Enjoy Diverse Attractions and Local Gourmet Food! 8 Recommended Tourist Spots in Hamamatsu

If you are planning to visit Hamamatsu, spring is the best season.
You can see cherry blossoms around Lake Hamana and its surrounding area, one of the city’s best-known sightseeing spots, and the mild climate and long daylight hours make it especially pleasant for sightseeing.
Shizuoka’s famous tea is harvested from mid-April to mid-May, so spring is also a great time to enjoy fresh new tea in Hamamatsu.

Hamamatsu is only Approx. 45 minutes from Nagoya, the nearest major city, by Shinkansen.
Even by local train, which helps keep transportation costs down, it takes under 2 hours, making Hamamatsu an easy day trip from Nagoya.

A flower and greenery theme park on the shores of Lake Hamana, where you can enjoy around 3,000 kinds of plants blooming through the seasons across a vast 300,000-square-meter site that makes use of the natural terrain.
It is also one of the venues for Hamana Lake Flower Expo 2024, held from March 23, 2024 to June 16, 2024.
Spring is especially popular, when wisteria, roses, Japanese irises, hydrangeas, and many other flowers come into season one after another.

Located in the Okuhamana Lake area, Ryugashido Cave was formed in geological layers dating back Approx. 250 million years.
It is one of the largest limestone caves in the Tokai region, with 400 meters of its Approx. 1,000-meter total length open to the public.
Inside, you will find a mysterious space filled with stalactites that could be called natural works of art, formed over countless years.

A resort-style amusement park next to Hamanako Kanzanji Onsen, where cute characters designed by Takashi Yanase welcome visitors throughout the park.
It offers plenty of rides, including a merry-go-round for babies age 0 and up and the giant Ferris wheel “Coucou,” and another appealing feature is that children who have just turned 3 can enter free with up to two parents for 3 months from their birthday (advance application and proof of age 3 are required).

A playful factory where you can tour the production process of Shunkado’s Unagi Pie, a classic Shizuoka souvenir loved for its crispy texture and perfectly balanced sweetness, and where all the handrails inside the factory are shaped like eels.
In addition to seeing how delicious Unagi Pie is made, you will also find factory-direct products and a café serving sweets made with Unagi Pie, making it a popular spot for families and couples alike.

An urban park built on the former site of the Hamana Lake Flower Expo, which was held in 2004.
It sits at the tip of a peninsula jutting out into Lake Hamana and is known for its beautiful location surrounded by the lake and abundant nature.
The vast 56-hectare grounds, equal to Approx. 12 Tokyo Domes, are divided into three zones: the Town Area, the West Area, and the Village Area.
The central Town Area is a lively zone with a water play area, a children’s plaza, and sightseeing boats.

Hamamatsu Castle is where Tokugawa Ieyasu spent his days before rising to power.
Surrounding its castle tower, Hamamatsu Castle Park is located in the center of the city yet wrapped in lush greenery, making it a relaxing spot for locals.
Covering Approx. 10 hectares, the park is a treasure trove of nature where seasonal flowers can be enjoyed throughout the year. The cherry blossoms in spring are especially famous as one of the city’s best viewing spots, with Approx. 400 trees, mainly Somei Yoshino, coming into bloom.

A public relations facility next to JASDF Hamamatsu Air Base. Because visitors can see real Japan Air Self-Defense Force aircraft and fighter jets up close, it is a popular spot with both children and adults.
On the first floor, there are display panels introducing the organization and missions of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, as well as fighter jets and cutaway engine models that let you see inside the cockpit.

A zoo that keeps Approx. 300 animals of around 90 species on a vast 146,000-square-meter site facing Lake Hamana.
Making use of the natural terrain, the grounds are full of elevation changes and have an atmosphere that feels like being in a forest.
In addition to seeing the animals, you can also relax in the natural setting, with the sounds of insects and birds and seasonal flowers all around you.

Hamamatsu gyoza is a B-grade gourmet dish popular throughout Japan.
Ishimatsu Gyoza is a long-established Hamamatsu gyoza restaurant founded in front of Hamamatsu Station in 1953, and it has preserved its original flavor ever since.
The cabbage is carefully selected by season and origin. The meat is domestic pork round, which has little odor and brings out the flavor of the filling even more. The wrappers are thin and smooth, yet pleasantly chewy.

A specialty restaurant for eel dishes located on the top floor (18th floor) of Hotel Concorde Hamamatsu, next to Hamamatsu Castle. You can enjoy eel cuisine together with one of Hamamatsu’s best panoramic views from 60 meters above the ground.
The eel used here is carefully selected from Lake Hamana. Hamanako eel is known for being larger than regular eel, rich in fat, and consistent in quality.

The only Sawayaka branch in Kosai City, part of the famous hamburger steak chain that operates 34 locations only within Shizuoka Prefecture.
The signature dish is the “Genkotsu Hamburg,” made with 100% block-cut beef and finished over charcoal.
The large hamburger steak is served sizzling on a hot iron plate, then cut in half by the staff right in front of you. After that, you can finish cooking it to your preferred doneness.

Nukumori no Mori is a warm and charming space with scenery like medieval Europe, making you feel as if you have wandered into a picture book.
It was lovingly created over more than 20 years by the late architect Shigeyoshi Sasaki.
Small stone houses and antique furniture imported from Europe create a fairy-tale-like atmosphere.

A shopping mall centered around the large supermarket Aeon, with more than 200 specialty stores covering fashion, dining, services, and more.
Large stores such as MUJI and the electronics retailer Edion are also located here. The facility is equipped with many diaper changing stations, baby chairs, and kids’ spaces.
Thoughtful attention has been paid to make shopping and dining easier for families with children.

A complex shopping center within walking distance of JR Hamamatsu Station.
When it opened, the facility’s name was chosen through a public contest among local residents, with the hope that it would become a place where people gather quickly and easily. True to its name, it is lively every day with shoppers of all ages.

A hot spring resort hotel in Kanzanji Onsen.
It offers seven types of rooms designed for spacious, high-quality relaxation, including rooms with panoramic views of Lake Hamana and others overlooking the garden.

A resort hotel by the calm shores of Lake Hamana, known for its beautiful views.
You can enjoy elegant lake views not only from the guest rooms, but also from the open-air bath and the restaurant.
At the panoramic open-air bath, you can relax in the water while looking out over the lake stretching right before you.

A resort hotel known for its excellent restaurant views overlooking Lake Hamana and its own natural hot spring, Yuto Onsen.
At the top-floor sky restaurant, colorful French cuisine delights both the palate and the eyes.
Each photogenic dish, crafted with care by the chef, is so beautiful you will want to take a picture before eating it.
The changing evening scenery over Lake Hamana makes dinner even more romantic.