5 Photogenic Gourmet Foods and Souvenirs in Shizuoka

Mount Fuji, tea, sakura shrimp... Shizuoka is packed with "photogenic gourmet food" that makes you unintentionally point your camera! This time we have carefully selected and introduce five superb gourmet foods and souvenirs, guaranteed to be Instagrammable, that make a Shizuoka trip even more fun.

01 | Sawayaka "Genkotsu Hamburg" / Shizuoka City, Hamamatsu City, and others

When it comes to Shizuoka's soul food, nothing beats Sawayaka's Genkotsu Hamburg! The moment it is dramatically split in half right in front of you and seared to a sizzle is supremely video-worthy. Aim for the moment when the juices overflow from the cut surface and mix with the sauce, and shoot in burst mode with a vertical angle to capture it.

• Shooting timing: Don't miss the moment the staff cuts it in half
• Access: Located throughout the prefecture, including Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, and Numazu

02 | Fujinomiya Yakisoba / Fujinomiya City, "Omiya Yokocho"

"Omiya Yokocho" (4-23 Miyamachi, Fujinomiya City) is a street-food alley located between Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha and the Shizuoka Fujisan World Heritage Center. The Fujinomiya Yakisoba Society's antenna shop is open 10:30–17:30 with no regular closing day, and the steam rising from the iron griddle is great for video. It is recommended to visit in winter to spring (December to April) in the morning, when you can combine a shrine visit with a view of Mt. Fuji draped in snow.

• Recommended angle: With the yakisoba in the foreground and the wooden townscape of the alley in the background to bring out the travel atmosphere
• Access: About 10 minutes on foot from JR Fujinomiya Station

03 | A Museum Dedicated to Tea / Shimada City, "Fujinokuni Cha no Miyako Museum"

A prefectural museum where you can experience Shizuoka's tea with all five senses. In addition to exhibits, there is a Japanese garden and tearoom, and hands-on matcha-grinding and tea-ceremony experiences are available. Open 9:00–17:00 (last admission 16:30), tearoom 9:30–16:00, closed Tuesdays (or the following weekday if a holiday), admission ¥300. The golden times are May, the season of first-flush tea, when the fresh greenery is dazzling, and 9:00–11:00, when the light is soft.

• Recommended angle: Shooting from a low angle with the Japanese garden as a backdrop creates depth
• Access: About 20 minutes on foot from JR Kanaya Station (about 5 minutes by bus)

04 | Sakura Shrimp Kakiage Rice Bowl / Yui, "Yui Port Fishery Cooperative Hama no Kakiageya"

A canteen directly operated by the Yui Port fishery cooperative. The kakiage-don piled high with vivid pink sakura shrimp is guaranteed to be photogenic on color alone. It is basically open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays from 10:00 to 14:00, and during the sakura shrimp off-season operating days drop considerably — confirmation before visiting is essential.

• Shooting timing: In the 10 o'clock hour right after opening. Before the queue grows long, you can also shoot the food at your leisure.
• Access: About 15 minutes on foot from JR Yui Station / open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays 10:00–14:00

05 | Japanese Sweets at Toraya Kobo / Gotemba, "Next to the Former Kishi Residence in Higashiyama"

"Toraya Kobo" (1022-1 Higashiyama, Gotemba City), adjacent to the Former Kishi Residence in Higashiyama, Gotemba, is a Japanese sweets shop surrounded by bamboo groves and a garden. Shooting freshly made sweets alongside matcha or tea from directly above in a flat-lay (overhead) shot produces results that look like official cafe photography. Open 10:00–18:00 (until 17:00 from October to March / may close earlier when sold out), closed Tuesdays.

• Recommended angle: Keep it simple with a white plate and wooden table for a clean, refined look
• Access: About 15 minutes by taxi from JR Gotemba Station; alight at the Hakone Tozan Bus stop "Higashiyama Kyu-Kishitei Mae"

Shizuoka food is not just for eating — photographing it, sharing it, and taking it home are all part of the fun of the trip. Head to Shizuoka this coming weekend and aim for your very own perfect shot!

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Opening hours and closing days: At Omiya Yokocho these differ from shop to shop; the antenna shop of the Fujinomiya Yakisoba Gakkai is open 10:30-17:30 and never closes. The Fuji no Kuni Tea Museum is open 9:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30; the tea house 9:30-16:00), closed on Tuesdays (when Tuesday is a public holiday it opens and closes the following weekday instead) and over the New Year period. Hama no Kakiageya is basically open 10:00-14:00 on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Toraya Kobo is open 10:00-18:00 (until 17:00 from October to March; closes once sold out), closed on Tuesdays (the following day when Tuesday is a public holiday).
• Guide to budget and prices: Admission to the Fuji no Kuni Tea Museum is 300 yen (free of charge for university students and younger, visitors aged 70 and over, and holders of a disability certificate; hands-on experiences cost extra). Rice bowl dishes at Hama no Kakiageya cost around 1,000 yen.
• Access: Omiya Yokocho = 4-23 Miyacho, Fujinomiya City, about a 10-minute walk from JR Fujinomiya Station. Fuji no Kuni Tea Museum = Shimada City, about a 20-minute walk or a 5-minute bus ride from JR Kanaya Station. Hama no Kakiageya = inside the Yui Port Fisheries Cooperative, about a 15-minute walk from JR Yui Station. Toraya Kobo = 1022-1 Higashiyama, Gotemba City, about 15 minutes by taxi from JR Gotemba Station, or right by the "Higashiyama Kyu-Kishi-tei" stop on the Hakone Tozan Bus.
• Parking: Hama no Kakiageya has a free car park (it tends to fill up at lunchtime on days it is open). Toraya Kobo shares a car park with the adjacent Higashiyama Kyu-Kishi-tei residence and is conveniently located near the Tomei Expressway Gotemba IC.
• Photography rules: The fisheries cooperative canteen and the shopfronts in the yokocho are working premises. Do not photograph kitchens, food being prepared, or other customers without permission. It is bad manners to set up a tripod in a passageway while people are queuing; photograph your food quickly at your seat and eat it while it is hot.
• Points to note: Hama no Kakiageya opens on far fewer days during the sakura shrimp closed seasons (roughly mid-June to mid-October, and January to mid-March). Sawayaka has branches only within Shizuoka Prefecture, and waiting times are long on days off.

Note: Opening hours and prices are subject to change. Please check each official website before visiting.

(Sources: Fujinomiya City Tourism Association; Fujinomiya Yakisoba Gakkai official website; Fuji no Kuni Tea Museum official website; Yui Port Fisheries Cooperative Association official website; Toraya Kobo official information)