Did you know that there are 219 islands in Tokyo, both inhabited and uninhabited, which stretch south over 2,000 kilometers? They are the 7 islands of Izu (although there are really 9), and two main Ogasawara Islands. Hachijojima is one of the 'extra' Izu Islands, and if you really want to get away from it all, this is a place to do it!Located 297 kilometers from Tokyo, Hachijojima can be reached by boat from Tokyo's Takeshiba Pier in about 10 hours. I recommend, however, taking the short 50 minute plane ride from Haneda.
I recently visited Hachijojima because the islands of Tokyo are very interested in attracting foreign tourists. I can't say that the island is very 'English-friendly', but the kindness of the local population more than makes up for it. Everyone went out of their way to help and/or entertain us.
My trip was in December, so it was too cold for swimming. This blog will cover activities out of the water, and things that can be done if it rains. The island also has great diving, fishing, swimming, hiking, surfing,... See this website for details: http://hachijo.info/index.htm
Our flight departed Tokyo at 11:35am, arriving at 12:40pm. Our first stop was the restaurant 'Kuriya' (207-3 Mitsune). It doesn't look like anything special on the outside, but the interior was top-notch, and the food was delicious. We had the 'bento' lunch below, with rice and soup. The menu has a little bit of everything on it - sushi, tempura, salad, udon, Western pizza,... Something to please everyone. All reasonably priced, but unfortunately, there is no English.
Our next stop was the Hachijojima Botanical Garden and Visitor Center. Everything in the visitor center is in Japanese, so wander the garden instead. It is extensive, with trails winding through a dense 'jungle-like' forest. Actually, if you don't eat at the 'Kuriya', buy something for a picnic lunch - there are a lot of nice spots to sit and relax.
We then drove up to a Geothermal Museum. It is very small and all the displays are in Japanese. There was, however, one lovely woman on staff who was trying very hard to speak to us in English. If you have an interest in this kind of thing, stop by.
Then we headed out to this gorgeous 'lookout' at the Fureai Farm. There is a small rundown building here with a few tables inside and a vending machine filled with tasty locally produced milk. Walk down to the end of this path for a gorgeous view of the rest of the island. Along the way you'll pass some cows, each with its own ear-name tag.
The Hachijo Fuji hiking trail begins here. The locals recommended this hike to us. It takes you up to the top of Mount Hachijo Fuji to the Asama Shrine. There is a trail around its crater, with the Asobidaira Bokuya Observatory House along the way.
As the sun began to set, we were taken to one of the many onsen (hot springs) on the island. This is the view from the ladies bath of the Miharashi-no-yu. If you visit the island, I definitely recommend a visit to this bath. Open 10:30am - 9:30pm, last entry at 9:00pm. Closed on Tuesdays. 500 yen for adults, 200 for small children.
That night we stayed at a minshuku (small family run inn) called Funamisou. The family that runs the place is very friendly (you'll probably get invited to try some of the local liquor with the father), but accommodations are very, very basic.
We then saw a 'shima-odori' dance and 'Hachijo-daiko' drum performance at the remains of the Hattori Family residence. Tokugawa Ieyasu, leader of Japan in the early 1600's, began exiling people here from 1606. The exiles brought their traditions and customs with them. The shima-odori is a collection of dances from all over Japan. A lovely little lady sang all of the songs while four other members gave a quick demonstration of each dance. Unfortunately, there is no information on the dances in English, so unless you understand Japanese you won't know what each dance is, or where it is from. However, it was fun to watch.
The next stop was the Ki-hachijo Dyeing facility. Silk, woven with distinctive black, brown, and yellow colors, was originally produced in order to pay the island's taxes, which continued until the Edo era. The workers here are all very young, and it is interesting to see them work. There is a detailed (and interesting)presentation of the process and history, but again, without an interpreter, you'll need to be pretty good at Japanese to understand. Unfortunately, this building is also full of clutter.
The Hachijojima History and Folklore Museum exhibits 1,500 artifacts related to life on the island. Of course, again, nothing is labeled in English and English is not spoken. They will give you 5 pages (front and back) of typed English information regarding the history and legends of the island. Very hard to read while you are there, but good for later.
