Unique Places to Go in Japan: Kamakura and Izu

1.7K

The Izu Peninsula is a less travelled area mostly frequented by locals trying to escape from Tokyo for the weekend. It is one of many places to go in Japan that will leave a mark on your experiences there. The food is fresh and exquisite with a lot of local seafood that you cannot have anywhere else. The landscape on the coasts and in between is stunning, with unique sites to see. Onsens are quite popular here and several are located right on the water, making for a beautiful view. Because it’s not as touristy, you’ll generally find it to be less crowded and more affordable.

On the way to Izu is Kamakura, a small coastal town in Kanagawa prefecture. It offers temples, shrines and lots of shopping and street food in the main streets near the station. We stopped here along our journey to Izu, and highly recommend visiting here.

Note: We use affiliate links in this post. This helps us to continue providing great content. For more info you can read our full disclosure here.

Places in Japan: 3 Days in Izu Peninsula and Kamakura

In This Article:
Best Time to Go
Travel on the Peninsula
Kamakura
Ito
Mount Omuro, Jogasaki, Shimoda, Dogashima
Head Back Home

Best Time to Visit Izu Japan

Deciding when to go to Izu is a personal preference, but we found August to be the best month to visit. The weather is generally very warm with low precipitation. With a lot of outdoor activities and hiking, it’s great to be able to do so in nice weather. Lodging is more affordable since it’s a fairly slow time for tourists. Of course seeing all the sites with less crowds is a bonus too.

Spring (March-May) is a high season for tourists, but typically has more rain. You’ll find it to be more crowded during this time, but there may be more available activities. Check for any festivals going on and you may even get lucky to see the sakura (cherry blossoms) which will make for a memorable experience.

September through November has the most rain or snow, so it’s generally not the best time to visit. You’ll find lodging to be most affordable during this time though. If you’re looking for winter scenery with snow, consider going in December, January or February. Visiting an onsen in the cold weather is a must-have Japanese experience.

Traveling Around Izu

By Train

The Odoriko Limited Express train goes from Tokyo to Atami in Izu. You can take it from Tokyo or Shinjuku station. To go further into the Peninsula, the JR Ito line runs from Atami to Ito. Once in Ito you can travel to Shimoda via the Izukyu Line. In the northern part you can also take the Izuhakone Line from Mishima to Shuzenji.

By Bus

The Tokai bus line runs along the coasts and also connecting in between. Depending on what areas you want to go will depend on which bus line you choose. We ended up purchasing a one day pass for Izu Kogen and Jogasaki Coast which allowed us to see several sites around Ito. We also went with the Minami Izu day pass for travel from Shimoda to Dogashima. The buses were pretty reliable and came about 1-2 times per hour. We generally had to be mindful of this and time our activities accordingly.

By Car

You can also choose to rent a car, which generally allows the most freedom. You don’t have to follow a schedule and can even venture into parts not accessible by public transportation. This would be the most ideal choice for those who want to explore more and go off the beaten path.

Day 1: Kamakura

With Kamakura being in the direction of Izu, we decided to add it on and stop along the way. We were planning to stay overnight in Fujisawa, so that was our first stop. To get there we took the Odakyu line from Shinjuku which took about an hour. There are also several other options for getting there depending on what’s most convenient.

Where to Stay in Fujisawa

We needed a place to stay for just the night, so we decided upon Sotetsu Fresa Inn to keep it economical. It’s essentially a basic business hotel which is usually a good budget choice in Japan. It was also the perfect location, with only a few minute walk from the station.

See more: Places to Stay In Kamakura

Getting to Kamakura from Fujisawa

After leaving our luggage at the hotel, we headed to the station for our journey to Kamakura. The Enoden line (Enoshima Electric Railway) was on our to do list for this trip. It’s a fairly short 35 minute ride, but beautifully scenic as it winds through little residential areas and along the coast. The train itself also has a lot of vintage charm and is a more local experience.

