Final port of tour. Castle tour, shrines, beach
Considered one of the most beautiful ports by the cruise company. Been here on previous cruise but did fish market etc but not the castle.
Long process to clear customs then for a walk in the dock area. QB will not go on the tour today. Still recovering
Found these in a sporting good store. They had to turn the display around, undo a combination lock and then reach in through a small hole to get to them. I tested a few of them, but the mechanism was so tight. I could barely open it. They agreed it was too tight, but did not offer to open another box of them, there were several so I left.
Premium stuff and there was a surcharge for the pear. Other is green tea they were out of Matcha.
This being a Monday the garden, which is a major part of the castle is closed, but they made an exception for us to open this magnificent garden, which was built just for one person the shogun. They also gave us a special pass to go in the garden, which, according to the guide she has never gotten before and she has been here many times.
The layout which is not obvious from the pictures mirrors, the bay and Mount Fuji area, where the boat is docked, and the mound is a representation of Fuji
Lots of extra pictures, including the entrance gate, etc., especially as QB has missed this tour 
Castle was destroyed an earthquake, and has not been rebuilt as they are still looking for the plans to rebuild it in the original design, so they have left it until they find the design.
Apparently lucky to have seen.
Several of the guests got lost on the way back to the bus and delayed the return. Guide explained she can leave them after 10 minutes, but she chose not to. She went to look for them.
Shizuoka Sengen Shrine
There was no time to Climb as we were rushed for time
Naturally photographs were not permitted
Fuji
Fuji is about 3750 m high
Walking towards the beach
Boog's Blog 
Miss you guys!!! Sent from my iPhone
Right back at you. See youse soon. We head to NYC tomorrow.
Beautiful. Continue to enjoy. We are excited to be going to Japan in March.
Simeon Schwartz Mobile
Those look like slot machines for toddlers at the dockside mall.
Good to see Sharon enjoying some gelato; hope she is feeling better. That garden is magnificent!!
Good to see QB out and about. Bit surprised they were out of matcha since you are basically sitting in one of the biggest tea growing regions in Japan; Shizuoka Prefecture, where Shimuzu is located, is famous for the stuff (https://www.visit-shizuoka.com/en/gokuraku/content.php?t=31). Early in my time in Japan, when I was teaching, I spent a couple weeks at a MITI facility in Fujinomiya, just North of where you are, and we took a side trip to a tea farm.
Context Time: Looks like castle remains you visited was SUNPU-JO, which was indeed the home of TOKUGAWA IESU, the founder of the Tokugawa Shoganate that closed Japan for 400 years or so. He indeed loved his gardens, including a number in Tokyo, where he moved the capital. SUNPU burned down a number of times in the 16th and 17th centuries. The last time the main central tower, which usually dominates Japanese castles, was not rebuilt with only the walls and outer buildings restored. The reason, apparently, was that since the castle was the personal property of the Shogun, not a local DAIMYO (the regional lords), and the Tokugawa’s didn’t live there any more, the funding to rebuild the tower structure wasn’t committed; had there been a local DAIMYO, they would have (and did) use their personal funds to rebuild. Absentee landlord-ism in feudal Japan…
We’ve visited Shizuoka City, which Shimuzu is now part of, a number of times – it was the first place an 8 year old Marie’ met humidity, which drained her a bunch. That was a visit in mid-July where we wandered year the Miho district, the peninsula probably across the bay from where the ship is docked – good fish over there (and most of that area).