Travel information

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  • Iwata Museum of Fragrance (磐田香りの博物館, ''Iwata Kaori no Hakubutsukan''), Tatsuno 2019-15, ☎ 053 836-8891, [1]. 9:30am-5pm, closed Mondays. This unique museum explores the history and culture associated with fragrances in a variety of exhibits, including the "Experience Fragrance" exhibit which, for an additional fee of 2100 yen, allows visitors to create and bottle their own fragrance. A café allows visitors to try out various fragrant herbal teas. Adults 300, students 200, children 100.  edit
  • Okegaya Marsh (桶ケ谷沼, ''Okegaya Numa''), Iwai 315, ☎ 053 839-3022. 9am-5pm, closed Mondays. An almost 2 kilometer-long marsh and the surrounding park has abundant wildlife, including 67 species of dragonfly.  edit
  • Toyooka Plum Park (豊岡梅公園, ''Toyooka Ume Kouen''), Uenobu 1989-1, ☎ 053 962-2666. 9am-5pm. Over 4000 plums trees blossom in a beautiful valley here every spring. Adults 500, children 100.  edit
  • Yuya Wisteria (熊野の長藤, ''Yuya no Nagafuji''), Ikeda 330, ☎ 053 836-9600, [2]. Meter long arms of wisteria hang from a frame which covers almost 600 square meters. Great picnic spot during the April-May bloom. A wisteria festival is held here during Golden Week as well. Free.  edit
  • LaLa Port Iwata (ららぽーと磐田), 1200 Takamigaoka (off the Tomei Expressway north of the Iwata Interchange), ☎ 0538-59-0100, [3]. 10AM-9PM. The newest and largest western-style mall in the area, with a wide variety of shops, restaurants, and a Toho Cinema. One unique store, Enshu no Eki, carries a vast array of food products made, grown, or caught in the Enshu (western Shizuoka) area.  edit

Budget

  • Saigon Restaurant [4], Tel. 053 836-8066. - Small authentic little restaurant located in Toyoda-cho.

Mid range

  • Unagi no Tanaka (うなぎのたなか), Shirabane 147, ☎ 053 866-5252, [5]. Eel from Hamamatsu's Lake Hamana is the Enshu region's most famous regional dish. Check out their take-away menu.  edit

Splurge

  • Ajishou Tenhiro (味匠天宏), Mitsuke 3884-5 (about 2km north of JR Iwata station), ☎ 053-832-7078, [6]. 11am-2pm, 5pm-9pm. Tempura served in an old-style Japanese atmosphere. The restaurant is installed in a historic house once lived in by the head of the Akamatsu clan. Beyond tempura, the restaurant also specializes in the local "three-color curry" (miiro kare). Dinner for around 5000 yen..  edit