Rock Ptarmigan around Rakujuen Park, Mishima, Shizuoka pref. 10km

🐦 Springs of Mount Fuji: A 10km Ptarmigan Art Loop in Mishima 🐦

Mishima City, Shizuoka, is captured by its identity as the “City of Water,” where snowmelt from Mount Fuji filters through the ground for decades before bubbling up as crystal-clear springs. This 10km GPS art course invites you to sketch a Ptarmigan (Raicho), starting from Mishima Rakujuen Park, a nationally designated scenic site built directly on top of ancient lava flows.

The journey weaves through a network of refreshing waterscapes, beginning near the Mishima City Local Museum and leading to Shirataki and Komoike Parks, where pure subterranean waters gush into public view. As you trace the silhouette of the bird along the local rivers, you will visit the majestic Mishima Taisha Shrine, an ancient sanctuary historically revered by the shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo. The loop seamlessly connects cultural and administrative landmarks, guiding you past the Mishima City Office, the Mishima City Library, and the modern Mishima Citizens Cultural Center (Yu Yu Hall). You will also experience community innovation at MISHIMABITO (Mishima Future Lab) and fine eastern art at the Sano Art Museum.

The Ptarmigan is not only an alpine relic of the Ice Age but also the official prefectural bird of Shizuoka. Drawing this high-mountain icon across the warm, spring-fed flatlands of Mishima is a poetic contradiction that defines the joy of GPS art. The flat, water-rich terrain offers a relaxing yet stimulating walk. By the time your digital Ptarmigan takes flight on your screen, you will have experienced the perfect harmony of Fuji’s natural gift and Mishima’s deep historical roots.