The heart-shaped wave motif at the fishing port, Yaizu Shrine and museums about history and the sea give Yaizu several clearly distinct themes. If you are considering Yaizu for a cultural getaway and a chance to explore, you can choose your focus: maritime motifs, religious traditions, local history or exhibits about Suruga Bay.
Fishing Port and Shrine Traditions
Yaizu Wave & Katsuobell is located in Fisshuna Waterfront Park at Yaizu Fishing Port. The site includes a large heart-shaped motif made of white waves and a bell monument shaped like a bonito head. Both forms create a maritime image: waves and a fish head are at the heart of the design.
Yaizu Shrine offers a different perspective. It is said to have been founded more than 1,600 years ago, and its principal deity is Yamato Takeru. The main festival is traditionally held on August 12 and 13. If you would like to time your trip to coincide with the festival, check the dates for your planned stay.
Museums: Different Ways to Explore Yaizu
The Yaizu History and Folklore Museum displays materials about the Fifth Fukuryu Maru. The Yaizu Koizumi Yakumo Memorial Museum features objects associated with Koizumi Yakumo. The museum also provides background on why Koizumi Yakumo chose Yaizu as a place to relax. These museums thus offer distinct focuses: a specific historical subject and a personal connection to Yaizu.
The Yaizu Picture Book Library, housed in Tarntokuru Children's Hall, has about 7,000 books. The Yaizu Toy Museum is also located there, where visitors can explore the significance of Yaizu through play and experience the warmth of wood. The library focuses on picture books, while the Toy Museum takes a playful approach to interpretation. Visitors interested in these subjects will find concrete points of connection here beyond the historical museum collections.
Suruga Bay and Fishing History
The UmiShiru exhibition room, within Yaizu municipality, displays deep-sea creatures from Suruga Bay and fish from coastal waters. Also within Yaizu municipality, the Deep Sea Water Museum uses videos, display panels and tanks of deep-sea creatures to present the deep sea of Suruga Bay. Comparing them highlights their different approaches: UmiShiru focuses on the creatures on display from the bay and coastal waters, while the Deep Sea Water Museum uses several exhibition formats to explore the deep sea.
Hamadori, also within Yaizu municipality, is considered the birthplace of Yaizu's fishing industry. This tradition complements the exhibitions about Suruga Bay with a look at the municipality's fishing history. The maritime themes thus range from the creatures on display today to a place identified as the origin of the fishing industry.
Bicycles at Yaizu Station
Bicycles can be rented at the south exit of Yaizu Station; electric bicycles are available exclusively through the tourism association. If you would like to include cycling in your travel plans, this distinction is a practical starting point: rentals are available at the south exit, and the tourism association is the provider for e-bikes.
Discover more destinations: Susono, Omaezaki, Ito, Kamo District, Kakegawa, Iwata, Fukuroi, Kosai.
For the broader travel overview: Shizuoka Prefecture.
