Shizuoka Prefecture stretches along Japan's Pacific coast between Tokyo and Nagoya, framed by the southern slopes of Mount Fuji, the hot-spring resorts of the Izu Peninsula, and the deep waters of Suruga Bay. Home to Japan's largest green tea harvest, its top eel-producing city, and the closest classic views of Mount Fuji outside Yamanashi, Shizuoka pairs UNESCO World Heritage scenery with feudal-era castles and coastal onsen towns across 7,777 square kilometres of the Chubu region.
Shizuoka Prefecture is one of the safest regions in Japan for travelers, with very low crime and a relaxed, orderly atmosphere in its cities and coastal towns. The primary safety considerations are natural hazards - earthquake and tsunami risk from the nearby Nankai Trough, occasional typhoons, and Mt Fuji's status as a monitored active volcano - rather than crime. Standard precautions and awareness of evacuation signage make for a very safe visit.
Current safety advisory
Very Low
Essential safety tips
Practical advice that applies everywhere.
Shizuoka Prefecture has an extremely low crime rate even by Japanese standards; violent crime against visitors is rare and most travelers experience no safety issues at all
Shizuoka faces the Nankai Trough, a major offshore fault zone; the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issues Nankai Trough earthquake advisories and coastal areas display blue-and-white tsunami evacuation signs pointing to high ground - note the nearest evacuation route (hinan basho) at any coastal hotel or ryokan
Install the JMA-linked Safety tips app or a local earthquake early-warning app (Yurekuru Call) which gives several seconds' warning before shaking arrives - useful for tourists without Japanese-language emergency alerts
If a strong earthquake strikes near the coast, move to high ground or a tsunami evacuation tower immediately rather than waiting for an official tsunami warning, especially around Shimoda, Yaizu, and the Suruga Bay coastline
Typhoon season runs roughly August-October and can disrupt Shinkansen and local train schedules with little notice; check JR Central's service status page before travel days during this window
Mt Fuji is an active volcano under continuous monitoring; the summit and fifth-station areas are safe for typical sightseeing, and rangers close trails if activity levels change - check current alert status before any hiking above the fifth station
Roads into the Izu Peninsula's mountainous interior and around Amagi can be narrow and prone to landslides after heavy rain; drive cautiously and heed road closure signs
Onsen (hot spring) etiquette is strictly enforced - wash thoroughly before entering the communal bath, and note that many traditional establishments still prohibit visible tattoos, though tattoo-friendly options exist in Atami and Ito
Common scams to avoid
Recognise and sidestep tourist-targeted scams.
Unofficial tour and ticket touts near Mt Fuji viewpoints
Occasional unlicensed operators near Fuji five-station car parks or Kawaguchiko-area transfer points offer overpriced 'skip the line' tours or shuttle tickets
How to avoid: Book Mt Fuji access, bus tickets, and tours through official operators (Fujikyu, JR bus, or the visit-shizuoka.com listed operators) rather than unsolicited approaches
Overpriced souvenir shops near major shrines
A small number of shops near heavily touristed sites like Kunozan Toshogu mark up mass-produced souvenirs well above standard retail prices
How to avoid: Compare prices at station shops or convenience stores before buying, and note that most authentic local goods (green tea, wasabi products) are sold at fair fixed prices at farm shops and cooperatives
Taxi overcharging at Shizuoka Airport or major stations
Rare but occasional reports of unmetered or roundabout routing by individual taxi drivers unfamiliar with a visitor's actual destination
How to avoid: Confirm the meter is running, use official taxi ranks, or request an approximate fare estimate before departure; ride-hailing apps like GO are increasingly available in Shizuoka City and Hamamatsu
Health considerations
Staying healthy on your trip.
- Vaccinations
- No specific vaccinations required for Japan; ensure routine vaccines are up to date
- Water
- Tap water is safe to drink throughout Shizuoka Prefecture, including rural onsen towns, and meets some of the strictest water quality standards in the world
- Food
- Very high food safety standards; raw fish (sashimi, sushi) from licensed restaurants and markets is safe, and Suruga Bay seafood is a prefecture highlight with rigorous handling standards
- Facilities
- Excellent public and private hospitals; Shizuoka General Hospital and Hamamatsu University Hospital have full emergency departments; pharmacies (yakkyoku) are widespread in cities but less common in rural Izu, so carry basic medications when hiking or touring remote coastal areas
Safety for specific travellers
Tailored advice for different groups.
Emergency contacts
Numbers to know before you go.
- Police
- 110
- Medical
- 119 (ambulance)
- Fire
- 119 (shares the same number with ambulance in Japan)
- Tourist Hotline
- +81-50-3816-2787 (Japan Visitor Hotline, 24/7, multilingual)
- General Emergency
- 110 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance (both free from any phone, no SIM required for 110/119 on most carriers)
- Main Hospital
- Shizuoka General Hospital, 4-27-1 Kita-Ando, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka City, +81-54-247-6111
- Embassy Us
- US Embassy Tokyo: +81-3-3224-5000
- Embassy Uk
- UK Embassy Tokyo: +81-3-5211-1100