Introduction
I felt it the first time I saw a fishing-boat toize into Numazu Port at 6 a.m.– gulls having the devil of a time in the air, Fuji being there fat and white above the water. I knew the reason why many travelers had found themselves roaming in search of this coastline although they could hardly tell what exactly they were seeking. It is not a town that you can locate on the map. Highlights of Nummazaki is what has been translated into English travel materials into the length of coast which has been running southward of Numazu City where Suruga Bay meets the edge of the North of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture. But whatever your way you happened to come upon the name, the place behind it exists, it is accessible and well worth the experience.
Short Answer: The Highlights of Nummazaki coast simply is a 4km (12800 ft) stretch of shoreline around the Suruga Bay, which sits just north of Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture – a land of dramatic sea cliffs, the only deep sea aquarium in the world containing coelacanths, the remote fishing village of Heda and the best chance to see Fuji mountain in all of Japan because of its deepest bay. It is a 60-90 minute ride on one of the trains in Tokyo.
Last, and A Question requiring Answering, What Does “Nummazaki” actually mean?
One thing to know ahead of time before you begin making a reservation: Nummazaki is not an official name of a Japanese destination that you are going to see on a train schedule or road sign. It has become a sort of shorthand, virtually universally used in English language travel writing, to refer to what is technically called the coastal stretch that goes south of Numazu City, along Suruga Bay to the Izu Peninsula. Imagine it not as a town but as a territory – how those who travel speak of the Amalfi Coast, but do not intend a single house.
That difference is much more than meets the eye since a few other travel books continue to misrepresent this region with sporadic, even fictional information. This is just attached to what is literally there: Numazu City, the fishing village of Heda, Shuzenji Onsen, and the coastal rough landscape of the western coast of the Izu Peninsula. All that you see below is a realistic transit time, realistic attraction and realistic price thus you can not only plan but you can also count on your timing.
An overview of the destination.
Its location is Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, the deepest bay in Japan, with a depth of about 2500 meters. It is a very far length of that great depth and is a good part of the reason the area does not seem like any other part of the coast of the country. Freezing, nutrient-charged water goes into proximity of the shore supporting a fishing culture that continues to drive the local economy and placing some of the freshest seafood in plates nationwide only hours after the prey is caught.
This stretch is not yet entirely consumed by the Tokyo day-trip machine. The geography does much of the heavy lifting: pine-fringed shore, volcanic cliffs, a working fishing port, and (on clear mornings) Fuji mountain right there across the water, like it belongs there. It is a reward to this type of traveler that would prefer to have a spacious checklist and feel the place he is in.
Best Time to Visit
Season — Conditions — Best For Winter (Dec–February): Clear skies, best Fuji vistas, icy coastal winds — Photography, less crowds. Spring (Mar–May): Mild, cherry blossoms inland around Shuzenji — Hiking, pleasant walking. Summer (Jun–Aug): Hot water, swimming, humid climate — Snorkeling, beaches, coves. Autumn (Sep–Nov): Cool temperatures, good visibility, Typhoons in Sept — Hiking, seafood season.
When the Fuji scenery is your goal, target winter mornings — cold, dry air will make Fuji mountain view as clear as summer fog in summer can never do. Should you wish to swim in the ocean, or scout in tidal pools, the months of July and August have the most pleasant water, but it is worth consulting typhoon prognosticators before committing dates.
Access to the Nummazaki Coast.
It is simpler to arrive at than the so-called hidden gem reputation that it would portray.
From Tokyo:
- Tokaido Shinkansen (Kodama or Hikari) between Tokyo Station and Mishima Station: 50 to 60 minutes or so.
- At Mishima pick it up to the JR Tokaido Line at Numazu Station (one stop, less than 10 minutes), or it can go all the way on the Izu-Hakone Railway all the way to Shuzenji (around 35–40 minutes).
- Total travel time: about 60-90 minutes to Numazu; about 2 hours to Shuzenji.
Out of Shizuoka City: Approximately 30-40 minutes by local train.
