April 15-16, 2024 (and sea days April 17-18)
When we arrived in Shimizu, we did not have the best view of Mt. Fuji.
Very friendly local volunteers provided a map of local sites and a free shuttle. When the free shuttle bus dropped us at the rail station, we decided to take the 30 minute (600 yen) train ride to the town of Fuji to get a better view.
The funny thing about the town as the shops opened up, was a coordinated soundtrack along the street – playing Beatles music. We decided against an additional bus to the lake with the best views, but our port time was limited, so after walking 15 minutes we returned to the train station back to Shimizu.
Shimizu is a lovely small city with many volunteer docents happily pointing out and explaining the features of their town.
The next morning we sailed into the port of Osaka, where we explored the city with friends John & Andrea.
The short walk from the terminal to their metro and then rode up to Osaka Castle – one of the most beautiful buildings in the world-
Of course- we were there with everyone else. We climbed up the 8 floors to the observation deck for views of the city.
Osaka is also know for amazing street food. We wandered past streets of stalls and had to try some of the local delicacies – fried balls filled with octopus and spices.
Overall – I absolutely loved Japan and everyone who can should visit. Flights and hotels can be very expensive, but food and transportation are reasonable, so watch for specials and go if you can!