[9 Popular Tourist Spots in Izu] Take a Relaxing Trip Filled with Nature, Gourmet Food, and Hot Springs

If you want to enjoy beautiful seasonal scenery, spring through summer is recommended, while winter is best for gourmet travel in Izu, as many types of seafood are in season.
No matter when you visit, Izu is sure to offer something to enjoy.
If we had to choose just one season, spring would be the top recommendation.
There are famous cherry blossom spots across the area, and the early-blooming Kawazu-zakura cherry blossoms are especially well known.
In Kawazu Town, located in the southern part of the East Izu area, you can find the original Kawazu-zakura tree.
The best viewing season is from early February to early March, around one month earlier than typical cherry blossoms.

From Tokyo Station, it takes about 1 hour by Shinkansen to reach Mishima Station, the gateway to Izu.
It’s a convenient trip with no transfers required.
If you are visiting from Taiwan, first head to Shizuoka Airport by plane.
From there, it is recommended to make your way to Izu by combining trains, buses, and the Shinkansen.

Mount Omuro is an independent peak in Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture, with an elevation of 580 meters.
With its distinctive upside-down bowl shape, it is beloved as a symbol of the Izu Highlands.
Formed by volcanic activity Approx. 4,000 years ago, Mount Omuro is a nationally designated Natural Monument and one of the largest scoria cones in the Higashi-Izu Monogenetic Volcano Group.

Izu Granpal Park covers a vast area equal to Approx. five Tokyo Domes.
It offers many different types of attractions, including the thrilling “Zipline, KAZE” that lets you glide through the air, the giant ship-shaped 3D maze “KAiZOKU,” and “Water Balloon,” where you step inside a balloon and walk on water.

One of the most iconic scenic spots in East Izu, it is part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.
This Approx. 9 km lava rock coastline was formed by lava from Mount Omuro’s eruption Approx. 4,000 years ago and later shaped by marine erosion.
It is also recommended to look down at the ocean from the suspension bridge or take a sightseeing boat to view the cliffs from the sea.

Ryugu Sea Cave is a cave in the Toji district of Shimoda City at the southern tip of the Izu Peninsula, and one of the area’s best-known sightseeing spots.
In the southern part of the peninsula, deposits from undersea volcano eruptions Approx. 1 million years ago spread widely across the area, and those layers were uplifted by crustal movement to create today’s landscape.
A sea cave is formed when waves strike coastal cliffs and erode softer layers and fault lines, and Ryugu Sea Cave is one such cave.

This animal park features Approx. 1,500 kinds of cacti and succulents from around the world and is home to Approx. 140 species of animals.
The greenhouse is planted with cacti, succulents, and forest cacti from four regions: Mexico, Madagascar, South America, and Africa.
If you visit at the right time, you can also see cacti in bloom.

Shimoda Floating Aquarium makes use of an inlet in Shimoda Bay, allowing visitors to experience the beautiful natural surroundings of Wakanoura just as they are.
A floating stage sits in the inlet, where you can enjoy dynamic dolphin shows in a natural setting, and there are also programs such as Amazing Seat and Dolphin Feeding that let you get close to and interact with dolphins (same-day registration, first come, first served).

A crater lake on the eastern coast of the Izu Peninsula, formed by an eruption Approx. 100,000 years ago.
It is also known as the “Eye of Izu” because the surrounding mountains and trees are beautifully reflected on the lake’s surface.
The circumference is Approx. 4 km, and it takes about 60 minutes to walk around it.
Walking paths are maintained around the lake, making it a popular place for hiking.
Since the trail has few ups and downs, you can enjoy an easy walk while taking in the lake views.

A temple in the Shuzenji Onsen area, where seasonal scenery is especially beautiful.
Its full name is “Fukuchizan Shuzen Bannanzenji,” but it is commonly called Fukuchiyama Shuzenji Temple.
Nearby are many highlights, including “Tokko no Yu,” said to have sprung forth by Kobo Daishi and known as the origin of Shuzenji Onsen, “Hie Shrine,” which once served as the temple’s guardian shrine, and “Hako-yu,” where Lord Yoriie was attacked.

One of Japan’s leading hot spring resort areas, with a history of over 1,500 years. The name Atami is said to come from hot water springing up from the sea and making the seawater warm.
Its history is so old that it appears in Izu’s oldest records, and its scale is just as impressive in both water volume and heat output, with a total spring output of Approx. 19,100 liters per minute.
Thanks to abundant underground hot spring veins that have supplied these high-temperature waters for over 1,000 years, the area still thrives today with many accommodations, day-use public baths, and even large spa resort facilities.

A specialty restaurant in a quiet residential area of the Izu Highlands, serving tuna and local fish dishes.
Using carefully selected premium tuna sourced through its own network, the restaurant offers rare cuts of tuna and various delicacies that only a tuna specialty restaurant can provide.
In addition, the owner, a broker for the Izu Inatori Fishery Cooperative, uses his expert eye to carefully source and serve the trademarked branded splendid alfonsino known as “Inatori Kinmedai.”

A restaurant located just a short walk from the Izu Kogen Sakuranamiki-guchi entrance.
It serves beautifully prepared Mediterranean cuisine using ingredients from Izu’s rich natural environment, including seafood centered on local fish from Ito and Shimoda, as well as freshly harvested vegetables.
The dishes are overseen by Kiyomi Mikuni, owner-chef of Hotel de Mikuni and the talent behind many popular restaurants. The building was designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma.

An izakaya with excellent access, located just a short walk from JR Atami Station.
You can enjoy scenic coastal views along with fresh seafood and mountain produce from Atami while gathering around the irori hearth.
At lunch, the menu focuses on set meals and rice bowls, with a variety of dried fish and sashimi available.
At dinner, you can enjoy skewers and dried fish cooked over the irori together with sake carefully selected by the owner.

A resort hotel in the Izu Highlands with extensive facilities and amenities, making long-term stays possible.
All rooms are suites with ocean views and kitchens, and the wide variety of room types is a major draw, including rooms for 6 to 7 guests suitable for three generations or groups, rooms with open view baths, and dog-friendly rooms in a dedicated building for guests traveling with their pets.

Shuzenji has a history of over 1,200 years and flourished as Izu’s oldest hot spring area.
At “SORA Togetsusou Kinryu,” you can enjoy this beloved hot spring in a variety of open-air baths.
The open-air baths, designed by spatial designer Hisanobu Tsujimura, create a fantastical atmosphere enhanced by lighting effects, and the baths connected to the indoor baths also offer soothing views of nature.

Yugashima is a quiet hot spring area along the Kano River valley in the Amagi Mountains.
Hot spring inns are scattered among the dense greenery, and Yumotokan is especially well known as the inn where Nobel Prize-winning author Yasunari Kawabata wrote “The Dancing Girl of Izu.”
This traditional Japanese inn has a retro atmosphere that makes you feel as if you have stepped back in time the moment you enter.