Tosenjima
The port of Shimizu in central Tosashimizu is both deep and calm, thanks to relatively minor land uplift in the surrounding area and the lack of a river bringing sediment into Shimizu Bay. Besides being the home port of most of Tosashimizu’s fishing fleet, Shimizu is noted for a small island in the innermost part of the bay. This island, known as Tosenjima, is named after the foreign ships (tosen) that once docked here on their way north toward Honshu or south toward mainland Asia and beyond. The island was designated a Natural Monument in 1953, when geological evidence discovered on Tosenjima proved that the land in the Shimizu area had been raised 80 centimeters by a powerful earthquake in 1946. In addition to its scientific significance, the island is also known as a nesting ground for several species of herons.