Izu Oshima Ito Ferry

Izu Oshima Guide

Izu Oshima Ferry Port

Found off the south-eastern coast of Japan’s Izu peninsula is the small island of Izu-Oshima. This egg-shaped isle, its landscape defined by a black-rocked coastline and steep mountains overgrown with plant-life, is the closest of Tokyo’s border islands and has become a popular getaway retreat for those looking to escape the bustle of city life. The most famous landmark in Izu-Oshima is the Mount Mihara volcano at the heart of the island. The slopes of this towering mountain are permanently scarred by the eruption that rocked the region in 1986, and those brave enough to scale its heights will find that the crater at its peak still smoulders and rumbles with life. The island’s entire population is spread across six seafront villages at the base of the inland mountains. Oshima Town, the largest settlement and capital of the island, is found on the foothills that line the western coast. The white-walled, block-shaped apartment buildings here are synonymous with the Japanese seaside. They climb away from the edge of the Sagami Sea between a neat network of palm-lined streets which, as they approach the outskirts, become narrow roads that twist through the dense sub-tropical woodland. The town is known for its warm weather and the Kobo-hama Beach, a broad stretch of golden sand lined by seafood restaurants and lively bars. The Gojinka Hot Spring spa is another local highlight; its collection of baths and saunas open to weary travellers looking to ease the pain of their aching bones. The port in Oshima Town is located near the centre of town, at a point just south of a rocky waterfront area known locally as Nagane Cape. The ferry terminal here sits at the toe-end of a concrete wharf that juts into the shallows of the sea. This relatively large building, its façade defined by an overhang propped upon concrete pillars, is home to a number of passenger facilities including a ticket office, an indoor waiting hall, toilets and vending machines selling food and drink. Due to the small nature of the island and Izu Oshima’s status as the capital, travelling to and from the port is relatively easy. The 208 highway is the island’s major route. It cuts through the centre of Oshima Town before tracing an unbroken circle along the entire island coast, passing by both the town of Okata in the north and Habuminato in the south. Oshima Airport, offering services to the Japanese mainland, is just a ten-minute drive away too. A vast number of ferry routes currently operate from the port in Izu-Oshima throughout the week. Services hosted by Tokai Kisen sail in all directions to destinations across the Sagami Sea and beyond. Some lines travel north to the towns of Kurihama, Tateyama and the capital city of Tokyo on the Japanese mainland; others west to the Izu Peninsula and the cities of Atami, Ito and Inatori; still more hop south to the neighbouring islands of Toshima, Niijima, Shikinejima and Kozushima.

Ito Guide

Ito Ferry Port

The scenic city of Ito, found on the craggy eastern coast of Japan’s Izu Peninsula, is renowned for its therapeutic hot springs and astounding natural beauty. The entire city is nestled between a sweep of verdant mountains in the west (culminating in the colossal form of Mount Omuro), and the ultramarine waters of the Sagami Sea in the east. Over half of Ito is protected by the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and wildlife thrives. The twisting web of the city’s streets, spread out in districts that fringe the jagged cliffs of the coast, are shaded by the leafy greens of subtropical trees, manicured bushes and the multi-coloured blooms of exotic flowers. The port in Ito is found on the shoreline edge of the city’s central Wada district. It sits at one end of a bay and is shaped by a group of piers and jetties that jut into a squared-off section of the Sagami Sea sheltered by breakwaters. The ferry terminal is found on one of the smaller piers used locally as a fishing spot. There are not many passenger facilities at the terminal save for a ticket office, a small car-park and a number of vending machines selling food and drink; though a well-stocked supermarket can be found just a short walk from the port entrance. Travelling to and from the port is relatively simple due to its location alongside the 135 motorway. This extensive route circles around the city centre before cutting north and south on a route that traces the entire length of the peninsula. Ito train station is just under a 20-minute walk away too, with lines whisking passengers to the nearby cities of Shimoda and Atami. Two ferry routes currently operate from the port regularly throughout the week. The services hosted by Tokai Kisen sail in opposite directions along the edge of the peninsula; one heading the short distance south to the port of Izu Oshima on the island of Oshima, and the other venturing north to the mainland city of Atami.