Sakura in Kawazu / 3 Day Itinerary in Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka, Japan
Noel's last block leave was in February and we decided to take a trip to Tokyo (with some cheap tickets from Scoot's 1 for 1 promo!) Sakura season was approaching and I really wanted to catch a glimpse of that. In the south, Sakura starts blooming as early as January and they slowly progress north insland. In major cities like Tokyo, they typically bloom around April, and as you proceed up north to Hokkaido, they can bloom as late as May. We decided to take a trip down south to the Izu Peninsula and catch the Sakura blooms at the annual Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival in the city of Kawazu. We still wanted to spend a fair bit of time in Tokyo, so we only squeezed 3 days out for the trip down south.
Getting from Tokyo to Kawazu
We researched various other ways to get from Tokyo to Kawazu, including buses and trains, but found that a car gave us the most flexibility in stopping by places on the way there, and having a place to store our bags while we explored (without having to stop by the accommodation to drop the bags, nor send our bags somewhere else).
We ended up taking a train from Tokyo to Atami, and picking up our rental car there before driving down to Kawazu, and to other places that we wanted to visit in the Izu Peninsula as well.
We stayed at Ginza International Hotel in Tokyo, so we took the train from the nearest train station, Shimbashi Station.
Direct Train from Tokyo to Atami Station
Google Maps Reference
Train: [JT] Tokaido Line | Local Atami
Time: ~2 hours
Cost: 1,940¥
This was a regular train, so there were no reserved seats. There are options to take the shinkansen as well (and top up for reserved seats), but this worked for us and was also one of the cheapest options. We managed to get seats within a few stops after Shimbashi station despite it being the peak hour (around 8AM), so we didn't stand for the entire trip!
Strangely, our train stopped at Odawara for longer than usual. We were sitting in the train for 15 minutes, waiting, until Noel realized that the train was scheduled to move in the opposite direction back to where we came from. We then moved off and switched to another train on another track.
When we reached Atami, we took a quick 5 minutes walk from the train station to our car rental. We chose ORIX Rent-A-Car, purely based on price.
Car Rental @ Atami
Cost: ~11,000¥ (incl. tax) for 48h
Things to note: You'll need to apply for an international driving permit (IDP) prior to the trip. It's easy to apply for it online, or just walk-in to apply for it (and collect it on the spot!). Costs $20 and it's valid for a year in multiple countries.
3 Day Itinerary in Izu Peninsula
Day 1: Tokyo > Atami > Atami Baien (Plum Garden) > Izu Skyline Drive > Mt Omuro > Jogasaki Coast
We checked out of our hotel @ Ginza in the morning, took a train down to Atami, and picked up our car at the car rental site near Atami train station. Got the paperwork and car inspection done within 20 minutes, and off we went!
The initial plan was to visit the Atami Baien (Plum Garden) as plum blossoms were also in bloom during February, and there was a Plum Blossom Festival going on from January till March 2019. However, we decided to give it a miss at that point as we were delayed from the train ride and had to choose between our list of things to do. You can add that on to your plans if you have more time!
We went straight for the Izu Skyline, and we were really excited for the scenic drive. Unfortunately, burden me pinned the wrong location on Google Maps and ended up sending Noel to the wrong entrance. Just so you'll avoid our mistake, Google Maps reference: Start to end.
We missed the entire scenic route once we got there, and ended up driving through a forest (not one with a great view). Worst still, we had to pay the toll once we got out of the Izu Skyline, oops. At least the nice oji-san gave us a discount when we told him we got in at the wrong entrance... If you're somehow in the middle of the Skyline route and are going south, just give it a miss. But if you're driving up north, you may be able to catch a glimpse of Mt Fuji (as per some pictures on TripAdvisor)!
A short drive from the exit point of our (failed) Izu Skyline drive was Mt Omuro. We made our way to the skylift, with plenty of free parking on site. The lift trip up to the top of the mountain and back was priced at 500¥ each.
