Chubu, Japan · Mountain, Town / small city
A one-hour trail through pristine Izu Peninsula nature past seven waterfalls, the largest a 30-meter drop (Odaru); the town of Kawazu is also famous for its early-blooming cherry trees (Kawazu-zakura, mid-to-late February), and nearby is the Amagi mountain pass, setting of a Kawabata classic.
Train — The 'Odoriko' limited express runs as a direct service from Tokyo (no physical transfer, though it changes operator mid-route): JR to Ito, then the private Izu Kyuko Line to Kawazu, ~2h30-2h40, ¥5,930 single ticket. The JR segment (Tokyo-Ito) is covered by the Japan Rail Pass; the Izu Kyuko segment (Ito-Kawazu) is a private railway, not covered by the National pass (it is covered by the smaller JR Tokyo Wide Pass, not yet modeled in this app). From Kawazu Station, a local bus runs to the trailhead (~35min, ¥800) and back (~25min, ¥730).
A roughly 1-kilometer forest trail past seven linked waterfalls, the largest of which, Odaru, drops 30 metres.
The valley holds several hot-spring villages strung along the river, from Minami-Kawazu by the sea up to Yugano in the mountains, with small ryokan and open-air baths among the trees.
A tunnel from 1905 lined entirely in cut stone, the longest of its kind in Japan and an Important Cultural Property; it is crossed on foot from the old Amagi road and features in Kawabata's story.
The slopes of Amagi are one of Japan's main wasabi-growing areas; the flooded terraces can be seen and the classic wasabi-don eaten, rice with dried bonito and freshly grated root.
About 4km of a local cherry variety that blooms in mid-to-late February, well ahead of the rest of Japan, with night illumination during the festival and close to two million visitors a year.
The peninsula is a UNESCO Global Geopark: the basalt columns forming the walls of the Kawazu waterfalls are cooled lava flows, and there are interpretive panels along the trail.
The splendid alfonsino or kinmedai landed at the neighbouring ports is served raw, simmered in sweet soy sauce or as shabu-shabu; it is the flagship dish of this part of the peninsula.
The hot-spring village where Kawabata's 'The Izu Dancer' is set; the Fukudaya ryokan, where the author stayed, is still running and keeps a room devoted to the story.
A mountain trail along the old Amagi road, the setting of Yasunari Kawabata's classic story 'The Dancing Girl of Izu,' with a century-old stone tunnel and hot springs along the way.
Pale sand and calm water on the east coast of Izu, with a summer swimming season and a pleasant walk the rest of the year.
A zoo devoted exclusively to reptiles and amphibians, with giant tortoises and an unusual collection; much to the taste of children and of anyone after something different on a rainy day.
A reproduction of the Parisian Bagatelle rose garden with more than a thousand varieties; main bloom in May and a second one in autumn.
A 1,100-metre helical viaduct that drops 45 metres by looping twice around itself; it was built after the 1978 earthquake and is now a photo stop in its own right.
The coastal line to Izukyu-Shimoda is run with themed trains such as the Kinme Densha, decorated in alfonsino red, or the luxury Royal Express; the track hugs the sea almost the whole way.
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