Overview
Accessible via a fifty-minute flight from Haneda Airport or a ten-hour ferry from Takeshiba Pier, Hachijojima Island is a subtropical paradise of wildlife and local flora. The island's volcanic environment is flush with greenery and rugged ranges with views of the ocean. Hachijojima Island's many places of interest include Hachijo Shrine, the Hachijojima History & Folklore Museum, the Hachijo Botanical Garden and the beautiful Mt. Mihara.
Hachijo Shrine
Komainu stone guardians watch over the tiny Hachijo Shrine in the northwest coast of the island. Set back from the main road, the shrine is found on paved grounds within the borders of a small ceremonial enclosure and though exceedingly simple, offer an almost palatial ambience.
Six minutes by car from Hachijojima Airport or sixteen minutes from Sokodo Port.
Hachijojima History & Folklore Museum
With its traditional and historical artefacts, the Hachijojima History & Folklore Museum traces the history of the island, including its use as a place of exile during the Edo period. Cultural and national treasures can be found here, including the museum itself which has been designated as a Tangible Cultural Property.
Eight minutes by car from Hachijojima Airport or thirteen minutes by car from Sokodo Port.
Hachijo Botanical Park
With its warm climate, Hachijo Botanical Park showcases plants that are unable to be grown anywhere else in the country. Over one hundred species of plants can be found here including a permanent display of rare mushrooms. The red, volcanic pathways are particularly attractive.
Fourteen minutes from Hachijojima Airport or ten minutes by car from Sokodo Port.
Mt. Mihara
At over seven hundred metres, Mt. Mihara is the island's second largest mountain and is considered the place to be when it comes to views and waterfalls. The mountain's Karataki Waterfall is almost forty metres high, while Iounuma Pond and its emerald green waters are the perfect natural mirror.
Fifty minutes by car from Hachijojima Airport or Sokodo Port.
There is so much to explore there - diving, cycling, walking. And many hot springs to unwind in.