Izu and Hakone

This is a blog post I originally started typing back in late June 2021. Since I finally made the effort to convert my driver’s license into a Japanese one, we had rented a car and drove down to Izu peninsula in Shizuoka prefecture. The place we were staying in is a small seaside town called Atami, which suffered a disastrous landslide just one week after. In light of that, it really didn’t feel right posting fun travel memories right after, hence the delay of this post.

The area around Izu is known primarily for its many hotsprings and a beautiful coastline. Plus, the famous Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park is not far from there, making it the perfect destination for a day-trip when staying around Atami. And that’s exactly what we did! First stop on day 1 was Mt. Omuro, one of many little volcanos on the peninsula. After a brief ride on a chairlift, you have a great view on the nearby city of Ito from up there. 🗻

Next up, we headed to Jogasaki Coast a little south of Ito. Around there, you can enjoy the fantastic ocean view from the visitor’s center or wander along the coast for a while – either way, it’s well worth visiting.

Day 2 was dedicated to Hakone. After I had managed to maneuver our car out of the narrow streets of Atami, we drove around the Ashinoko Sky Line for a while, stopping here and there for the view at Lake Ashi. However, the most special view on the lake and its notorious pirate ship is certainly that from Hakone shrine. As is the case with so many popular spots in Japan, expect to wait in line a bit to take the photo.