If you Google images of Mt Omuro, you'll find pretty green mountains. Not sure why we didn't think about the seasons, but clearly we were there at the wrong time and were welcomed by a chendol-looking mountain instead of a Matcha Bingsu. Still, the walk around the mountain (~20 minutes) was nice, and we even got to see Mt Fuji from a distance!
Next, we took a pitstop for lunch. Still in our kaiten sushi craze, we headed straight for the nearest kaiten sushi we could find on the map. Unfortunately, we got there right as they were closing for the afternoon. Ended up right across the street at the nearest open restaurant (Izu Kogen Beer), and also getting a surprisingly good pudding soft-serve as dessert at Izukougen Pudding that was next door.
Post-lunch, next on our list was Jogasaki Coast! Parking on-site costs 500¥.
We only took a short walk past the bridge, but there is a 10km hiking route along the coast that you can attempt if you have time. Unfortunately, the sun sets really early in February (around 6PM) and we didn't have enough time with the sun out to do a longer hike.
After which, we headed towards our Airbnb nearby. We stayed further down south near Izu-Atagawa train station, which was halfway between Jogasaki Coast and Kawazu so it would be easier to head down to Kawazu the next day.
Day 2: Strawberry Picking > Akazawa Onsen > Kawazu Sakura Festival > Nanadaru Falls > Joren Falls > Shuzenji
There was a strawberry farm near our Airbnb, and we planned to go strawberry picking first thing in the morning. We eventually decided against it as we didn't feel like munching down strawberries at 9AM in the morning (and they don't allow takeouts of your picks). Across most U-Pick Strawberry farms, the price ranges based on the dates, being directly correlated to how "in-season" strawberries are. For Ota Farm that was near our Airbnb, prices are as follows:
24 Dec ~ 3 Jan: 1,800¥
4 Jan ~ 28 Feb: 1,600¥
1 Mar ~ 31 Mar: 1,400¥
1 Apr ~ 30 Apr: 1,100¥
1 May ~ whenever they are still available: 800¥
We headed straight for Akazawa Onsen, a popular onsen resort hotel along the coast that is managed by DHC, one of the leading skincare brands in Japan. Their main selling point is having an onsen experience while overlooking the Pacific Ocean. On top of that, the facility is well-maintained and they provide a range of DHC products for patrons to use. While they offer accommodation on-site for a full resort experience (with access to all their amenities), it was pretty pricey (~USD$200 per night) so we decided to visit separately for the hot spring only.
They offer both public baths and private baths on site. Their public baths have both open-air and indoor options, with prices starting from 1,550¥ per pax (depending on the dates you're there). I read on some review sites that tattoos are not banned from these public baths, so it could be an option for people who can't typically visit other public baths.
We opted for the private bath instead. We had access to a private room that came with a seating area, a bathroom stocked with DHC products, and right out of the bathroom, an open-air area with a little onsen tub and a wash-up area (with more DHC products). The room fits up to 6 people, and is suitable for families. There are four different rooms available, each of which has its own theme. We went for the Apricot bath, which had a wood theme.
On top of the onsen fee of 1,550¥ per pax, the private room was an additional charge at 2,700¥ per hour, which totaled to about 5,800¥ for 2 pax for an hour. I believe you'll still have access to the public baths and bathrooms even after the time in the private bath is up (since the 1,550¥ fee was already paid for).
They do accept walk-ins for the private rooms, but prior reservation is recommended as they only have four rooms available at a time. Reservations are only done over the phone, and we asked our Airbnb host to make the call for us before our trip. Alternatively, if you're staying at a hotel, you can get the reception at your hotel to make a call for you, most receptions in Japan are usually kind enough to help!
If you're looking for more onsen options, our Airbnb host suggested Hokkawa Onsen. Situated by the coast, this public bath (split by gender) is out in the open and you'll have an unblocked panoramic view of the ocean. You could even time your visit to appreciate the sunrise or sunset while enjoying your bath! They're open from 6.30AM - 9.30AM, 1PM - 9PM. If you're a hotel guest, you can utilize the onsen for free. But if you're not, entry fee is 600¥ per pax, but note that they may not have shower facilities on site post-bath. You can get more information on their website.
