What to See in Shimoda - Top Sights and Attractions

Temple in Shimoda, Japan. Gyokusen-ji is a Buddhist temple located in the city of Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is noteworthy in that it served as the first American consulate in Japan. The temple and its grounds were designated as a National Historic Site of Japan in 1951.^[1]

Temple in Shimoda, Japan. Ryōsen-ji is a Nichiren-sect Buddhist temple in the city of Shimoda, Japan. It is noteworthy as the location of the signing ceremony for the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan and the United States of America on July 29, 1858. Due to this connection, the temple grounds and main hall have been designated as a National Historic Site.^[2]

Museum in Japan. Uehara Museum of Modern Art opened in 2000 in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, to house the collection of Uehara Shōji of Taisho Pharmaceutical. The collection includes works by Corot, Monet, Cézanne, Renoir, Fujishima Takeji, and Kishida Ryūsei. Adjacent is the Uehara Museum of Buddhist Art, which opened in May 1983.^[3]

Temple in Japan. Chōraku-ji is a small Shingon sect Buddhist temple in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is noteworthy in that it was the location of the signing of the Treaty of Shimoda in 1855, which officially established diplomatic relations between Bakumatsu Japan and the Russian Empire.^[4]

Shimoda Underwater Aquarium is located in Shimoda City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and is operated by Shimoda Aqua Service, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujita Kanko.

There is a "Sea of Contact" where visitors can feed the dolphins, interact with them, and swim with them.