukuoka Prefecture. Today we will spend some time at the base of Mt. Fuji in the tea fields of Shizuoka Prefecture. Next time, in […]

The name of Suruga Ward in Shizuoka City, which I'm introducing today, comes from its location facing Suruga Bay. The origin becomes evident when Suruga (駿河) is written in Kanji. In this context, the rivers created by melting Mount Fuji snow flowed into the sea like […]

At Arigato Travel, we love the Shizuoka area and especially Fujinomiya! This is a great destination when you can see Mt Fuji (on sunny days!), but also for delicious food (they have a special yakisoba dish and other local favorites!) and Japanese Sake.  One of our […]

You might have already noticed from all our different blog posts that we love Shizuoka Prefecture and TEA at Arigato Travel! With easy access from Tokyo, there are a lot of great things to do and to see there if you’re a foreigner living in Japan, […]

Boarding the JR Odoriko Limited Express train from Tokyo Station, a scenic two-and-a-half-hour journey will take you far, far away from the hustling and bustling capital, through the heart of Yokohama, through tunnel after tunnel, before suddenly emerging into a completely different world… Along the breathtakingly […]

Whether you are a traveling visitor or a resident living here, Japan constantly has so much to explore. Honestly, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to pick and choose what to do and where to go. For one thing, there are 5 major islands, 47 […]