Hello everyone,
This is Stanley, an internship student at Local Travel Partners.
Thank you for reading our blog.

Today, I would like to introduce to you my first days after I arrived in Shizuoka, and how life is in this small city as a foreign student.

I arrived in Shizuoka in 2019 to begin my studies at a university here in the city. Up until then I have always lived in the same place in Bali, Indonesia. Therefore, I was not used to living in a different area, let alone living abroad.
This sense of mystery excited me and I was looking forward to how my life would shape up in the next four years.

When I first arrived in Shizuoka, the first thing I noticed was the crowd, or lack-thereof, in the city.
As I passed Tokyo when traveling from Haneda airport to Shizuoka, the sheer number of people made Tokyo feel busy and cramped.
In contrast, Shizuoka had substantially less people around the main station, and even less people in the area near the university that I go to.

At first, I stayed at a hotel south of Shizuoka Station for a few days because my dormitory room was not ready yet at the time.
I realized that the south of the station did not have as much city life as the north part of the station, and I found myself crossing over and going to the north half of the time in those first few days.
However, even then the crowds were not as large as Tokyo or even back home in Bali.

To some people, this may be a downside to living in Shizuoka; there is not much happening in terms of big events or nightlife.
However, this does not mean that there are no events at all.
In the fall season there is the Daidogei World Cup, an event inviting street performers from all around the world to perform throughout the city.

Daidogei World Cup Shizuoka

In the spring, people enjoy the beautiful rows of blooming cherry blossom trees and delicious street food in Shizuoka Matsuri Festival.

Shizuoka Matsuri Festival

Shizuoka Matsuri Festival

Shizuoka Matsuri Festival

The longer I stayed in Shizuoka, the more I appreciated the simple and peaceful life here.

In turn, due to the more laid-back lifestyle, the people of Shizuoka are kind and gentle.
People are willing to help you out, and there is a conversation to be made with locals every so often.
I have made many friends throughout my time here going to university, mainly because of the kindness of Shizuoka residents.

Along with the calming bustle of the city, Shizuoka is well renowned for its natural vistas.
Being a student here, I am able to visit these vistas in between busy periods of my student life schedule.
I sometimes visit places such as Nihondaira or Miho no Matsubara and admire the view of Mt. Fuji I often take for granted.

Another thing I appreciated in the time that I lived here is the comfortable climate.
In the winter it does not drop below 0 degree, and in the summer there is a cool sea breeze throughout the city.
This makes it very comfortable to live in, and you do not get sick very easily from an extreme change in weather.
This also means that it’s never too hot or too cold to go out of the house to get groceries, and that’s always nice.

Thank you for reading the blog post!
Stanley