Hamamatsu is easily accessible from Tokyo and Nagoya by shinkansen. The city is full of wonderful places to visit – from the splendid Hamamatsu Flower Park to the Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments. Learn how to enjoy your time in Hamamatsu and savor specialties like eel and gyoza!

Hamamatsu City in Shizuoka Prefecture is well known as a multicultural city, offering a comfortable and welcoming environment for Muslim residents and visitors alike. The city is home to a wide variety of halal-friendly supermarkets and restaurants, allowing Muslims to enjoy daily life without worrying about dietary restrictions.

For example, “Al-Hakim Halal Mart,” located near a mosque, is a popular destination for Muslims from countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Pakistan. It offers not only halal food ingredients and ready-made meals but also clothing, toothbrushes, and other daily necessities, all halal-certified.

“Matahari Café is a restaurant run by a Japanese chef who is married to an Indonesian woman, serves only halal dishes and provides prayer mats and a foot-washing area for Muslim guests, ensuring religious needs are respected.

The place I booked for lunch that day was Funagiraso. Located right next to the Funagira Dam in Tenryu Ward, Hamamatsu City, it is surrounded by green trees, and you can enjoy your meal while looking out at the emerald green reflection of the dam lake.

Funagiraso, which used to be a Japanese-style inn, is now run by a third-generation chef as a French restaurant. It is a place with clean water, and the specialty of the inn at the time was carp dishes, which were said to be good for pregnant women. If you make a reservation, you can still choose carp as your main dish.