Navigation within it: Public transportation is adequate enough to access the major destinations, but it is in fact rental cars that access Heda and farther west coast which are served by buses no more than a few times a day. Bring cash in small cities, and keep your wallet in default in smaller towns – you can finally pay in a card when you are out of the big burgs.
Top Highlights of Nummazaki
1. Suruga Bay Cliffs and Coastal Trails.
The closest characteristic of the coastline is its cliffs that are whitened by wind and waves creating a ragged photogenic front along the Pacific. Trails run along the top taking in breezy 30 minutes walks up to other more long trails that people who have proper shoes carry with them take. On bright days, the higher view-points present to us Suruga Bay in the foreground and the Fuji mountain in the backdrop. That was a pairing that is not common.
2. Numazu Deep Sea Aquarium & Coelacanth Museum
It is, literally, one of the strangest places of visit along this coast and it is actually, verifiably and well worth the entry money. It is the first aquarium in the world that is dedicated to deep-sea animals that live below a depth of 200 meters and is possible due to the incredible depth of Suruga Bay. The star of the show is its coelacanth collection — two frozen and three taxidermied specimens of the “living fossil” fish previously thought to be dead many millions of years ago. It is located close to Numazu Port taking approximately 15 minutes by bus to get to Numazu Station and the admission fee is approximately 1,600–2,200 Yen.
3. Heda: Fishing Village at Work.
On the west coast of the Izu Peninsula is another minor island, Heda, nearly as much of a polished tourist lounge as Japan can sustain. It is the heart of spider crab fishing — the biggest crab species on the planet — and the village has a really bizarre historical footnote; in 1854 shipwrecked Russian sailors, with the help of local carpenters, constructed a schooner here. It is a reasonable effort to reach it (a bus in Shuzenji Station follows some mountain roads with numerous turns, past which the place remains quiet), but that is precisely the reason why this place is not crowded.
4. Shuzenji Onsen
Shuzenji — a 1200 year old hot spring — is known as the Little Kyoto of Izu and was constructed around a stretch of bamboo lining of the Katsura River. And this is where you bathe after spending the day on the cliffs. Some of the ryokan have private baths with mountain views and the Shigetsuden hall at the end of town is the oldest wooden structure on the Izu Peninsula, which is worth seeing even without historical interests.
5. Fuji Mountain-Views further over the bay.
There is hardly any place on the planet where you can shoot a single shot of an ocean cliff, a working harbor, and Fuji mountain. It is best on winter mornings, when the mountain will appear snow-capped in a sky which is nearly impossibly blue.
6. Pop-Culture Pilgrimage: Love Live Sunshine.
The anime series Love Live! has its real world location in Numazu. Sunshine!!* and fans come to the location to walk the areas featured on TV, in addition to thematic cafes and walls bearing the show’s name around the city. When that is the thing, the community surrounding it is real enthusiastic.
Local Culture and Food.
Here the same rule pertains to food, freshness, not fuss. Menus change every day following what the boats had brought and the norm is basicness – sashimi, grilled fish, and kaisendon (seafood rice bowls) loaded with whatever the morning-catch had resembled.
- Sakuraebi (cherry blossom shrimp) – harvested nearly all around the Suruga Bay.
- Kinmedai (alfonsino) – a local specialty, usually grilled or boiled in broth.
- Spider crab — the business card of Heda, during, but not beyond, winter and spring.
- Himono (prepared fish that has been dried) – a coastal restaurant delicacy that you can smell even before you see it.
- Wasabi is cultivated fresh in the cold brooks of Shuzenji, and ought to be tasted uncooked as well as in a tube.
The sea is the heart of the culture here, as though it were not in the least acted. It takes boats with the day before sunrise and there are small shrines around the harbor which are reminders of the long standing connection that the community has with fishing and that the local festivals are done according to the fishing calendar and not the tourism schedule.
Budget Tips
Expense — Approximate Cost Shinkansen Tokyo–Mishima (one-way): ¥4,500–4,700 Izu-Hakone Railway Mishima–Shuzenji: ¥550 Numazu Deep Sea Aquarium admission: ¥1,600–2,200 Guesthouse/minshuku per night: ¥6,000–10,000 Ryokan with meals per night: ¥15,000–30,000+ Lunch in a marine log restaurant: ¥1,200–2,500 Local bus fare: ¥200–1,000 by distance.
