Miyama Pass Art Park | Review by 楊雅雯

When you're in Shimizu, Shizuoka, how could you miss Maruko's hometown!

For a 1,200 JPY admission fee, you can step into Chibi Maruko-chan Land and feel like you've instantly traveled back to childhood. The students of Class 3-4 are all lined up—Maruko, Tama-chan, Hanawa, Maruo... Every character feels as familiar as an old classmate.

The museum also has original manga artwork, anime scripts, and an introduction to Momoko Sakura's life. Looking at the pencil drafts and revision marks, I realized that those seemingly ordinary childhood moments were all precious memories from the creator's life.

The funniest part is the Sakura family—Grandpa Tomozou, Maruko's mom and dad. Every one of them makes you think, "This is exactly like my family!"

There are no thrilling rides here, but it's filled with childhood memories. My biggest takeaway after walking around was—turns out we were all Maruko once!

When visiting Shizuoka, you can't miss Sumpu Castle Park! This is where Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo shogunate, lived in his later years. Although the castle no longer stands and the former Sumpu Castle was destroyed by fire long ago, what remains is a lush public park.

The park has a bronze statue of Tokugawa Ieyasu and a mandarin orange tree said to have been planted by Ieyasu himself. Walking along the tree-lined paths, it's hard to imagine that this was once the center of power.

The weather was also great that day, and everything looked good in photos with the sunlight. Although we didn't get to see the most spectacular flower season, we unexpectedly enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the old castle grounds.

Visiting Miho no Matsubara really felt like stepping into a natural ukiyo-e print! The expansive coastline lined with lush green Japanese black pines is stunning, and when the weather is clear, you can see Mount Fuji too. It almost doesn't look real. Unfortunately, we arrived near sunset, and part of Mount Fuji was already hidden by the clouds, so we could only play “peekaboo with Mount Fuji.” Still, strolling along the coast in the sea breeze was so relaxing that we didn't want to rush at all. There's also the romantic legend of Hagoromo, so be sure to look for the legendary “Hagoromo Pine.” Even without a full view of Mount Fuji, the sea breeze and pine grove alone make it well worth a visit!