Shoebill and penguins are the highlight of the day. Only first 10 patrons can take pictures with penguins at a cost of ¥700. No more than 10 lucky person/family can enjoy this privilege. That says a lot about this zoo. They really care about the animals. Not using them as money machine. Entry fee is only about USD10. Come visit if you are in Nagoya or Mt Fuji area. You won’t regret.

🌟 A First-Class Experience with the Shinkansen at Kakegawa Station – Beyond Expectations! My journey on the Shinkansen from Kakegawa to Hamamatsu was truly memorable—an experience I believe everyone visiting Japan should try at least once. Kakegawa Station may be modest in size, but it's incredibly clean, well-organized, and peaceful, perfectly reflecting Japanese standards. All signage is clear and includes English, and the staff are exceptionally polite and always ready to help if you have any questions. 🌟 Shinkansen – Speed and Sophistication: From the moment the train glides into the station, it's mesmerizing. Standing next to the “silver bullet” as it silently slices through the air is a thrill in itself. Inside, the cabins are immaculately clean, the seats are soft and comfortable, and the entire ride is so smooth and quiet—it genuinely rivals the business class experience on a plane. 🌟 Punctuality at Its Finest: The train arrives to the second, a true testament to Japan’s precision. You can confidently plan your schedule without worrying about delays. 🌟 Kakegawa Station – Location & Convenience: From the waiting area to the digital display boards and clearly marked signs, everything is intuitive and modern. The station is also well-connected to nearby cafés, convenience stores, and even offers direct access to a shopping area—extremely convenient for travelers. 🌟Style Meets Space: As someone passionate about design and aesthetics, I opted for a tailored suit during the trip—and I must say, the station's architecture paired with the sleek Shinkansen makes for a stunning fashion backdrop. Every photo taken here exudes a modern, refined, and confident vibe.

The view from the castle tower is spectacular. I am deeply moved when I imagine how the head of the family looked at this scenery at the time. The tea shop near the castle was very quaint. My business is big success.I got lot of money. Thank you for everything.

(Translated by Google) Tatsuo Shrine is located in Shimosaigo, Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture. It is an ancient shrine that is known as a famous spot for weeping plum blossoms. It is a venerable shrine that has been enshrined on the land known as Mt. Ryūbi since ancient times and enshrines Susano no Mikoto as its deity.As it is located northeast of Kakegawa Castle in the direction of Kimon, it is said to have been deeply revered by successive castle lords as the castle's guardian deity. Benefits include warding off illness and good health, warding off evil spirits, bringing good luck, family safety, and career advancement. Once you pass through the torii gate, you can climb about 100 stone steps that are bathed in beautiful sunlight filtering through the trees, and you will find the main shrine. Although it was a small shrine overall, the shrine had a sense of history and a dignified atmosphere within its grounds, making it a shrine that was well-loved by the locals. (Original) 静岡県掛川市下西郷に鎮座する龍尾神社。 しだれ梅の名所として知られている神社であり古社である。 古くから龍尾山と呼ばれる地に鎮座し、素盞鳴尊(すさのおのみこと)を御祭神とする由緒ある神社であり、 掛川城の北東、鬼門の方角に位置することから、城の守護神として歴代城主に篤く崇敬されてきたとの事。 ご利益は病魔除健康、厄除開運、家内安全、立身出世など。 鳥居をくぐると、美しい木漏れ日が差し込む約100段の石段を登っていけば本殿が現れる。 全体的には小規模な神社たが、折々に歴史が感じられ、境内は凛とした空気感に包まれており、地元に親しまれている神社であった。

Nice view, spacious, very good for family.

Best food near Kakegawa station. Good selection of seafood. Reservation required.

Ok

Great Soba and Tempura. This family-owned restaurant has some history dated back to the Edo period, and it is a hidden gem in the residential area near Kakegawa Castle. If you order tempura and soba separately, it will be slightly expensive, but if you order it as a set, it is reasonable. An ala carte tempura menu includes locally sourced produces. Very relaxing music and ambience.

One of the healthiest Japanese ingredients that I love is Japanese mountain yam. We Japanese love sticky, slimy, slippery food like grated Japanese mountain yam and natto… But they are super healthy! Similar to avocado, in my opinion. When we were visiting Shizuoka, we visited a restaurant who specializes in their local Japanese mountain yam. They had a dining room on both sides of the main entrance, and I heard they have a large dining room on second floor. All the interior here is old-fashion, with tatami floor and low dining tables. They brought us complimentary hot green tea, and even though it was a hot Summer day when we visited, it still was very tasty. Nothing like a locally grown and produced, high quality green tea… On their menu, they had their top three popular lunch items. Since there were three of us, we each order the different item of the top three, so we can all try them. They had regular size and "slightly smaller" size. We all got smaller size, but they were huge and super filling! Our lunch was amazing, and we were extremely full. With the smaller size, I couldn’t finish… My hubby was stuffed too. So, unless you are a big hungry bear, I recommend getting the smaller size. Their tororo was amazing, super fresh, high quality with special flavoring was like a symphony on my tongue. The staffs were not very friendly but we’ve heard about that before we went, so we were not too surprised. They kind of leave you alone other than when they take your order and bring you food. Getting glasses of water from them was a bit of challenge, and they acted like it was such a huge request… But, we went there for their tororo, not for the great service. For that, we were very happy. Read my full review of the restaurant and food on my food blog, foodlovergirl.