Pro tip: Japan Rail Pass 14 days will include the Shinkansen to Mishima and the JR Tokaido train to Shuzenji, but not the Izu-Hakone train to Shuzenji – allow a minor cash top-up here.
1–3 Day Itinerary
Day 1 — Numazu and the Coast.
Travel by Mishima, and leave your baggage at Numazu, and go at once to the harbor, to the morning fish market (before 8 a.m. in case you can rouse yourself out of bed). On this day, visit Deep Sea Aquarium, the coastal cliff trails can be sampled in the afternoon and at the time the sun is setting.
Day 2 — Shuzenji Onsen
Transfer to Shuzenji. Stroll the bamboo grove, along the Katsura River, into Shigetsuden, and spend the night in a ryokan onsen bath with a kaiseki dinner you will likely be mulling about a week later.
Day 3 — Heda (more time available)
Board the bus at Shuzenji, to Heda, to experience fully the fishing-village atmosphere: luncheon at the spider crab, with a panorama of the Mihama Peninsula before our eyes, and a less hurried and more distant airing than anywhere along this coast.
Local Secret and Hidden Gems.
- Early harbor mornings. No hour of the entire area is more memorable than 6 to 7 a.m. at Numazu Port, when no group of travellers is considering the thought of getting up.
- Cape views along the by path. Request lower-profile vantage points at your stay contact local spots – locals usually have those spots that do not even become part of English-language books.
- In Shuzenji, Wasabi tasting. The vast majority of visitors do not even pass this point. That’s a mistake. Freshly grated wasabi almost does not have a similar flavor to what most individuals encounter at sushi counters.
- When the crabs come in Heda. The best spider crab and the best price comes in winter and early spring when neither peaks much higher in demand than the price.
Common Traveling Follies.
- As one town. It is not one address, this is a coastal region. Arrange the transportation between Numazu and Shuzenji and Heda as opposed to thinking that everything could be moved on foot out of one hotel.
- Passing over the JR Pass gap. The Izu-Hakone Railway to Shuzenji is not included in JR Pass – remember to carry cash to buy that ticket.
- Going to Heda without looking sufficiently at bus times. Service is meager; you lose the last bus back, you are in a jam.
- Nothing like, assume card payment everywhere. Smaller restaurants and guesthouses in the harbor are cash only.
- In a hurry and in hours. This, is a slow-built region. One afternoon is hardly enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nummazaki a real place in Japan?
Not an official name of place. Nummazaki is a word which has principally come into use in English travel literature to refer to the coast around Suruga Bay in Shizuoka Prefecture around Heda and Shuzenji within the Izu Peninsula.
Which is the way to the Nummazaki coast out of Tokyo?
Use the Tokaido Shinkansen at the Tokyo Station to Mishima Station (50-60 minutes) and switch to either a local train or Izu-Hakone Railway. The distance totals approximately 60-90 minutes by train to Numazu.
What are Nummazaki famous about?
It is home to the Suruga Bay coastal cliffs, Numazu Deep Sea Aquarium and coelacanths, and fresh seafood, the fishing village of Heda and Fuji mountain on the other side of the bay.
How do you feel about spending a day in Nummazaki?
The port and the aquarium of Numazu can be easily visited in one day. Anyway, two or three days will allow you to include Shuzenji Onsen and a less popular village of Heda to get a far more comprehensive idea of the region.
Are families good in this area?
Yes. Most of the ages will enjoy the aquarium, harbor walks, and softer coastal trails, although the uncovered areas of the cliffs should be closely supervised with small children.
What is the optimal time to view Fuji mountain in this coast?
Mornings in the wintertime, no competition. The visibility is due to cold, dry air, which keeps the air across the bay at such a high level that it cannot be compared to summer humidity.
Would I require hiring a car?
Not strictly. It is served well by public transport (Numazu and Shuzenji), however.
