Walkable Shimizu: Tuna, Sushi & the Bayfront
No taxi, no timetable stress — Japan's tuna capital is a waterfront walk from your gangway.
How the day runs
Clock times assume you are off the ship at the first time shown. If your ship is late, everything shifts; the order does not.
- 9:00 Depart Hinode Pier
Step off the gangway and turn right along the waterfront promenade. You don't need the shuttle for this plan — everything is on foot.
About 20–25 min on foot north along the waterfront (or the free cruise-day shuttle to JR Shimizu Station, ~5 min, then 4 min on foot)
- 9:25 Kashi-no-Ichi Fish Market
Stay: about 1 hour
Shimizu handles more frozen tuna than any port in Japan, and this working market is where it lands. Two buildings: Ichiba-kan for stalls and gifts, Maguro-kan for restaurants. Go early — the maguro bowls at opening time are the move. Closed Wednesdays (Ichiba-kan): check before you build your morning around it.
What you will see here →
Photo: kcomiida / CC BY-SA 3.0 About 20 min on foot back south along the waterfront
- 10:45 S-Pulse Dream Plaza & Sushi Yokocho
Stay: about 1 to 1.5 hours
A bayfront complex with a sushi alley (Shimizu Sushi Yokocho), local gift floors, a small Ferris wheel with bay views, and the Chibi Maruko-chan museum — the beloved anime is set in Shimizu. This is the easiest one-stop souvenir run of the whole cruise.
What you will see here →
Photo: SHIZUOKACITYperson / CC BY-SA 4.0 About 10 min on foot back along the promenade
- 12:15 Back at Hinode Pier
You're back with the whole afternoon in hand. Extend the day with the Water Bus to Miho (25 min out, 15 min back; ride) if your all-aboard time allows — see the Miho itinerary.
The short version: walk up the waterfront, eat tuna, stroll back via the sushi alley. This is the plan for passengers who want Japan on foot, not through a bus window.
Part of the full Kashi-no-Ichi guide.
About this plan
How long does the Walkable Shimizu: Tuna, Sushi & the Bayfront plan take?
About 3 to 3.5 hours. Designed for a stop of about 5 hours or more. On a 3–4 hour call, skip the market and keep to Dream Plaza and the waterfront, 10 minutes from the gangway. Back at the gangway 60 min before all-aboard.
Can I do this in Shimizu without a ship’s tour?
Yes — this is a self-guided plan for independent cruise passengers, with transport and timings laid out step by step so you get back on board with margin.
Prefer this day guided?
The same ground, with an English-speaking driver-guide and a pickup at the pier.
Private Shimizu Highlights by Jumbo Taxi
The one I'd book for a first call with 5–6 hours: Nihondaira, Kunozan and Miho — all three of Shimizu's big sights — in four hours, with the ropeway and the driving handled.
US$350 per person for 2 · US$699 per vehicle Meets at the pier 4.9★ · 156 reviews · 4 hours Fits and has seats on 12 of 20 calls from 27 Oct Why it's on this list →
Shimizu Port Food & Bar Hopping
Two local restaurants and bars with a host who knows the port town's food — best on an evening call.
From US$93 per person · max 6 Meets at the pier 2 hours Fits and has seats on 19 of 20 calls from 27 Oct Why it's on this list →Tours are booked through our partners Viator (a Tripadvisor company) and GetYourGuide. If you book, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — it never decides what we recommend.