Shizuoka is at the foot of Japan's most famous landmark, Mt Fuji. If you're here, then it's certainly for the prefecture's natural wonders or its football frenzy. Blessed with mountains, rivers, lakes, hot springs and shimmering shores of the Pacific it is miniature Japan you're about to see.

Shizouka grew around the Sumpu Castle in the 16th century and progressed to challenge Tokyo as a symbol of modernity with its bullet trains, a well-developed infrastructure and the zipping Tomei Expressway.

Mt Fuji at a height of 3776 m changes its colours with the seasons - snow covered in winter, pale white with a sprinkle of green in spring, emerald in summer and russet in autumn. It is easy to see why the once active volcano is a constant source of inspiration to poets and artists. Greet the Go-raiko (sunrise), literally the Honourable Coming of Light, from the foot of the mountain and you'll know why. Culturally and spiritually revered by the Japanese, Mt Fuji is officially open to climbers from July1 to August 31.

Other places to visit are Lake Hamana, Shiraito Falls, Mount Kuno and the Sumpu and Kakegawa castles. There are numerous gardens all over the city maintaining the perfect balance between natural beauty and development. The hot springs are at the Izu Peninsula. Shizouka grows 45% of Japan's green tea and you just can't leave here without sipping a good cup of ocha at the Tea Museum.

A brand new stadium, Shizouka Ecopa, is the city's contribution to the 40,000 odd football players and 1300 teams who are the rhythm of the city. The stadium accommodates 51,349 spectators and boasts of 5, 236 retractable seats, a feature it shares with the main stadium in France.

Shizouka enjoys a temperate climate with four well-marked seasons. It grows plenty of mandarin oranges, muskmelons and other fruit. Dried, fried, salted or fresh, seafood is a specialty of Shizouka. The shrimps make a stunning orange carpet when they are being dried outdoors in the fishing areas of Kambara and Yoi. Crabs, eels, lobsters, sardines, tuna and mackerel make up the rest of the catch.

Getting There: Accessible from all cities in Japan, Shizouka is well connected by road and rail. The nearest international airports are at Osaka, Tokyo and Nagoya. It takes two hours via the Tomei Expressway from either Tokyo or Nagoya and three and a half hours from Osaka. By bullet train it takes only forty minutes to get to Shizouka from Tokyo.

Accommodation: Shizuoka has a wide range of hotel options ranging from luxurious to basic. There are quite a few ryokans - the traditional Japanese inns in Shizuoka and depending upon the level of service and amenities offered, can range from exorbitant to fairly affordable.

For detailed country & visitor information, see Japan.