Visiting Shizuoka Prefecture by Bus: Shimada City~Yoshida Cho~Makinohara City

When you do not want to drive a car, nor ride a bicycle and when there is no railroad available the best means to travel through Shizuoka Prefecture is the bus. And it can prove cheaper as well!

I have very few occasions to visit the Yoshida Cho and Makinohara City areas by the waters of Suruga Bay in Central Shizuoka Prefecture as they are simply too far from the railroad linking the cities of Atamai and Hamamatsu through Mishimsa, Fuji, Shizuoka, Shimada and Kakegawa, but I found an easy enough way to reach them!

First of all ride the train till Shimada JR Station along the Tokaido Line and get out from the North exit!

Do pay a visit to the tourism information bureau on the left where they will give you all the information you need and more!

The bus stop, No 3, is just across the street!

Don’t forget to check the timetable!
There is only one bus to Shizunami/静波, a beach resort in Makinohara City/真琴腹市!
Mind you, considering the distance and the destination, it is more than enough!

The bus of the Shizutetsu Company (based in Shizuoka City, but covering most of central Shizuoka Prefecture!)!

Riding along Oi River!

Finally crossing Oi River and riding full south!

The Oi River, a major river in Japan, needed no less than 650 resident porters during the Edo Era!

Check the map inside the bus. Drivers will always kindly answer to your enquiries and indicate your stop when needed!

My first destination and actual terminal for that particular bus: Shizunami　Kaigan Iriguchi/静波海岸入口/Entry to Shizunami Beach (860 yen from Shimada City)!

Checking the bus schedule for my next destination before walking down to the beach!

I will have to leave from that bus stop sign for my next destination!
Ok! Let’s start walking!

No need for a guide, just follow the bathers!

Shinshuu Ootaniha Daishin Kaizan Myoushyouji Temple (真宗大谷派大心海山明照寺)
I had to forget the bathers walking ahead as there too many distractions on the way! LOL

Quite a few rich residences along the way, too!

Found my bathers again!

These gourds seem popular with the local farmers!

Summer beach camps and parking lots along the way as we get nearer!

Ubiquitous beach hotel!

The ocean!

Lonely mermaid?

Official entrance to the beach!

Beach facilities! A bit old to my taste!
This beach is not really a major one in this Prefecture, after all!

Bathers!

Young lifeguard!

Japanese beaches are always heavily monitored, that is only in July and August!

Taking a dip!

At low tide the waves are innocuous, although they can be pretty big in other seasons!

Not many bathers on a weekday in spite of the heat!

Useful map in four languages!

If you go to the right along the unguarded part of the beach you will discover many wild oysters!

Public bathing prohibited there!

Walking back to the entrance!

Good-bye, Shizunami!

back to the bus terminal in Shizunami, I will next leave from this bus stop used by the bus running from　Fujieda City/藤枝市 to Sagara/相良, also in Makinonara City/牧之原市!
The destination is Sagara Eigyoujyou/相良営業所!

One bus every hour!

Having reached my destination in Sagara I ascertained that I would have to leave from that particular bus stop to take the bus going back into the direction of Fujieda City!

Of course I checked the timetable!
Plenty of time to visit the place!

Let’s walk and find the beach first!

Getting across the main thoroughfare (quite busy, actually!)!

Turn left for the sun beach!

This very part of the beach is very dangerous and closed to tourists!

At last!
Sagara beach is a minor tourist attraction in Shizuoka prefecture, but this is a major fishing area!

The facilities are a bit old, but the drinks and foos steeply priced!

A few hardy bathers only!

Deep sea and treacherous currents beyond the tetrapods!

Vast beach!

Pleasant enough sea for the kids!

Good-bye Sagara Fun Beach!
I decided to have a look at the small town!

Cheap local makuwa melons and Hime sakura watermelons!

This area is famous for its vegetables, especially leaf ginger and mini melons (the latter mostly eaten pickled!)!

Interesting touristic tile signs on the pavement!
Sagara is celebrated for its big kites!

Unusual in Japan: an antique fire hydrant!
Still in use, apparently!

Some rich ancient families still live there!

On my way back from sagara into the direction of Fujieda I changed buses at a stop in front of Makinihara City Police Station to board the bus running back from Shizunami to Shimada City as I wanted to halt o the way in Sumiyoshi/住吉, Yoshida Cho,吉田町 to vist a great Shinto Shrine!