Numazu looks out over Suruga Bay, the deepest bay in Japan, and the view from the shore here is one of the better arguments for riding on the Izu side of Fuji. The city has two hundred thousand people and a working port, so do not expect a quiet fishing village; expect fish markets, concrete breakwaters and the smell of the sea. Behind the harbour the land rises toward the Izu hills, and beyond the bay, on a clear morning, Mount Fuji stands over the water with almost nothing between you and its base.
Suruga Bay drops quickly to great depths, which is why deep-sea fish such as shrimp, sakura ebi and various kinds of sea bream turn up on local menus. Numazu has long been known for its dried horse mackerel, split and sun-dried on racks along the shore, and the smell of grilling fish drifts from many a small restaurant. A bowl of rice with raw or lightly seared fish on top, eaten at a counter, is what many riders come here for. The fish market near the port has restaurants that open early, and the portions are generous.
Along the coast to the west runs the Senbon Matsubara, a belt of several hundred thousand pine trees planted centuries ago to shelter the farmland from sea winds, and one of the traditional spots from which to view Fuji. Mishima, a little to the north-east, has a large suspension footbridge across a valley and clear streams running through the old town, fed by snowmelt that has travelled underground from Fuji for decades. Both are an easy hop from Numazu.
For riding, this stop is more about the mood than the road. The streets around the port are flat and urban, with traffic lights and trucks, and a good deal of care is needed. Out along the coast, Route 414 and the smaller roads to the south wind through villages with views across the bay and up toward Fuji. Fuel and food are plentiful here, with stations all over the city. The best light is early in the morning, when the sea is calm and the mountain sharp, or at sunset, when it turns pink. In summer, haze often blurs the view, and typhoons in autumn can bring big waves.