Mt. Fuji Shimizu Port Cruise Ltd. Offering Gastronomic Tour of Shimizu Port, Shizuoka Pref., to Enjoy Local Food, Craftsmanship, Performing Arts, etc.

- Report on Familiarization Trip for Cuisine and Culture at Shimizu Port, Featuring Tuna -

Mt. Fuji Shimizu Port Cruise Ltd., headquartered in the central Japan city of Shizuoka, which provides a variety of passenger ship services to and from Shimizu Port, has launched a package tour. It has combined a night cruise on the "Ocean Princess" sailing ship, once popular celebrities were on board, and offered tourists experiences of traditional skills and arts that the city of Shimizu is proud of, as well as its famous cuisine. The day-long tour features a chopstick-making workshop, a tuna freezer walk-through tour, and a sushi-making class as well as a cruise with tuna-filled meal in the evening.

The company organized a familiarization trip for the tour on Saturday, November 30, inviting 28 people from the tourism industry and mass media.

Photo: Shimizu-based geisha "Shimizu Geigi" (professional female entertainer) dance aboard "Ocean Princess" sailing ship: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M108497/202412091344/_prw_PI8fl_Hfc2x4qo.jpg

Shimizu Ward in Shizuoka is home to both Suruga Bay, Japan's deepest bay, and the World Heritage-listed Mount Fuji, the country's highest mountain. It is just an hour from Tokyo, and is also known for the largest annual landing of frozen tuna in Japan.

The company has organized the package tour based on the concept of gastronomical tourism, where participants can experience Shimizu’s food culture, history, traditional arts and skills, and local industries, positioning tuna as the region’s unique resource.

Thus, the company is striving to promote the tour both in Japan and overseas as a means of creating a new tourism brand for Shimizu as the "City of the Sea" in a bid to continually attract tourists to the area.

- Traditional workshop experience at "Sunpu Takumishuku" studio

The tour participants visited "Takumishuku" (meaning "craftsmanship inn") in Sunpu (an old name for central Shizuoka) to experience creating traditional handicrafts. They sharpened "urushi" lacquer coated chopsticks to uncover the shell pattern underneath.

https://takumishuku.jp/

- "Nigiri sushi" (hand-pressed sushi) class with sushi chefs at lunch time

The participants made their own sushi at Shimizu Sushi Alley inside the S-Pulse Dream Plaza commercial complex on the Shimizu Port premises, which is bustling with tourists both from Japan and overseas. They used tuna landed at the port as well as fish caught in Suruga Bay.

https://www.dream-plaza.co.jp/shimizu-sushi-yokocho/

- Minus 50 C tuna freezer walk-through tour at seafood-processing company

The participants entered a freezer for tuna landed at Shimizu Port, which is kept at minus 50 degrees Celsius. The freezer, owned by Shizuoka Central Marine Products Ltd., is usually off-limits to visitors. The company is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

https://shizu-chu.com/

- Verkehr Shimizu Port Terminal Museum displaying history of local port development since Meiji Era (1868-1912)

The participants visited the Verkehr Shimizu Port Terminal Museum, specializing in ships, and the port to view a variety of exhibits telling a story on Shimizu Port that has evolved with the history of Japan’s economic development.

https://www.verkehr-museum.jp/

- Night cruise on 50-year-old "Ocean Princess" sailing ship

The participants boarded the Ocean Princess, a 50-year-old sailing ship built in 1974 that has hosted celebrities from around the world, for a night cruise. They viewed "Shimizu Geigi" (geisha female entertainer) dance to the tune of "shamisen" (a traditional Japanese three-string musical instrument) and later enjoyed dinner, where they were served tuna dishes, such as sashimi and salt-grilled "kama" (fish collar portion), provided by Nasubi-an, a caterer that has been in business in Shimizu since 1975.

https://www.shimizu-cruise.co.jp/reserve/

https://www.geigi.jp/

Corporate overview

Name: Mt. Fuji Shimizu Port Cruise Ltd.

Headquarters: 10-80, Hinode-cho, Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka Pref.

Number of ships: 9 (as of December 2024)

Official website: https://www.shimizu-cruise.co.jp/

Sunset /night cruises, including on chartered ships

Mt. Fuji Shimizu Port Cruise Ltd. offers cruises unique to Shimizu Port, such as enjoying sunset/night cruises aboard a chartered ship or in group travel meeting the requirements of tourists.

Private cruise aboard ship of choice

- Example: Aboard Ocean Princess

Price: From 165,000 yen per hour (including consumption tax, exclusively for excursion)

Capacity: 80 people

Price per person: From 25,000 yen (including consumption tax)

Minimum number of participants required: 30

Customers can charter one of the company’s three types of ships for special cruises. The company will cater to clients’ food requirements as well as to those for surprise presentations and special events.

Inquiries can be made by visiting the following website: https://www.shimizu-cruise.co.jp/contact/

- Special cruise plan on chartered Ocean Princess in which participants can enjoy sunset/night views, "Shimizu Geigi" performances and tuna dishes

Price: 25,000 yen per person (including consumption tax)

Minimum number of participants required: 30

On board, customers will be entertained by "Shimizu Geigi" and enjoy tuna dishes provided by Nasubi-an, a caterer operating in Shimizu since 1975.

Date of launch: Monday, December 16, 2024

Inquiries on this cruise can be made by visiting the following website:

https://www.shimizu-cruise.co.jp/contact/

All Images: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/release/202412091344?p=images