The scenic Izu peninsula in Shizuoka prefecture is a delightful, mountainous, thickly-forested holiday destination within easy reach of Tokyo and Yokohama. It is immensely popular as a weekend or mid-week getaway for workers and retired folk alike. They are attracted to its onsen resort hotels (hot springs), beaches and rocky coastal vistas. The peninsula is situated on the edge of a geological plate with frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. However, it is this very instability that provides the steaming hot mineral springs that make the region famous. At the north end of the peninsula sits Mount Fuji providing a perfect backdrop on clear days. The climate is benevolent here, with both winter and summer temperatures less extreme than in Tokyo. Cherry blossoms can be viewed early, and this results in an annual stampede as thousands flock to admire these beautiful heralds of spring.
The eastern coast is the more developed with a string of aging resorts such as Atami, Atagawa, and Shimoda in the far south. The beaches are sandy but not particularly attractive being grey-coloured, although there are some lovely 'white' sand beaches to be found at Shirahama, Tatado, and Ohama. These southern areas are great places to swim, sunbathe and surf, although nightlife is non-existent - so be ready to make your own entertainment. Many hotels have their own onsens, sometimes with sea or mountain views, and most people dine in their hotel as meals are included in the package. This is a sensible option as it is far more relaxing after a long soak to just amble down to the dining room in your cotton yukata. I've stayed in several hotels and found them clean and good value, although English is not widely spoken, and sometimes they are in need of a face-lift (the hotels, not the staff!).
The peninsula is accessible by train, bus, car and motorcycle. Of course eco-friendly cycle touring is possible for those intrepid fools with strong thighs, but rather them than me, I prefer to go there to relax! The train is a little expensive but takes effort out of the journey and allows you to time your arrival to the minute. The Tokaido shinkansen stops in both Atami in the east, and Mishima in the west. Slightly cheaper is the Odoriko service to Ito and Shimoda, which is a limited express train including 'super-view' carriages with seats that face outwards to give a great view of the coast through the large windows. I'd recommend the Odoriko - it's a pleasurable journey down the coast with glimpses of the sea through narrow valleys, mountainous scenery and wide bays. Click here to see a satellite photo of the peninsula.
For those who are determined to go by car, please check out the following link. It's from a fantastic site created by a Canadian called Mike who is living in Tokyo. He doesn't give details about the best route, but there is a photo of a car! After you've had a look, please come back as one day my site will be as interesting as his! Most people take the Tomei Expressway from Tokyo, and of course, modern satellite navigation makes any destination easy - as long as you can type in Japanese! No? Me neither.
We travelled down to the seaside resort of Atagawa at the end of August when every day the thermometer hits 30℃ or more, and stayed in the renowned Atagawa Prince Hotel. This hotel is a little past its best but offers comfortable Japanese guestrooms and good food. There is, of course, a hot spring bath and a small swimming pool. Being high up on the hill, there are views of the sea, although they are not spectacular. But the rooftop baths are very relaxing after a walk up the hill from the beach, or before dinner, or early in the morning - in fact at any time!
The town is well known for the Atagawa Tropical and Alligator Garden , which is a two-part hillside botanical garden containing a surprising collection of the toothy reptiles in small uninteresting enclosures. The gardens themselves are much better with a great lotus collection in large greenhouses and a small zoo at the top, which is home to some particularly cuddly Red Pandas. The hillside is steep and you need strong legs to get to the top. Below are some photos taken at the garden, including one of a lonely cabbage-eating dugong.
There is steam rising everywhere, and the smell of Sulphur coming from the bores and pipes that control the mineral-rich spring water. Near the JR railway station is a wonderful free public hand and foot bath, great to sooth aches and pains (if you can stand the heat and find a seat!). You can see it in the photos below. The steam is a reminder of just how unstable the area is, with a real risk of earthquakes. Thankfully, this doesn't interfere with the serious business of relaxation and enjoyment.
The beach at Atagawa is good for swimming but gets deep relatively quickly. In the summer the water temperature is high enough to stay in for as long as you want. This is helped by the fact that atagawa actually means 'hot river'. Hot water from deep underground runs into the town's river and then into the sea. There are some other points along the beach where hot water also emerges, and one can paddle in all seasons. Be careful though, as the water is very hot indeed, so if you have children, make sure you are with them at these places.
