Suite living is sweet indeed. Sebastian, our butler, delivered breakfast right on time and set us up at our dining table. We were told to leave everything when we were done, he’d deal with it once we left for the day. A guy could get used to this.

OK, let’s talk Shimizu. It’s located at the northwest corner of a small peninsula a 60 mile drive southwest Yokohama. By water the trip is considerably farther though, because we had to sail around the peninsula to get to the northwest corner. Also 60 miles away is Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain. It is visible from this port city of 34,000 on clear days and today was a fabulous, clear day! In fact we could see it from our balcony.

After breakfast we headed off to visit a trio of interesting sites down the road in Shizuoka. Our first stop was Sumpu Castle Park, a fortress built in 1585. Throughout its history it was destroyed and rebuilt many times until the late 1860s when it was dismantled altogether. In 1949 the innermost courtyards of the former castle grounds were converted into an inviting public park, Sumpu Park, which remains surrounded by an impressive stone moat. In 2001 Momijiyama Japanese Garden was added to the park. Designed in the style of a traditional landscape garden it features a central pond and a network of walking paths. A small hill, representing Mount Fuji, is surrounded by azaleas that represent tea leaves, Shizuoka’s most famous product, while a pebbled part of the pond’s shore represents nearby Miho Beach.

Sengen Shrine is actually a group of three beautiful Shinto shrines that date back at least 1,000 years. Our guide, Kimi, offered a donation at each site and said a silent prayer for our health and welfare. She explained the correct way to do this: two donations are dropped into the large bin located at the shrine’s entrance; two bows follow; then two claps followed by a (silent) prayer; and finally a single bow. The most unusual feature of this complex for us was the Kanae Uma which translates to ‘wish-granting horse.’ This sacred steed, housed in a small wooden stable, is made of wood.

Miho-no-Matsubara is a four-and-a-half-mile stretch of black sand beach that overlooks the sea. We approached the beach via a gorgeous pine tree-lined boardwalk that runs from the parking lot to the entrance closest to the most celebrated tree in the impressive pine forest that runs along the shore. There are well over 30,000 trees, the granddaddy of which is 650 years old. The combination of the green pine forest, white waves, sand, blue ocean, and Mt. Fuji in the distance has inspired its fair share of poems and artwork. Miho-no-Matsubara was registered as a part of Mt. Fuji World Heritage Site when it got its designation in 2013.

Being a little bit off the beaten path here in Shimizu meant no maddening crowds, crowded parking lots, or waits to see what we came for. Kimi was a pleasant guide and her English was great. She shared her love of hash browns, the old TV series Chips, and the freedom to choose she has enjoyed as an unmarried woman. Yep, she was a bit of a character. She shared the history of the fancy toilets Japan is known for and boasted of guiding Tom Cruise, Will Smith, and other celebrities when they were here filming.

Our drive back to the ship had the shoreline on one side and miles of greenhouses used for the cultivation of strawberries on the other. Dan and I got back in time for a light, late lunch, a short nap, and before we knew it, it was time to meet Hettie and Ronnie for cocktails followed by dinner and a rousing performance by Voxx, The West End Tenors.

… Just for the Fun of It …

Japan is about the size of Montana.

Japan does not shy away from cute and Shimizu’s mascot is a perfect example of that.
Yusui-kun is an elf who lives in the river.
He wears gloves and a Mount Fuji shaped hat, both of which change colors with the seasons,
and a uniform with pockets large enough to store green rice and several books.
He’s a park ranger with a side gig of making dreams come true.

Shintoism originated in Japan.