After our soothing onsen bath, we headed down the coast to Kawazu for the Kawazu Sakura Festival! It wasn't difficult for us to know that we've arrived, as we were greeted by beautiful pink trees sprouting all along the river.
The first thing to do was to park the car so we could explore the festival by foot. It'll be easy to find parking as you drive along the streets as you'll see a lot of people holding up signs indicating that there are parking spaces at XX fee. Most of them were charging about 1,000¥ for all-day parking.
Since we were not so keen to pay for parking for only a few hours, we parked at a 7-11, grabbed an onigiri, and walked towards the festival. At the same time, we circled back every 45 minutes or so to check on the car π. Do it at your own risk! There are signs around for other stalls indicating that parking time is limited to 30 minutes or less. On some compounds, there are security personnel standing around to ensure that this rule is enforced too. This was the particular 7-11 we parked at, it was situated really close to most of the festivities, so it was easy to walk a round and circle back.
We initially wanted to head to an unagi restaurant to have lunch, but decided against it because there was a long line, and ended up exploring the festival and snacking along the way instead (waaay better option). We had unagi onigiri, cream puffs, sakura ice cream, the best scallops (500¥ for 2 huge pieces!), sakura taiyaki, and snacked on random samples along the way.
We were actually already planning on leaving when we drove past somewhere along the river (near a red bridge) where the Sakura blossoms overhangs the pathway. It was near the unagi restaurant where we initially wanted to have lunch at, so we parked our car there and walked (ok, ran) across the red bridge and towards the pathway for our photo opp. The unagi restaurant was closed at this point, we did stick around to see if the owners would chase us away for parking in their backyard but the only guy we saw ignored us, so we just parked there for a little bit. (Again, do it at your own risk and still do respect others if they ask you to leave!)
After Kawazu, we started our drive north again towards the waterfalls. At this point I'm glad we drove instead of planning for public transportation, it's doable but we would've wasted a lot of time waiting for the bus.
We first visited Nanadaru, and if you're interested in the Nanadaru Loop Bridge, it's on the way as well! As the name suggests, there are seven waterfalls in total, and there's a hiking trail that takes you through all of them. Since we didn't have the luxury of time, we just did a quick trek to one of the waterfalls, and left shortly thereafter.
Next was a short drive to Joren Falls, known for its beautiful waterfall and wasabi plants by the river. Unfortunately, at this point it was drizzling and most of the shops were closed (which also meant that I didn't get a chance to try the wasabi ice cream I've been reading about! Sigh.), so we took a walk down to check out the falls and left for our Ryokan.
Traveling further up north of the waterfalls, we hit Shuzenji, the town known for their hot spring resorts on the Izu Peninsula. We decided on one night in a ryokan despite it being significantly more expensive than regular accommodation just to get a sense of what it's like. We were doing research for awhile, most affordable ryokans are not worth it as the living conditions look sub-par and much better hotels/airbnbs came at a similar prices, yet the nice ryokans are way too expensive. Eventually, we decided on ι¦ζΉ―ζ₯ΌδΊε· (Kouyurou Ikawa), which came up at about 23,000¥ a night for 2 pax, inclusive of dinner, breakfast and access to amenities like their public and private onsens.
I don't think we were fully involved in the ryokan experience as most of the time we had no idea what was going on (we didn't know wearing yukatas and slippers around the hotel was a thing, and where exactly do we put our futons in the room...?) and there was a slight communication barrier, with only one guy who knew how to speak English.. Wished we had read this guide prior to our visit so we wouldn't seem so lost hahaha. Nonetheless, it was a novel experience!
