Omaezaki is a new cruise port that is growing in popularity. A town of only around 35,000 people, located about halfway between Tokyo and Osaka, is an important cargo port. While its port is first-class, the surrounding area retains a rural wind-swept feel. The subtropical climate makes it an ideal place to cultivate tea, and the Makinohara green tea plantation is one of the largest in all of Japan. In addition to the port and tea production, Omaezaki's economy benefits from fishing. Sightseeing includes a tea museum, taking a steam train through tea plantations, and meditating at the Kasuisai Temple. 

Ship Location

Ships dock at West Wharf 1 & 2 in the international terminal of Omaezaki’s industrial port.

Getting Around

Shuttle busses, taxis and local sightseeing tour options are made available to visiting passengers when ships are in port.

Attractions

When ships visit, the local tourism office arranges welcome ceremonies by brass bands, taiko drum groups, and kindergarten marching bands. Tea ceremonies, Taiko drums, and Japanese calligraphy are all activities offered here to give visitors an immersion into Japanese culture.

About a ten-minute drive from the port, the Omaezaki lighthouse sits on the cape, where the Pacific Ocean meets Suruga Bay. Built by English engineers in 1874, the lighthouse is open to tourists and offers great views of the coast. On a clear day, you may be able to see Mt. Fuji. The Hamaoka Sand Dunes are about a fifteen-minute drive from the lighthouse. Makinohara, a large tea producer, offers visitors a chance to learn about tea harvesting, including the production of matcha powder and the area's special tea, Fukamuschi. There is a cafe that reportedly offers ten different flavors of green tea ice cream. A forty-five-minute drive from the port is a steam locomotive operated by the Oigawa Railway that offers trips through the River Oi area and commercial tea fields. At some 3000 feet in length, the Hourai bridge over the River Oi is considered the world's longest wooden walking bridge.