Shizuoka (city)

Shizuoka is a large and important city in central Japan.

It serves as the capital of Shizuoka Prefecture. The city sits in a special spot along the Tōkaidō Corridor. This area is halfway between the big cities of Tokyo and Nagoya. To the south, the city meets the waters of Suruga Bay. To the north, the tall Minami Alps mountains rise up. The city's name comes from two Japanese characters. One means "still" or "calm," and the other means "hill."

The shape of the land tells a story of water and earth. The Shizuoka Plain and the Miho Peninsula look like a fan. This shape was made over a long time by the Abe River. The river carried sand and earth as it flowed quickly. These materials built the ground the city sits on today. A mountain called Mount Kunō sits between the coastlines. It separates the Suruga coast from the Shimizu coast. The weather here is warm and humid during the summer. It is also very sunny because there is little summer fog.

People have lived in this area since prehistoric times. Long ago, a large settlement existed in the central city area. During the Nara period, the area was known as Suruga. A capital named Sunpu was built on the banks of the Abe River. Later, the famous leader Tokugawa Ieyasu lived in Sunpu. He retired there in 1606 and set up a secondary court. In 1869, the name of the area changed to Shizuoka. The modern city was officially founded on April 1, 1889.

Shizuoka is a very large place with many people. As of September 2023, about 677,867 people lived there. The city covers a huge area of 1,411.90 square kilometers. It is the fifth largest city in Japan by land area. The city is divided into three main parts called wards. These are Aoi Ward, Suruga Ward, and Shimizu Ward. In 2003, Shizuoka grew much larger when it joined with Shimizu City. This merger briefly made it the largest city in Japan by land.

Many interesting things are made or grown in Shizuoka. Farmers grow high-quality green tea in many corners of the city. They also grow strawberries, wasabi, and citrus fruits called mikan. Some strawberries even grow in holes in stone walls! Near the coast, Shimizu Port has the largest tuna catch in Japan. The city is also world-famous for making plastic scale models. Many famous companies make small versions of real things there. Every May, the city hosts a big hobby show for model lovers.