Day 3: Shuzenji > Gotemba > Tokyo
After checking out of our first ryokan experience, we proceeded towards Gotemba, where we were scheduled to return the car. Bonus: Had a great view of Mt Fuji on the way! :)
We were able to drop our car off at ORIX @ Gotemba even though we previously picked it up at Atami, at no extra charge! The handover process was also fuss-free, the lady just did a quick check of the car and even offered us a ride to Gotemba train station. We were actually prepared to walk 15 minutes with our bags to the train station, thank you kind lady for saving us that painful trip π’. Did I mention we only topped up 1,000¥ worth of fuel before returning the car despite driving for about 2 days? Talk about fuel efficiency!
We visited Gotemba Premium Outlets via a free shuttle at Gotemba train station. To be honest it was extremely underwhelming, I was only looking forward to the Pokemon shop but it seemed like just a reject store for stuff at the original PokeCenter :( We visited the PokeCenter in Ikebukuro a few days prior, and their items were mostly the same (the premium outlet store was actually smaller and had lesser variety...) My eyes did light up when we saw Shake Shack's logo, but they were scheduled to open a week after we were there. UGH, WHY.
The initial plan was to take the free shuttle back to Gotemba bus station, and then take the train back to Tokyo. But we went to the outlet info center and found that there was a bus directly back to Tokyo from the train station, so we did that instead without having to worry about transfers/walking up/down steps!
Bus cost: 1,800¥ per pax
Duration: ~2 hours
That concludes our 3 day trip in the Izu Peninsula! There are actually more things to do on the west side of the peninsula, but since we didn't have enough time, we only took a drive down the east coast, hit Kawazu, and went back up north. Until next time, then!
We researched various other ways to get from Tokyo to Kawazu, including buses and trains, but found that a car gave us the most flexibility in stopping by places on the way there, and having a place to store our bags while we explored (without having to stop by the accommodation to drop the bags, nor send our bags somewhere else).
We ended up taking a train from Tokyo to Atami, and picking up our rental car there before driving down to Kawazu, and to other places that we wanted to visit in the Izu Peninsula as well.
We stayed at Ginza International Hotel in Tokyo, so we took the train from the nearest train station, Shimbashi Station.
Google Maps Reference
Train: [JT] Tokaido Line | Local Atami
Time: ~2 hours
Cost: 1,940¥
This was a regular train, so there were no reserved seats. There are options to take the shinkansen as well (and top up for reserved seats), but this worked for us and was also one of the cheapest options. We managed to get seats within a few stops after Shimbashi station despite it being the peak hour (around 8AM), so we didn't stand for the entire trip!
Strangely, our train stopped at Odawara for longer than usual. We were sitting in the train for 15 minutes, waiting, until Noel realized that the train was scheduled to move in the opposite direction back to where we came from. We then moved off and switched to another train on another track.
Car Rental @ Atami
Cost: ~11,000¥ (incl. tax) for 48h
Things to note: You'll need to apply for an international driving permit (IDP) prior to the trip. It's easy to apply for it online, or just walk-in to apply for it (and collect it on the spot!). Costs $20 and it's valid for a year in multiple countries.
3 Day Itinerary in Izu Peninsula
Day 1: Tokyo > Atami > Atami Baien (Plum Garden) > Izu Skyline Drive > Mt Omuro > Jogasaki Coast
We checked out of our hotel @ Ginza in the morning, took a train down to Atami, and picked up our car at the car rental site near Atami train station. Got the paperwork and car inspection done within 20 minutes, and off we went!
Our bread loaf ride for 48 hours
With Squirtle that Noel caught from SEGA hehe
The initial plan was to visit the Atami Baien (Plum Garden) as plum blossoms were also in bloom during February, and there was a Plum Blossom Festival going on from January till March 2019. However, we decided to give it a miss at that point as we were delayed from the train ride and had to choose between our list of things to do. You can add that on to your plans if you have more time!
We went straight for the Izu Skyline, and we were really excited for the scenic drive. Unfortunately, burden me pinned the wrong location on Google Maps and ended up sending Noel to the wrong entrance. Just so you'll avoid our mistake, Google Maps reference: Start to end.