.
Atami is a large seaside town, first used as a resort in the 8th Century, and popular as a honeymoon destination in the days before Japanese could afford to travel overseas. Now it has a faded, slightly Mediterranean feel but without any of the glamour, chic or buzz. However, it is a pleasant enough place to stay for a couple of days, offering the usual mix of onsen relaxation and hotel dining. In addition, Atami also boasts a castle on the hill, a pleasant island just offshore, and some great views.
We travelled there in cherry blossom season with visitors from the UK: Graham and Marina. Taking the train from Tokyo on a tour including the cultural centre of Kamakura and interesting Yokohama, and we were blessed with blue skies and warm sunshine. Our accommodation was an old Japanese-style hotel with a basic rooftop bath with views across the bay. The rooms had small balconies, tatami matting and futons laid out by the staff while we ate. The seafood was very good, and freshly caught that day.
A 23 minute boat ride out to sea is the small island of Hatsushima, home to the Grand XIV resort hotel. It is possible to walk around the island and swim, snorkel or dive. There are some small restaurants by the tiny harbour, serving ultra-fresh, killed-in-front-of-you seafood. We went there with a diehard vegetarian and had problems finding anything suitable to eat. This is a problem anywhere in Japan of course. Hatsushima has a lovely feeling of isolation and is well worth the trip.
Close to our hotel was a cable car that takes passengers up to the hilltop castle. Although it is not original it is still attractive, especially against cherry trees in blossom (see photo). From this vantage point we walked along the cliff and into a hotel that had stunning views out to sea and gave us free coffee. The hotel was very tall but also had sections built into the cliffs of a private cove, as seen below. In the evening, the town is really quite dull but at least the beach is lit up blue and is much nicer than its original dark grey! We spent a very relaxing two days in Atami, although the great weather contributed a great deal to the atmosphere
In the far south of the peninsula, at the end of the line, is the historically important small port of Shimoda. This is the location of the 1854 signing of a treaty that allowed trade with the United States. Commodore Perry was the American who forced Japan to open up to the modern world and so begin the country's rush to industrialize. There is a monument to the event in Gyokusen-ji. Perhaps more interestingly, this was the spot in Japan where a cow was first killed for its meat, and also cow's milk was drunk for the first time, although I'm sure cows don't celebrate this fact as much as we do.
Many people come this far south for the beaches, but the town has some attractions of its own. Apart from the first American consul, there is a small but surprisingly attractive river district with small bridges and quaint shops and houses with distinctive black and white walls. We stopped in a lovely coffee house-cum-antique shop with a friendly owner and delightful dark interior. This was on our return from a trip to the Shimoda Aquarium. I really enjoyed the aquarium's dolphin area as it is actually a part of the sea, simply partitioned off, and allows the dolphins a large and natural space to swim about. Tourists can don wetsuits and snorkel out to interact with them, for a price of course! The link is to a Japanese language site and shows the layout very well. There is also a cable car to the top of Mount Nesugata, which at 200m has great views of the town, and a small park to relax in.
I have stayed in the area on two occasions, in very different accommodation. The first time was with Fumie staying in two small, cheap guesthouses close to small lovely beaches to the west of the town. The second time was with Richard and Norma, staying in the large Hotel Izukyu with two swimming pools at the long white sand beach of Shirahama to the east. Shirahama can get busy, but not on this occasion as the weather was cool and wet. However, we managed to swim in the pool on one sunny morning and enjoyed the outdoor baths. A stroll along the beach brought us to the small pretty shrine on the headland separating the next beach. Take a look at the photos below, and click this link to see a Japanese family's lovely photos (including their cute kids!)
The beaches in the area are among the most attractive within striking distance of Tokyo, having white sand and clean, clear water. There is surfing, snorkelling and diving to be enjoyed, as well as the hot springs and seafood dining. On our first trip, we enjoyed the snorkelling very much, the highlight for me being the baby boxfishes: tiny, yellow, square-shaped fish with black dots - unbelievably cute! I managed to get sunburned on a cloudy day, after spending a few hours in the water, so do be careful. Fumie's old diving club used to come here often as the underwater life is very interesting and it's cheaper than flying to the tropics (but only just!)
