Itinerary · Japan
Shizuoka in a Day: Tokugawa Ieyasu and Mt Fuji Views
A one-day route following Tokugawa Ieyasu, with Mt Fuji views: Sunpu Castle Park, the 1,159 steps to Kunozan Toshogu, then the ropeway to Nihondaira.
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The big picture: from Ieyasu's castle to his first resting place
Shizuoka is where Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Edo shogunate, grew up and spent his final years. This post is a one-day route built around Ieyasu and Mt Fuji views. In the morning, walk Sunpu Castle Park, the castle he built and retired to, and look for Mt Fuji beyond Sunpu Castle from the Mt. Fuji observation lobby on the 21st floor of the Shizuoka Prefectural Government Annex.
In the afternoon, climb the 1,159 stone steps from the foot of the mountain to Kunozan Toshogu Shrine, where Ieyasu, who died in 1616, was first buried, then ride the ropeway up to Nihondaira to look over Mt Fuji and Suruga Bay. With an extra day, add a walk to Satta Pass, painted by Hiroshige, for another Mt Fuji view. For the standard route with the airport transfer and Miho no Matsubara, see the 2-day post linked at the end.
Morning: Sunpu Castle Park, where Ieyasu spent his final years
Sunpu Castle Park is about a 15-minute walk from JR Shizuoka Station. It is the site of Sunpu Castle, which Tokugawa Ieyasu built and where he spent his retirement. See the Higashi-gomon gate rebuilt with traditional methods in 1996, the Tatsumi-yagura turret rebuilt in 1989, the Hitsujisaru-yagura turret, the keep base still being excavated, and Momijiyama Garden.
It opens 9:00-16:30 (entry until 16:00), so it is a good place to start the day. A combined ticket for the three facilities is JPY 360 for adults (JPY 120 for elementary and junior high students). The paid facilities close on Mondays (open on holidays) and from 29 December to 3 January, so check your date first. Repair work runs at Higashi-gomon and Momijiyama Garden until 30 November 2026 (planned), but both stay open as usual.
Mt Fuji beyond the castle: the observation lobby and Abekawa mochi
The Mt. Fuji observation lobby on the 21st floor of the Shizuoka Prefectural Government Annex is 110 m high in the city center. On clear days you can see Mt Fuji beyond the city and Sunpu Castle. Entry is free, and it is a good way to see the castle grounds you just walked and Mt Fuji in one view. Check the official information for opening hours before you go.
For a snack, try Abekawa mochi, Shizuoka's local sweet of soft, freshly pounded mochi coated in sweetened soybean flour. Legend says Ieyasu gave it its name. Many places now serve it in two kinds, with soybean flour and with smooth red bean paste.
To follow Ieyasu back to his youth, there is also Shizuoka Sengen Shrine, where he held his coming-of-age ceremony while a hostage. It is about 8 minutes from Shizuoka Station on the Abe Line or Miwa-Otani Line bus. The 2-day post covers a route that includes this shrine.
Afternoon: up the 1,159 stone steps to Kunozan Toshogu
Kunozan Toshogu is where Ieyasu, who died in 1616, was first buried, and the first of Japan's Toshogu shrines. The main hall, ishi-no-ma and worship hall are National Treasures, and the museum holds cultural properties such as Ieyasu's armor. On this route you skip the ropeway on the way up and climb the 1,159 stone steps from the foot of the mountain (about 20 minutes). By taxi, the foot of Mt Kuno is about 20 minutes from Shizuoka Station (about JPY 3,500, small car).
It is open 9:00-17:00 every day (reception until 10 minutes before closing). Entry is JPY 700 for the shrine, JPY 600 for the museum or JPY 1,200 combined (high school and up), and JPY 300, 300 and 500 for elementary and junior high students. The grounds are all stone steps, and there are about 80 steps from the ropeway station to the shrine buildings, so wheelchairs cannot reach them.
If the steps are too much, take the Nihondaira Line bus from Shizuoka Station to Nihondaira Ropeway, about 45 minutes (JPY 710 one way for adults), and ride the ropeway down instead. The 2-day post covers this ropeway-first route.