Walking Tour
Sometimes it’s nice to join a tour, especially if you’re short on time. A half-day guided walking tour like this one takes you on a nature hike to a few well-known temples. If you’re a lover of the outdoors, this one is perfect!

Kamakura Daibutsu (Great Buddha)

The Great Buddha was our first stop in Kamakura. It gets quite crowded so expect a bit of chaos the closer you get to it. It was definitely very cool to see such a monumental structure up close. It’s about a 10 minute walk from the Enoden station stop and admission is cheap at 20 yen. We didn’t fully explore the temple, but there’s a lot more to see. We mostly just walked around the area in front as our time was limited here.

Hokokuji Temple

Another place to explore in Kamakura is Hokokuji Temple. The easiest way to get here is by bus, and a short walk from there. It’s located in the eastern part of the city on a hill. As you enter through the gate, you’ll walk through a serene Buddhist garden with statues which sets a nice tone. You’ll then reach the main hall which is pretty small in size compared to most temples. We happened to stumble upon a kyudo (archery) class going on in front.

Bamboo Temple

Beyond the main hall there’s also a bamboo grove also known as the Bamboo Temple. There’s a certain peacefulness while walking through a tall and thick grove of bamboo accented by patches of moss. Somehow it feels so quiet and soothes the soul. It’s also comforting to be surrounded by so much green, as if you’re alone with nature.

There’s a cute path to a tea house where you can grab a cup of matcha with a view of the forest. We definitely recommend doing this as part of the experience! The sounds of the forest are very soothing and there’s a small stream near the tea house.

After having a delicious cup of matcha you can continue on the path which leads to the caves. Inside are believed to be the tombs of the Ashikaga lords with statues on display in the opening. It’s such a wonderful experience walking through and enjoying the beauty of a natural environment.

Visitor Info

Take Keikyu bus #5, line #23, #24 or #26 from Kamakura station to Jomyoji stop. It’s about a 3-5 minute walk from the stop. It’s free to enter the temple, but to see the Bamboo forest it’s 200 yen or 500 yen with a cup of matcha from the tea house.

Komachi Street

After our visit to Hokokuji, we headed to Komachi street right by the station to eat. There’s various shops and food stalls to see, so we grabbed some street food to snack on. We also visited a little Totoro shop where we got a few items for Terra. The shop itself was very cute and had all sorts of souvenirs. After hanging around this area for awhile we headed back to the hotel in Fujisawa.

Optional Tour
If you have an extra day in Kamakura, this full-day tour is a great overview of the city. It includes visits to several temples, Komachi Dori Street for food and shopping, and a kimono makeover to end the day!

Dinner

When we got back to the hotel we completed the check-in process and relaxed before dinner. Nearby, we found an Italian restaurant called New Orleans. The restaurant decor was inspired by the city of New Orleans (of course!), and featured various types of pasta. We decided to get a few different ones to share along with a salad. It was very fresh and the flavors were interesting. Pasta in Japan is quite delicious and a must-try during your visit.

If you have more time to spend in Kamakura, here’s a great list of other places to see in the area.

Enoshima Island
If you plan to stay longer in Kamakura, consider visiting Enoshima island. There are beautiful beaches and a shrine to see here as well as other sites. You may get lucky and see a view of Mount Fuji. It takes about 25-30 minutes from Kamakura.

Day 2: Ito

Early in the morning we headed on our way to Ito, in the Izu Peninsula. It’s a famous onsen resort town on the eastern coast. We were meeting up with our parents to spend a few days exploring around here before traveling down to Fukuoka. There are a few sites in Izu Kogen that we wanted to see so we stayed overnight in Ito as a base.

Getting to Ito from Kamakura

To get to Ito from Kakakura you first have to get to Ofuna station. The Yokosuka Line from Kamakura towards Tokyo stops in Ofuna. Here you transfer to the Tokaido Line heading to Atami station. Atami is another popular onsen town in Izu, however we didn’t stop this trip.

