Shioyazaki Country Club

Fuji-Sakura is an 18-hole course at Shioyazaki Country Club in Iwaki, a coastal city in Fukushima Prefecture on Japan's Pacific side. Designed by Asami Rokuzou, the course reflects the work of a Japanese architect active during the country's golf development era, when domestic designers shaped many regional layouts across the archipelago. The routing takes advantage of the area's rolling terrain, typical of courses built in this part of Honshu, where designers worked with natural elevation changes and forested corridors. The course sits inland from Iwaki's coastline, in a landscape characterized by pine and mixed woodland. Fukushima's golf courses often occupy hillier ground away from the urban centers, and Fuji-Sakura follows this pattern with holes that move through varying elevations and wooded settings. The design likely emphasizes strategic bunkering and green complexes that reward accurate approach play, hallmarks of Japanese course architecture from this period. Shioyazaki Country Club serves the regional golfing community in northern Honshu, offering members and visitors a course that balances the natural topography with playability. Iwaki itself is known for its mild climate relative to other parts of Fukushima, which can extend the playing season. The club operates in a region where golf remains a popular recreational pursuit, with courses providing both challenge and a retreat into the forested landscapes common to this part of Japan.