We missed the entire scenic route once we got there, and ended up driving through a forest (not one with a great view). Worst still, we had to pay the toll once we got out of the Izu Skyline, oops. At least the nice oji-san gave us a discount when we told him we got in at the wrong entrance... If you're somehow in the middle of the Skyline route and are going south, just give it a miss. But if you're driving up north, you may be able to catch a glimpse of Mt Fuji (as per some pictures on TripAdvisor)!
We ended up paying 220¥ instead of the usual 980¥ from end-to-end
A short drive from the exit point of our (failed) Izu Skyline drive was Mt Omuro. We made our way to the skylift, with plenty of free parking on site. The lift trip up to the top of the mountain and back was priced at 500¥ each.
If you Google images of Mt Omuro, you'll find pretty green mountains. Not sure why we didn't think about the seasons, but clearly we were there at the wrong time and were welcomed by a chendol-looking mountain instead of a Matcha Bingsu. Still, the walk around the mountain (~20 minutes) was nice, and we even got to see Mt Fuji from a distance!
There's an archery range in the middle of the mountain, open to the public at a fee
Next, we took a pitstop for lunch. Still in our kaiten sushi craze, we headed straight for the nearest kaiten sushi we could find on the map. Unfortunately, we got there right as they were closing for the afternoon. Ended up right across the street at the nearest open restaurant (Izu Kogen Beer), and also getting a surprisingly good pudding soft-serve as dessert at Izukougen Pudding that was next door.
Not sure what we ordered too as we pointed randomly at the menu, but it was a set of 3 dons. Nothing memorable about the restaurant
Pudding soft serve topped with caramel bits. Would definitely recommend stopping by to try this if it's on the way. They also sell a variety of puddings. More info on their website.
Post-lunch, next on our list was Jogasaki Coast! Parking on-site costs 500¥.
We only took a short walk past the bridge, but there is a 10km hiking route along the coast that you can attempt if you have time. Unfortunately, the sun sets really early in February (around 6PM) and we didn't have enough time with the sun out to do a longer hike.
You won't be able to catch the sunset here as it's on the east side of the coast, but you could arrange a trip here to catch the sunrise!
After which, we headed towards our Airbnb nearby. We stayed further down south near Izu-Atagawa train station, which was halfway between Jogasaki Coast and Kawazu so it would be easier to head down to Kawazu the next day.
Day 2: Strawberry Picking > Akazawa Onsen > Kawazu Sakura Festival > Nanadaru Falls > Joren Falls > Shuzenji
There was a strawberry farm near our Airbnb, and we planned to go strawberry picking first thing in the morning. We eventually decided against it as we didn't feel like munching down strawberries at 9AM in the morning (and they don't allow takeouts of your picks). Across most U-Pick Strawberry farms, the price ranges based on the dates, being directly correlated to how "in-season" strawberries are. For Ota Farm that was near our Airbnb, prices are as follows:
24 Dec ~ 3 Jan: 1,800¥
4 Jan ~ 28 Feb: 1,600¥
1 Mar ~ 31 Mar: 1,400¥
1 Apr ~ 30 Apr: 1,100¥
1 May ~ whenever they are still available: 800¥
We headed straight for Akazawa Onsen, a popular onsen resort hotel along the coast that is managed by DHC, one of the leading skincare brands in Japan. Their main selling point is having an onsen experience while overlooking the Pacific Ocean. On top of that, the facility is well-maintained and they provide a range of DHC products for patrons to use. While they offer accommodation on-site for a full resort experience (with access to all their amenities), it was pretty pricey (~USD$200 per night) so we decided to visit separately for the hot spring only.
They offer both public baths and private baths on site. Their public baths have both open-air and indoor options, with prices starting from 1,550¥ per pax (depending on the dates you're there). I read on some review sites that tattoos are not banned from these public baths, so it could be an option for people who can't typically visit other public baths.
We opted for the private bath instead. We had access to a private room that came with a seating area, a bathroom stocked with DHC products, and right out of the bathroom, an open-air area with a little onsen tub and a wash-up area (with more DHC products). The room fits up to 6 people, and is suitable for families. There are four different rooms available, each of which has its own theme. We went for the Apricot bath, which had a wood theme.
