5 Photogenic Buildings and Streetscapes in Shizuoka | Recommended Instagrammable Retro Architecture and Castles

Shizuoka Prefecture has plenty of beautiful buildings and streetscapes that make you want to point your camera. From historic castles to Western-style mansions full of exotic charm, we carefully introduce spots that are sure to be Instagrammable.

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1. Sunpu Castle Park (Shizuoka City)

The site of the famous Sunpu Castle, associated with Tokugawa Ieyasu, has overwhelming scenery created by its moats and stone walls. Especially the contrast of the vermilion and white plaster of the East Gate (Higashi-gomon) makes for an eye-catching shot when photographed against a blue sky.

• Best time and season: The spring cherry blossom season is exceptional! The soft light from morning through late morning beautifully illuminates the stone walls.
• Shooting angle: A "reflection shot" with the castle gate reflected on the moat's water surface is great. Aim from a low angle along the moat.
• Access: About a 15-minute walk from JR Shizuoka Station

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2. Old Iwasaki Residence (Hamamatsu City, near the old Hamamatsu castle-town area) / Hamamatsu Castle

Hamamatsu Castle, with a keep that is small but full of dignity, has a charm in its distinctive way of stacking stone walls, called "nozura-zumi," with a rugged beauty. The stone walls surrounded by green trees are just like the world of Ghibli.

• Best time and season: The autumn-leaf season, the time slot in the evening when slanting light creates shadows on the stone walls
• Shooting angle: Look up at the stone walls from below with a low angle to capture plenty of a sense of scale
• Access: About a 15-minute walk or bus from JR Hamamatsu Station

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3. Old Mitsuke School (Iwata City)

Built in 1875 (Meiji 8), one of the oldest surviving wooden Western-style school buildings in Japan. The Japanese-Western blended design of white walls, arched windows, and namako walls is truly a treasure trove of retro-photo appeal!

• Best time and season: The frontlit time slot in the morning. The combination with a blue sky maximizes the photogenic effect
• Shooting angle: A symmetrical composition from the front is recommended. Capture both a wide shot including the whole building and a close-up of the arched windows
• Access: About 5 minutes by bus from JR Iwata Station, get off right at "Mitsuke"

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4. Nirayama Reverberatory Furnaces, Izunokuni City

An industrial heritage registered as a World Heritage Site. The figure of the chimney towering about 16 meters high is a spot where you can take a one-of-a-kind industrial photogenic photo.

• Best time and season: At dusk, cutting it out as a silhouette gives a dreamlike atmosphere. On a clear day when Mount Fuji is visible, you can aim for a two-shot with Mount Fuji!
• Shooting angle: The "dual-protagonist composition," placing Mount Fuji in the background and the reverberatory furnace in the foreground, is popular
• Access: About 10 minutes by bus from Izuhakone Railway "Izu-Nagaoka Station"

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5. Atami Ginza and Around Kiunkaku (Atami City)

The arcade street of Atami Ginza, where a Showa-retro atmosphere remains, and the residential architecture of Kiunkaku wafting Taisho romance have the charm of a worldview as if you have time-slipped. Especially the Western-style wing of Kiunkaku, with its beautiful stained glass and white walls, gives an evocative finish when shot in portrait orientation.

• Best time and season: The winter plum season (January to February) and days with the soft light of a cloudy sky are the targets
• Shooting angle: Shooting from Kiunkaku's inner garden so as to surround the building gives a photogenic photo with depth
• Access: About a 15-minute walk from JR Atami Station (Kiunkaku)

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Shizuoka is not just about the sea, mountains, and hot springs. Do head out, camera in hand, on a journey touring buildings packed with history and beauty.

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