Yaizu, Fishing port city in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
Yaizu is a city on the western shore of Suruga Bay in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, spreading across several kilometers of coastline. The layout includes piers with tall cranes, warehouses for ice and refrigeration, and wide yards where catch is sorted and loaded.
Fishers gathered here in the late 19th century before the cooperative formed in 1903. Five years later, trains carrying frozen fish began running to Tokyo, expanding trade beyond the region.
The name comes from old words for arrow and water, recalling hunters who caught fish with spears here. Today you see dried fillets hanging outside small shops near the harbor, while fishers mend their nets in the late afternoon.
The main station sits about 15 minutes on foot from the harbor area and connects with trains toward Shizuoka city and farther east. Early mornings see heavy activity on the docks, while afternoons grow quieter at the markets.
The fleet catches more bonito and tuna than any other port in the country, processing well over 100,000 tons each year. On some days dozens of vessels line up side by side while workers move fish directly from deck to cold rooms.
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