Private room furnished with a seating area overlooking the coast
θι» Apricot Barrel Bath
On top of the onsen fee of 1,550¥ per pax, the private room was an additional charge at 2,700¥ per hour, which totaled to about 5,800¥ for 2 pax for an hour. I believe you'll still have access to the public baths and bathrooms even after the time in the private bath is up (since the 1,550¥ fee was already paid for).
They do accept walk-ins for the private rooms, but prior reservation is recommended as they only have four rooms available at a time. Reservations are only done over the phone, and we asked our Airbnb host to make the call for us before our trip. Alternatively, if you're staying at a hotel, you can get the reception at your hotel to make a call for you, most receptions in Japan are usually kind enough to help!
If you're looking for more onsen options, our Airbnb host suggested Hokkawa Onsen. Situated by the coast, this public bath (split by gender) is out in the open and you'll have an unblocked panoramic view of the ocean. You could even time your visit to appreciate the sunrise or sunset while enjoying your bath! They're open from 6.30AM - 9.30AM, 1PM - 9PM. If you're a hotel guest, you can utilize the onsen for free. But if you're not, entry fee is 600¥ per pax, but note that they may not have shower facilities on site post-bath. You can get more information on their website.
After our soothing onsen bath, we headed down the coast to Kawazu for the Kawazu Sakura Festival! It wasn't difficult for us to know that we've arrived, as we were greeted by beautiful pink trees sprouting all along the river.
The first thing to do was to park the car so we could explore the festival by foot. It'll be easy to find parking as you drive along the streets as you'll see a lot of people holding up signs indicating that there are parking spaces at XX fee. Most of them were charging about 1,000¥ for all-day parking.
Since we were not so keen to pay for parking for only a few hours, we parked at a 7-11, grabbed an onigiri, and walked towards the festival. At the same time, we circled back every 45 minutes or so to check on the car π. Do it at your own risk! There are signs around for other stalls indicating that parking time is limited to 30 minutes or less. On some compounds, there are security personnel standing around to ensure that this rule is enforced too. This was the particular 7-11 we parked at, it was situated really close to most of the festivities, so it was easy to walk a round and circle back.
We initially wanted to head to an unagi restaurant to have lunch, but decided against it because there was a long line, and ended up exploring the festival and snacking along the way instead (waaay better option). We had unagi onigiri, cream puffs, sakura ice cream, the best scallops (500¥ for 2 huge pieces!), sakura taiyaki, and snacked on random samples along the way.
Unagi onigiri
BBQ Grilled Food Items - we got yakitori momo and scallops
Sakura ice cream
Storefront of a really popular shop selling Sakura Taiyaki
Obachan making pink Sakura Taiyakis filled with sweet red bean paste
Fluffy, chewy, pink Taiyaki with a slight hint of cherry blossom fragrance (a little fruity)
One of the many pretty blooms along the river
We were actually already planning on leaving when we drove past somewhere along the river (near a red bridge) where the Sakura blossoms overhangs the pathway. It was near the unagi restaurant where we initially wanted to have lunch at, so we parked our car there and walked (ok, ran) across the red bridge and towards the pathway for our photo opp. The unagi restaurant was closed at this point, we did stick around to see if the owners would chase us away for parking in their backyard but the only guy we saw ignored us, so we just parked there for a little bit. (Again, do it at your own risk and still do respect others if they ask you to leave!)
Kawazu Sakura lined up along the river
I really liked the cherry blossom trees, not only for their beauty but also for the reminder of how fleeting beautiful moments can be.
After Kawazu, we started our drive north again towards the waterfalls. At this point I'm glad we drove instead of planning for public transportation, it's doable but we would've wasted a lot of time waiting for the bus.
