Nihondaira Plateau and Kunozan 日本平・久能山

Once a true plateau, upheavals have turned Nihondaira into a gently rolling hill. This hill in Shizuoka Prefecture overlooks the Pacific and vast, verdant fields of tea and flowers, with the World Heritage Site—Mt. Fuji , the Southern Alps, and the Izu Peninsula also visible when the weather is clear. A ropeway from Nihondaira connects to the historically significant site, Kunozan Toshogu Shrine.

The plateau is best accessed by fixed-route bus or car.

Take a bus from Shizuoka Station to the Nihondaira stop, which takes about 40 minutes. The plateau is a short walk away. If you're driving, it takes about 30 minutes from the Shizuoka Shimizu Interchange on the Tomei Expressway.

The area has treats filled with variations on tea, and its most popular delicacy is matcha ice cream. Shizuoka is the largest tea producer in Japan, so ice cream made with matcha, sencha green tea, or Nihondaira black tea leaves is a bite you won't forget. Japanese tea taiyaki cake, made with tea leaves kneaded into the dough, is also a delicious choice hat will make your trip memorable.