Once you arrive in Atami you transfer to the Ito Line towards Izukyu-Shimoda. The total time from Kamakura to Ito is about 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Where to Stay

K’s House is an excellent chain of hostels in Japan. They are relatively affordable and very clean, and usually located in convenient areas. It was about a 6-7 minute walk from Ito station.

Our room had beautiful views of the Matsukawa River. The hostel is located right on the river so most rooms have a similar view. The rooms are traditional Japanese style with tatami mats and futons.

There’s a common kitchen area and lounge with free coffee and tea and free wi-fi. There’s also a private and public hot spring bath available for guests as well.

As we arrived they gave a brief tour of the hostel. We then relaxed in our room a bit and enjoyed some tea and sweets.

See more: Hotels in Ito

Leisure Time

Although it was a bit rainy, we walked around Ito for a bit to check out the city. Since we were there during low season the streets were relatively empty and it was quiet with just a few souvenir shops open. There’s also a lot of seafood shops with local stuff only to this region. There wasn’t too much going on, but it was quite interesting walking down the eerie and empty streets.

Tokaikan

Located close to the ryokan is Tokaikan, a former hot spring ryokan that’s now open to the public as a historical site. We only saw briefly from the outside, but inside you can check out the former guest rooms and also use the public baths when open.

Dinner

While walking around Ito, we decided to pick a random spot for dinner. Luckily, with my husband and family around they knew where to go. They picked a small family-owned sashimi spot with fresh local seafood. By now, the rain was quite heavy so it felt cozy to be able to sit inside and relax. There were only a few seating areas with tables in Japanese style. One other family was dining there, so it felt very personal, like we were being served in someone’s home. With it being quite local, I don’t recall the name, but you can’t go wrong trying any seafood place here since it’s known for it.

Since the menu was only in Japanese, my husband and parents chose the dishes, so they picked various sashimi plates for us to share. It was all so fresh and out of this world and since it was local only to this area it felt even more unique. The sashimi just melted in your mouth and the wasabi was so fresh, sourced from Izu. We also had seafood soup and rice at the end of the meal. After dinner we headed back to the ryokan to get some sleep for an early start the next day.

Day 3: Jogasaki Coast, Mount Omuro, Shimoda, and Dogashima

Surrounding the city of Ito is Izu Kogen, a popular destination with a plethora of sites to see. Our plans for the day included seeing the Jogasaki Coast and hiking along there, as well as Mount Omuro. Since we were heading to Dogashima later that day we couldn’t add any additional sites to our schedule.

Jogasaki Coast

We took the Izukyu Railway train line to Izu Kogen station. From here we took a bus and got off at Izu Kaiyo Koen stop. The bus ride is about 10 minutes and you can walk to Jogasaki from the bus stop. The hike along the coast is fairly easy and the path is well defined. Seeing the coast peeking through the trees as you walk is an amazing site. The rocky cliffs and crystal blue water reminded me of Big Sur in California.

As you walk along the path there will be points where you can walk to the water. The coast is quite jagged so be careful while walking. It feels so majestic standing there and watching the waves crashing into the cliffs. We spent some time here just listening to the sounds of the water.

Further along you’ll reach a suspension bridge. It’s pretty high up and tourists come from all over to walk over. It can get quite scary at time as it rocks back and forth. You can get some amazing pictures from up here though.

Jogasaki Lighthouse

At the other side of the bridge is a cafe with some food. They had some street foods local to the Izu area, as well as some soft cream flavors that were different than usual, including Mountain Yam, and Shoyu (soy sauce.) There’s also a shop with souvenirs and a lighthouse that you can climb to the top. We went up to see the view and take a few pictures. It was incredible and enabled us to see so much of the coast. After recharging with some snacks and drinks we hiked the same way back to the bus stop to move onto our next stop for the day.