Many of the exhibits are self-explanatory so I would recommend stopping by and checking out this museum. The museum is housed in a beautiful old building, and I was happy this was one of the first places that was truly clutter-free! It is open everyday, 9:00am - 4:30pm. 360 yen for adults, 170 for small children.
We had lunch at a simple soba noodle shop called 'Aitsuki' (349-1 Mitsune). They did not have an English menu, but I recommend the ashitaba soba and tempura lunch.
Hachijojima is located at latitude 33 degrees north, and the average temperature is 18 Celsius (average in Jan/Feb is 10 Celsius). So, the temperature is always quite good. The island does, however, get a lot of rainfall. Our flight was due to leave at 2:00pm that afternoon, but wind and rain forced the flight from Tokyo to turn around as it could not land. The flight later that afternoon was also cancelled, so we stayed another night. Be prepared that this could happen. And, bring a couple books to read, just in case!
The best is just outside. Look at this pool and view! The hotel has very few rooms and is a little off the beaten path (but a very quick free shuttle ride to the airport,...), so we felt like we had the entire place to ourselves.
The hotel has a golf course nearby, a 'mini-golf' course right beside the pool, a very nice indoor onsen, and a short walkway that takes you along the lava-formed rocky coastline to a private bench - perfect for watching the crashing waves.
Although we ate dinner in town, the hotel has a lovely Italian restaurant, again with great ocean views. Breakfast was a buffet of Western and Japanese choices - very nice.
Our flight departed Tokyo at 11:35am, arriving at 12:40pm. Our first stop was the restaurant 'Kuriya' (207-3 Mitsune). It doesn't look like anything special on the outside, but the interior was top-notch, and the food was delicious. We had the 'bento' lunch below, with rice and soup. The menu has a little bit of everything on it - sushi, tempura, salad, udon, Western pizza,... Something to please everyone. All reasonably priced, but unfortunately, there is no English.Our next stop was the Hachijojima Botanical Garden and Visitor Center. Everything in the visitor center is in Japanese, so wander the garden instead. It is extensive, with trails winding through a dense 'jungle-like' forest. Actually, if you don't eat at the 'Kuriya', buy something for a picnic lunch - there are a lot of nice spots to sit and relax.
We then drove up to a Geothermal Museum. It is very small and all the displays are in Japanese. There was, however, one lovely woman on staff who was trying very hard to speak to us in English. If you have an interest in this kind of thing, stop by.Then we headed out to this gorgeous 'lookout' at the Fureai Farm. There is a small rundown building here with a few tables inside and a vending machine filled with tasty locally produced milk. Walk down to the end of this path for a gorgeous view of the rest of the island. Along the way you'll pass some cows, each with its own ear-name tag.
The Hachijo Fuji hiking trail begins here. The locals recommended this hike to us. It takes you up to the top of Mount Hachijo Fuji to the Asama Shrine. There is a trail around its crater, with the Asobidaira Bokuya Observatory House along the way.This is the view from the Fureai Farm of the other half of the island. Fantastic!
As the sun began to set, we were taken to one of the many onsen (hot springs) on the island. This is the view from the ladies bath of the Miharashi-no-yu. If you visit the island, I definitely recommend a visit to this bath. Open 10:30am - 9:30pm, last entry at 9:00pm. Closed on Tuesdays. 500 yen for adults, 200 for small children.
That night we stayed at a minshuku (small family run inn) called Funamisou. The family that runs the place is very friendly (you'll probably get invited to try some of the local liquor with the father), but accommodations are very, very basic.On day two, we took a bus ride around the island. The Osato neighborhood is lined with these 'tamaishi' walls. The round stones were formed naturally by the sea and were carried to this area by people exiled to the island long ago. We did not have time to wander around, so I don't know how large the tamaishi wall area is.
