Exploring Mount Fuji and the Five Lakes Region

Numazu

The city of Numazu in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture is a great place to stay when planning to visit Mount Fuji and the Five Lakes. The cty has some wonderful senic coastline and a fishing harbour which is protected by a Tsunami Gate. In the smal streets beside the harbour can be found many small restaurants selling the freshest sushi and stores selling dried Japanese Horse Mackerel for which Numazu is famous. Then there are two Aquariums of which we have visited one.

We will usually stay at the Daiwa Roynet Hotel located walking distance from the train station where the rooms on the higher floors are not only large but provide some nice views of the city and Mount Fuji in the distance. Also, just a couple of minutes walk away are a 7-Eleven, Lawsons and Family Mart minimarts.

The Daiwa Roynet Hotel in Numazu was a great hotel because it was new, they had a staff at reception who had lived overseas and spoke perfect English, and they offered us an upgrade to a larger room with twin beds that we could push together. Furthermore, there was actually a decent sized bathtub as well as a shower in the bathroom, a luxury not often seen in mid priced hotels in Japan.

This was the view from our hotel room








This photo was taken using my 24-105mm lens at 105mm focal length

The room was pretty comfortable and spacious. We often ask for rooms with twin beds that can be pushed together as the rooms are sometimes larger, and the kids like to sleep together with us when we travel.







Aside from the heated toilet seat which is pretty standard in hotels in Japan, the room had a good sized bathtub which is less common.


The lobby area was spacious and modern

The harbour at Numazu is a great place to wander around because you can see colourful fishing boats, the famous Tsunami Gate which drops to prevent tidal waves entering the harbour, small streets with stores selling dried fish and restaurants selling very fresh sushi.

The weather was quite cloudy this day but on clear days you can see Mount Fuji in the distance.


The Tsunami Gate can be seen in the background here






The Tsunami Gate with the breakwater in the distance

This wavy street adjacent to Numazu Harbour was lined with small sushi restaurants and stores selling fresh squid and dried fish.


Customers buying fresh fish in the morning


This store is selling dried Japanese horse Mackerel and other dried fish


At this store they specialize in fish heads






Fresh Seafood

Fresh squid and dried fish seller




This drinks vending machine has a little picture of a dried fish




Drinks vending machines in Numazu


My kids popped their heads through the hole for some funny photos

Just on the other side of Numazu Harbour is the Kano River estuarine. One can walk along the river wall from the Tsunami Gate up river with some lovely views and where there is quite a lot of wildlife. We saw a pair of Kites flying low over the river which was quite exciting and luckily I had my 400mm lens with me so was able to capture a couple of shots of them.











A pair of Kites flying over the mouth of the River Kano