Mount Omuro

Next up on the itinerary is Mount Omuro, a dormant volcano covered with grass. We took a bus from Jogasaki back to Izu Kogen station where we took another bus to get here.

Inside is a crater and you can walk all the way down and also around the entire rim. On a clear day you can see Mount Fuji and the surrounding area of Izu. During our visit it was quite foggy with a light rain, so we unfortunately missed this view.

In order to reach the top you have to take a lift, which takes about 5 minutes. Once we were up there we walked around the entire rim. The fact that we were surrounded by fog made it feel dreamy, as if we were walking in clouds. Although I would have loved to see Mount Fuji, it was actually quite cool to be inside fog on top of the mountain.

Inside the crater you can try archery, or if you’re more adventurous there’s paragliding down the mountain. At the base is a shop with various souvenirs. They also have wasabi ice cream, which I highly recommend to try for an interesting treat. I definitely liked it better than I thought.

Shimoda

Shimoda is another onsen resort town right along the coast. It has a huge surf culture with great beaches. There’s a lot of parks and temples to see as well. We only stopped here briefly while waiting to transfer to our bus to Dogashima. Since we were hungry we grabbed some food at a local grocery store to eat while waiting. There’s only a few buses per hour so we had some time to kill. The bus ride to Dogashima takes about an hour.

Dogashima

Dogashima is a beautiful town on the western coast of Izu. It’s known for its tall rocky formations and jagged cliffs with caves. These were formed by volcanic lava long ago. There are site-seeing boats along the coast and into some of the caves, however with a typhoon approaching we couldn’t go. As we arrived it was early evening and the sun was perfectly reflecting upon the water.

Getting to Dogashima

After quite the busy day, we still had travel ahead to Dogashima. We took the bus back to Izu Kogen station, and then took the Izukyu Railway train line bound for Shimoda. The ride is quite scenic along the coast and the trip is a little under an hour.

Where to Stay

In order to get the best experience, staying at an onsen resort right on the water is recommended. We chose Seiryu Nishiizu Dogashima Onsen Ryokan, with stunning views of the rocky coast. As we arrived we were given welcome drinks in the lounge while they took our luggage to our room. There were wide open windows with panoramic views of the water and the sun was starting to set.

The Room

Afterwards, they gave us a brief tour of the ryokan and took us to our room for tea and sweets. We booked the Junior Suite which comfortably fit all 5 of us. They gave us yukatas to wear during our stay, even one for Terra! The rooms are traditional Japanese style with tatami-mats. They also feature the same wide windows with stunning coastal views.

Hot Baths

There are several hot baths to choose from during your stay. There’s a private family style open-air onsen, a large communal public bath with panoramic views and a communal open-air bath right along the edge of the water. The private one requires reservations, so we booked it upon arrival for an hour. It was so nice to unwind and soak while watching the sunset and hearing the sound of the waves.

Dinner

Typically with most ryokans, dinner is served kaiseki style. Here it was mostly focused on seafood, and made with local and seasonal ingredients. It was quite the grand presentation and I loved being able to sample so many little dishes. Everything was so fresh and delicious and it was the perfect ending to a long day.

Day 4: Head Back Home

We had planned to do some siteseeing around Dogashima before heading back home, but with a typhoon approaching we decided it was best to leave. The view was quite the contrast to the clear skies the previous evening. The rain had already started to fall heavily in the morning, and our only way north was by bus through windy mountain roads. Since our case was an exception, we highly recommend to use today to do a boat tour along the coast and into the caves. We had planned to use this company for the boat cruise.

We hope this inspires you to see Kamakura and the Izu Peninsula if you already haven’t. There are many places to see around Tokyo for the day, and even better for the weekend! Japan is filled with unique beauty, and you’ll enjoy the experience of seeing another unique area.

Have you been to Kamakura or Izu? If so, we’d love to hear more!

Show us some love and save for later!