We then saw a 'shima-odori' dance and 'Hachijo-daiko' drum performance at the remains of the Hattori Family residence. Tokugawa Ieyasu, leader of Japan in the early 1600's, began exiling people here from 1606. The exiles brought their traditions and customs with them. The shima-odori is a collection of dances from all over Japan. A lovely little lady sang all of the songs while four other members gave a quick demonstration of each dance. Unfortunately, there is no information on the dances in English, so unless you understand Japanese you won't know what each dance is, or where it is from. However, it was fun to watch.
The 'residence' itself is just an old building full of dust and clutter, so if you are not interested in the dancing, skip this spot. Open from 8:00am - 3:00pm.
The next stop was the Ki-hachijo Dyeing facility. Silk, woven with distinctive black, brown, and yellow colors, was originally produced in order to pay the island's taxes, which continued until the Edo era. The workers here are all very young, and it is interesting to see them work. There is a detailed (and interesting)presentation of the process and history, but again, without an interpreter, you'll need to be pretty good at Japanese to understand. Unfortunately, this building is also full of clutter.
The Hachijojima History and Folklore Museum exhibits 1,500 artifacts related to life on the island. Of course, again, nothing is labeled in English and English is not spoken. They will give you 5 pages (front and back) of typed English information regarding the history and legends of the island. Very hard to read while you are there, but good for later. Many of the exhibits are self-explanatory so I would recommend stopping by and checking out this museum. The museum is housed in a beautiful old building, and I was happy this was one of the first places that was truly clutter-free! It is open everyday, 9:00am - 4:30pm. 360 yen for adults, 170 for small children.
We had lunch at a simple soba noodle shop called 'Aitsuki' (349-1 Mitsune). They did not have an English menu, but I recommend the ashitaba soba and tempura lunch.
Hachijojima is located at latitude 33 degrees north, and the average temperature is 18 Celsius (average in Jan/Feb is 10 Celsius). So, the temperature is always quite good. The island does, however, get a lot of rainfall. Our flight was due to leave at 2:00pm that afternoon, but wind and rain forced the flight from Tokyo to turn around as it could not land. The flight later that afternoon was also cancelled, so we stayed another night. Be prepared that this could happen. And, bring a couple books to read, just in case!My friend and I were not interested in roughing it again at the minshuku, so we upgraded to the Hotel Lido Azzurro. I absolutely, positively recommend this hotel! Rooms were simple, but all opened up to gorgeous views of the ocean. The staff was extremely helpful, and some English was spoken. There is free coffee and free Internet access in the lobby.
The best is just outside. Look at this pool and view! The hotel has very few rooms and is a little off the beaten path (but a very quick free shuttle ride to the airport,...), so we felt like we had the entire place to ourselves.The hotel has a golf course nearby, a 'mini-golf' course right beside the pool, a very nice indoor onsen, and a short walkway that takes you along the lava-formed rocky coastline to a private bench - perfect for watching the crashing waves.
Although we ate dinner in town, the hotel has a lovely Italian restaurant, again with great ocean views. Breakfast was a buffet of Western and Japanese choices - very nice.Their website is only in Japanese, but a few staff members spoke some English. I'd recommend calling to make a reservation. http://www.lidoazzurro.jp/
Depending on what meals you choose and how many people are in your room, the price per person is between 7,000 and 20,000 yen.
Here is a helpful English website for the island: http://www.8jyo.jp/en/index.html
Here is a pub that is extremely foreigner friendly. Their website is really informative, and they even offer tours in English! http://www.hachijo.net/index.html
Here is another hotel on the island, the Hachijo Sea-Park Resort. It has a really nice English website.
http://www.pearlcity.co.jp/hachijo/English/E_top/E_top.html
And for the budget conscious, the Galaxy Guest House also has a good English website. http://www.geocities.jp/paradoisejapan/ Rooms with no meals start at 4000 yen!
Public transportation on the island (bus) is very infrequent. I highly recommend bringing a bicycle or renting a scooter or car. Although their website is only in Japanese, Mobile Renta-car can take phone reservations in English. http://www1.ocn.ne.jp/~mobil/ Prices are really reasonable.
