Trip Report: Izu

Submitted by kwa on Sun, 03/29/2015 - 22:23

Izu is a beautiful place.

Izu is a wonderful city along the coast of the Izu Peninsula in the Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan. Perhaps one of the lesser known areas in Japan, but very popular among many people in Japan.

Luckily, I can be here for the cherry blossom season, so you can see beautiful 桜 (sakura) trees in full bloom everywhere. It's a really beautiful sight and highly recommended for anyone that wants to see Japan. You don't have to go to Izu as sakura trees are all over Japan, but it's a nice choice!

How to get there

This is a good guide for transportation with more detail

If you can afford it, the 新幹線 (Shinkansen / high speed rail) is a fast way to get there.

Train is probably the simplest method of getting to Izu. From Shinjuku, Tokyo, you can take the Tokaido JR line all the way to Atami (coast city) which continues to Ito (another coast city). I changed to the Izukyu Line from here which took me all the way to Shimoda (a large station in Izu). If all this seems complicated, it's actually quite simple with the online train tools. Just input your starting station, Shimoda as the destination, and your time of departure and follow the schedule. If you don't take the high speed rail, it cost about ￥3500 (~$30).
Bus is a generally cheaper option to get to Izu. The bus took about 5 hours to get there depending on traffic and cost ￥1000-2000 yen. A lot of tour packages include bus tickets that are quite affordable. There are many bus points such as Ito and Atami so you can take a train to one of these places and then ride the bus from there. It's not a bad idea as those cities are also pretty interesting as well.
Renting a car seems to be the preferred way for Tokyo locals. You can rent a car for about ￥3,000 / day and do a road trip with 2-2.5 hours of driving (one-way). Renting a car gives you a lot of freedom and if you are going with a few friends, it is probably the cheapest option. However, remember there are many tollways when traveling on the freeways in Japan so you may want to consider that into the costs. If you can bring a good navigator, it will also help a lot.
Biking is an option as well. I can't find anyone who has done it, but if this is something I'd love to try and do!

Mt. Omuro and Sakura Village

Sign leading into Mt. Omuro National Monument.

Going up Mt. Omuro

Take a ride up to Mt. Omuro. Tip: you can enjoy various types of ice cream while you wait in line such as wasabi ice cream.

When you get to Mt. Omuro, you can take the gondola up to the top. It's a short ride and your feet can most likely touch the floor, so it should be okay even if you are scared of heights. Make sure to bring a jacket because it might be windy and cold at the top.

Walking Around the Volcano

Walk around the mouth of the volcano. It hasn't erupted for 20,000 years.

The only real thing to do when you go up the gondola is to walk around, have lunch, and take pictures. It's still worth the trip as it's a very nice walk around the mouth of Mt. Omuro. It's also very safe as there wasn't any dangerous drops. There were a lot of families and couples here having a fun time.

See Mt Fuji

On a clear day, you can see Mt. Fuji from many parts of Japan. This was a particularly, nice view.

If you're lucky and it's a clear day, then you can have an awesome view of Mt. Fuji. There are a lot of scenic views around Mt. Omuro, as well as an archery range in the middle of the mountain if you want to do some target practice.

Cherry Blossoms

花見 (hanami) is one of the most popular activities in Japan.

There's something about the pink cherry blossoms against the bright blue sky that is just so peaceful. This type of image always reminds of Japan, even more so than the many pictures of Mt. Fuji.

More Cherry Blossoms

During hanami, people often picnic, drink, and have a very merry time.

The other color of sakura I saw was white. The white ones weren't all blooming yet, but it was quite nice to see them. As you can see from the picture, sakura-viewing can be very relaxed. It's an extremely popular event and a great excuse to get everyone together.

Japanese Inns & Onsen

There are many Japanese inns right on the ocean.

This is a view of the ryokan room I got. It was affordable but not cheap. If you go during a Japanese holiday, expect the prices to be very high. If you have never been to a ryokan, then you should definitely check it out.

The best part of Izu and any ryokan is the hot spring, or onsen （温泉). This is the main reason Izu is so attractive to many people in Japan, because the onsen here was amazing. There is some onsen etiquette you might want to read up on if this is going to be your first time. The onsen I went to was a bit acidic and very hot. The benefit of this is that my skin is feeling extra smooth! This is why onsens are so popular among Japanese women.

Izu Seafood

Take a ride up to Mt. Omuro. Tip: you can enjoy various types of ice cream while you wait in line such as wasabi ice cream.

If you're a fan of seafood, then Izu has wonderful dining experiences. I didn't get a chance to try the kaiseki (Japanese traditional dining with small plates), but I've heard it is amazing and I will definitely try it later this spring and report back. I did eat the wasabi and cactus ice cream which was...interesting. Stay tuned for more!

Getting around Izu will be much more enjoyable with some understanding of Japanese, so try out some lessons!

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