We first visited Nanadaru, and if you're interested in the Nanadaru Loop Bridge, it's on the way as well! As the name suggests, there are seven waterfalls in total, and there's a hiking trail that takes you through all of them. Since we didn't have the luxury of time, we just did a quick trek to one of the waterfalls, and left shortly thereafter.
Purple Sweet potato ice cream from a random stall. Tastes like the sweet potato from Donki! First order of business for the bf is to feed me ice cream hahaha
Next was a short drive to Joren Falls, known for its beautiful waterfall and wasabi plants by the river. Unfortunately, at this point it was drizzling and most of the shops were closed (which also meant that I didn't get a chance to try the wasabi ice cream I've been reading about! Sigh.), so we took a walk down to check out the falls and left for our Ryokan.
We left Squirtle sitting there so we could easily identify the car hehe
Traveling further up north of the waterfalls, we hit Shuzenji, the town known for their hot spring resorts on the Izu Peninsula. We decided on one night in a ryokan despite it being significantly more expensive than regular accommodation just to get a sense of what it's like. We were doing research for awhile, most affordable ryokans are not worth it as the living conditions look sub-par and much better hotels/airbnbs came at a similar prices, yet the nice ryokans are way too expensive. Eventually, we decided on ι¦ζΉ―ζ₯ΌδΊε· (Kouyurou Ikawa), which came up at about 23,000¥ a night for 2 pax, inclusive of dinner, breakfast and access to amenities like their public and private onsens.
I don't think we were fully involved in the ryokan experience as most of the time we had no idea what was going on (we didn't know wearing yukatas and slippers around the hotel was a thing, and where exactly do we put our futons in the room...?) and there was a slight communication barrier, with only one guy who knew how to speak English.. Wished we had read this guide prior to our visit so we wouldn't seem so lost hahaha. Nonetheless, it was a novel experience!
A portion of our dinner - started off with cheese fondue and shabu shabu. Soup stock was kombu and soy milk
Interior of our room
Visited a local supermarket after dinner, grabbed our favourite umeshu and (by default) sweet strawberries, yum.
There was a little bar on site that offered free foot baths while you hang and chill with your company. Unfortunately we were both too sleepy and just went straight for bed
There was an option to deliver breakfast to the room, or have it in the dining hall. (Dining options were different)
Traditional Japanese breakfast
Ended the morning at our ryokan stay with a private onsen bath
Day 3: Shuzenji > Gotemba > Tokyo
After checking out of our first ryokan experience, we proceeded towards Gotemba, where we were scheduled to return the car. Bonus: Had a great view of Mt Fuji on the way! :)
We were able to drop our car off at ORIX @ Gotemba even though we previously picked it up at Atami, at no extra charge! The handover process was also fuss-free, the lady just did a quick check of the car and even offered us a ride to Gotemba train station. We were actually prepared to walk 15 minutes with our bags to the train station, thank you kind lady for saving us that painful trip π’. Did I mention we only topped up 1,000¥ worth of fuel before returning the car despite driving for about 2 days? Talk about fuel efficiency!
We visited Gotemba Premium Outlets via a free shuttle at Gotemba train station. To be honest it was extremely underwhelming, I was only looking forward to the Pokemon shop but it seemed like just a reject store for stuff at the original PokeCenter :( We visited the PokeCenter in Ikebukuro a few days prior, and their items were mostly the same (the premium outlet store was actually smaller and had lesser variety...) My eyes did light up when we saw Shake Shack's logo, but they were scheduled to open a week after we were there. UGH, WHY.
Tiny little Pokemon Store
Ohai Mt Fuji
The initial plan was to take the free shuttle back to Gotemba bus station, and then take the train back to Tokyo. But we went to the outlet info center and found that there was a bus directly back to Tokyo from the train station, so we did that instead without having to worry about transfers/walking up/down steps!
Bus cost: 1,800¥ per pax
Duration: ~2 hours
That concludes our 3 day trip in the Izu Peninsula! There are actually more things to do on the west side of the peninsula, but since we didn't have enough time, we only took a drive down the east coast, hit Kawazu, and went back up north. Until next time, then!
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