Although I don't feel that this island has any special features to distinguish it from other Japanese islands, I like that it is very interested in attracting foreigners. If you are living in Tokyo and you really want to get away from human beings - this is a good choice. With only a couple of flights a day on smaller aircraft, and a population of only 8,500, anywhere you go will be extremely quiet. Everywhere we went, we were the only people there!
If you are a nature lover and like to walk, just wandering around the island would be a great escape. Here is a really good blog about the island: http://chibaraki.wordpress.com/2009/12/30/on-a-deserted-tropical-island-with-palm-trees-in-tokyo/
Depending on what meals you choose and how many people are in your room, the price per person is between 7,000 and 20,000 yen.
Here is a helpful English website for the island: http://www.8jyo.jp/en/index.html
Here is a pub that is extremely foreigner friendly. Their website is really informative, and they even offer tours in English! http://www.hachijo.net/index.html
Here is another hotel on the island, the Hachijo Sea-Park Resort. It has a really nice English website.
http://www.pearlcity.co.jp/hachijo/English/E_top/E_top.html
And for the budget conscious, the Galaxy Guest House also has a good English website. http://www.geocities.jp/paradoisejapan/ Rooms with no meals start at 4000 yen!
Public transportation on the island (bus) is very infrequent. I highly recommend bringing a bicycle or renting a scooter or car. Although their website is only in Japanese, Mobile Renta-car can take phone reservations in English. http://www1.ocn.ne.jp/~mobil/ Prices are really reasonable.
Although I don't feel that this island has any special features to distinguish it from other Japanese islands, I like that it is very interested in attracting foreigners. If you are living in Tokyo and you really want to get away from human beings - this is a good choice. With only a couple of flights a day on smaller aircraft, and a population of only 8,500, anywhere you go will be extremely quiet. Everywhere we went, we were the only people there!
If you are a nature lover and like to walk, just wandering around the island would be a great escape. Here is a really good blog about the island: http://chibaraki.wordpress.com/2009/12/30/on-a-deserted-tropical-island-with-palm-trees-in-tokyo/
This year, the JR East opened 'The Railway Museum' as the centerpiece of their 20th Anniversary Memorial Project. It is located in Onari, Saitama; less than an hour by train from the center of Tokyo.
A short walking trail through the woods from the shrine is a 4.5 hectare plum orchard, with over 1000 plum trees planted in on a mountain slope. We were lucky to have hit Tsukuba-san's 'Plum Festival', which runs from February 17 to March 21. The trees are planted among rocky outcrops and walking trails, the fragrance of the blossoms was wonderful. 
Specialties of the area, plum tea and toad oil were on sale. Toad oil is supposedly good for your health, and this area is famous for it (mostly for the outrageous claims of toad oil salesmen long ago). An observation platform at the top gave a wonderful view of the orchard and valley below. We enjoyed the festival for a while then walked back to the shrine up the road. Directly below the shrine is a collection of rundown souvenir shops, and boarded up buildings. Everything in sight, even the two main hotels, looked as if they had seen better days.
The shrine itself is a very old one. Its name appears in poems written in the 8th and 10th century. It is famous for its 800kg, toad-shaped mikoshi (portable shrine), which was not on view the day I visited. Unfortunately, the grounds of the shrine have been surrounded by rundown tourist facilities. These facilities include a rope way, which lies just above the shrine. We bought some tickets, the round trip fee was 1020 yen. The climb of the rope way was impressive. I have never been on such a long, steep rope way slope before. The problem was Miyukigahara, the lookout point at the top. On a really clear day, the view of the Kanto Plain is probably a good one. The day we visited was hazy, so there wasn't much of a view and there was absolutely nothing else to see.
Miyukigahara lies between, and a short 5 minute hike from, the twin summits of Nantai-san (870m) and Nyotai-san (876m) - all of which makes up 'Mt. Tsukuba'. We could have walked up to the top of summit, but I wasn't wearing proper footwear for hiking. I did see some photos afterwards of the hiking trail that leads up the mountain (from the bottom of the rope way), and of the summits themselves. There are some interesting small shrines and some great rocky outcrops. If you ever visit Mt. Tsukuba make sure it is a very clear day, take the rope way up and hike back down. Otherwise, don't bother coming here at all.