Ropeway to Nihondaira: Mt Fuji and Suruga Bay views
After your visit, ride Nihondaira Ropeway up in about 5 minutes. Adults (junior high and up) pay JPY 700 one way or JPY 1,250 return, and departures from Kunozan Station run 9:30-17:00. You cannot walk between Nihondaira and Kunozan, so reach the station before the last departure.
The 307 m high hill of Nihondaira overlooks Mt Fuji, Suruga Bay, Miho no Matsubara and the Izu Peninsula. The Yume Terrace viewing facility is open 9:00-17:00 (Saturdays until 21:00), and from 1 October 2026 its third-floor observation floor costs JPY 100 for adults and high school students and JPY 50 for elementary and junior high students. The outdoor corridor, about 200 m around, is free and open all day, and the night view is certified as a Japan Night View Heritage site. It is closed on the second Tuesday of each month and 26-31 December.
From Nihondaira, take the bus to Higashi-Shizuoka Station and the JR Tokaido Line from there. Check the official information for the bus timetable and fare before you go. Nihondaira Ropeway is closed for equipment work from 1 to 21 December 2026; during that time, visit the shrine by the stone steps and go to Nihondaira separately by bus from Shizuoka Station.
With an extra day: Satta Pass, painted by Hiroshige
Satta Pass is the pass shown in the Yui print of Hiroshige's Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido, a reminder that Shizuoka lies on the old Tokaido route. From the viewing deck you see Mt Fuji and Suruga Bay, with the expressway, national road and JR line running below.
It is about a 45-50 minute hike from JR Okitsu Station or about 50 minutes on foot from JR Yui Station. Check the official information for getting to either station before you go. Watch for wild animals, including bears, on the trails, and check Shizuoka City's official website for the latest sightings and trail closures.
When to go, costs for the day and a checklist
The guide recommends December to February. Japan Meteorological Agency normals for Shizuoka station (1991–2020) give December an average high of about 14°C, low of about 5°C and about 81 mm of rain; January about 12°C and 2°C with about 80 mm; and February about 13°C and 3°C with about 105 mm, so these months get less rain and are mild. Official sources describe winter as the season when snow-capped Mt Fuji looks beautiful over Suruga Bay. Mornings and evenings are chilly, though, so dress for the stone steps and the pass.
Transport and entry costs for this route are listed below. Hotel and food costs vary by date, so check booking sites.
- Sunpu Castle Park combined ticket for three facilities: JPY 360 for adults (JPY 120 for elementary and junior high students)
- Taxi from Shizuoka Station to the foot of Mt Kuno: about JPY 3,500 (small car, about 20 minutes)
- Kunozan Toshogu: shrine JPY 700, museum JPY 600, combined JPY 1,200 (high school and up)
- Nihondaira Ropeway: JPY 700 one way for adults
- Yume Terrace third-floor observation floor: JPY 100 for adults and high school students (from 1 October 2026); the outdoor corridor and the prefectural observation lobby are free
- Closing days: Sunpu Castle Park paid facilities on Mondays (except holidays), Yume Terrace on the second Tuesday of each month, ropeway closed 1-21 December 2026
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FAQ
How hard are the stone steps to Kunozan Toshogu?
There are 1,159 steps from the foot of the mountain, about 20 minutes. The grounds are all stone steps too, with about 80 steps from the ropeway station to the shrine buildings, so wheelchairs cannot reach them. If the steps are too much, take the ropeway from Nihondaira (about 5 minutes).
Can I see Mt Fuji from central Shizuoka?
From the Mt. Fuji observation lobby on the 21st floor of the Shizuoka Prefectural Government Annex, you can see Mt Fuji beyond the city and Sunpu Castle on clear days. Entry is free.
Is a Monday a good day for this route?
The paid facilities in Sunpu Castle Park close on Mondays (except holidays). Kunozan Toshogu is open every day, and Yume Terrace closes on the second Tuesday of each month.
What if the ropeway is closed?
Nihondaira Ropeway is closed from 1 to 21 December 2026. You can still visit Kunozan Toshogu by the stone steps from the foot of the mountain, and Nihondaira is about 45 minutes by bus from Shizuoka Station.
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ⓘ Photo credits
- Miho no Matsubara and Mt Fuji · Suicasmo / CC BY-SA 4.0