Shizuoka (city)

Lore & Background

The area that is now the city of Shizuoka has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Numerous kofun have been found within the city limits, and the Toro archaeological site indicates that a major Yayoi period settlement existed in what is now part of the central city area. Suruga was established as a province of Japan in the early Nara period, and the provincial capital was relocated to a location named Sunpu. During the Muromachi period, Sunpu was the capital of the Imagawa clan.

Reader's Guide

Shizuoka's significance lies in its long history as a political and administrative center, from its origins as the provincial capital of Suruga to its role as the retirement seat of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. As the capital of Shizuoka Prefecture, it serves as a regional hub for government, commerce, and transportation, located along the Tōkaidō Corridor between Tokyo and Nagoya. The city's geography, shaped by the Abe River and featuring the Shizuoka Plain and Miho Peninsula, has influenced its development. Shizuoka's climate is humid subtropical, and it is noted as the sunniest of Japan's major cities.

Did You Know?

• The city's name is derived from two kanji meaning 'still' or 'calm' and 'hill(s)'.