Archive4 Hours Trips
Option B: Hamamatsu Industry and History
Option B: Hamamatsu Industry and History
Suzuki Plaza : 60 minutes (Free, reservations required)
This museum is dedicated to the history of the Suzuki corporation and its automotive achievements through the decades. On Level 3 you can learn about the history of the company, originally founded in 1909 to manufacture automatic looms. Through the exhibits, you'll follow the evolution of Suzuki, from looms to two-wheeled vehicles to four-wheeled vehicles.
Level 2 is dedicated to showcasing the process of car manufacturing from development and design through production. There is a 3D theatre where you can watch car making unfold, and a full-scale model of a factory production line. Level 1 exhibits Suzuki's current range of two-door, four-door and watercraft vehicles.
Open 9:00 - 16:30
English website:
http://www.inhamamatsu.com/art/suzuki-plaza.php
English pamphlet:
https://www.suzuki-rekishikan.jp/pdf/floorguide_e.pdf
Arai Sekisho & Kinokuniya Museum : 60 minutes (410 yen)
The Arai Sekisho is one of 53 road checkpoints established by the Tokugawa shoguns (who ruled Japan starting in 1600) for the purpose of controlling the movement of people and goods into and out of the shogun's capital at Edo (now Tokyo). It is the only one of the checkpoints that still stands today. It can be found west of Hamamatsu on the old Tokaido road, which connected Edo with Osaka and Kyoto. Free guided tours of the Arai Sekisho are available.
The Kinokuniya Museum is in a building which housed an inn that operated for 250 years until its closure in 1961. Now it has exhibits showing what it was like to be a traveller, and what it was like to stay at a traditional inn, during past centuries in Japan.
Open 9:00 - 17:00
English websites:
http://www.inhamamatsu.com/culture/arai-sekisho.php (Arai Sekisho/Sekisho History Museum)
http://www.inhamamatsu.com/culture/kinokuniya-museum.php (Kinokuniya Museum)
Bentenjima Hot Springs : 60 minutes (1,000 yen)
A large earthquake in 1498 opened a connection between Hamana Lake and the sea, causing a mixing of fresh and salt water that turned the lake brackish. It now hosts about 800 species of life, and is a thriving centre of aquaculture for eel, seaweed laver, oysters, and soup turtles.
The Symbol Tower is a gate-like structure that stands in the lake; it is lit up at night.
Bentenjima has been a popular destination for centuries because of its natural hot springs, and has all the atmosphere of a classic resort area. The spring waters are clear and odourless. Enjoy a soak in a steaming-hot communal bath, indoor or outdoor, while gazing out over Hamana Lake; you can also rent a private mineral-water bath.
English website:
http://www.gamagorich.com/kts_en/to/top.html (The Ocean-Hamanako Benten Resort)
