Thirty minutes from Chofu Airport or 105 minutes by jetfoil from Takeshiba Pier, Oshima Island is the largest of the nine islands making up Tokyo’s Izu Island chain. Featuring Mt. Mihara, an active volcano and stunning ocean views, the island is home to the serenely secluded Hajikama Shrine and the beautiful Tsubaki Hana Gardens. The island's Oshima Zoo and Museum of Volcanoes are also popular places to visit.
Hajikama Shrine
Said to have been established in the seventeenth century, Hajikama Shrine is an extraordinarily beautiful spiritual space found in the north-east of the island. Situated within a grove of cedar tree sentinels, the grounds of the shrine are covered in moss, completing an already serene ambience.
Fifteen minutes by car from Oshima Airport or twenty minutes by care from Motomachi Port.
Tsubaki Hana Garden
A privately owned garden made accessible to the public, Tsubaki Hana Garden was established in the 1970s. With its four hundred varieties amongst its two thousand camellia trees, the garden is said to be the only place in Japan that offers such stunning panoramic view of the ocean and Mt. Fuji.
Seven minutes by car from Oshima Airport or ten minutes by bus from Motomachi or Okata Ports.
Museum of Volcanoes
With the island's Mt. Mihara an active volcano, the Museum of Volcanoes is a fascinating look at how volcanoes operate and the role they play in the natural world. Volcanic rock samples, photographs and lots of footage can be found at the museum including one of the famous eruption of Mt. Mihara in 1986.
Thirteen minutes by car from Oshima Airport or five minutes from Motomachi Port.
Tokyo Municipal Oshima Park Zoo
With its enclosures taking advantage of the island's volcanic terrain, the Tokyo Municipal Oshima Park Zoo features one of Japan's largest flying spaces as well as the country's largest primate enclosure. Lemurs, camels and Japanese weasels are among the many animals this free zoo.
Fifteen minutes by car from Oshima Airport or twenty-seven minutes by car from Motomachi Port.
And what better way to end a day that at Hama-no-yu (bring swimwear!), enjoying the bath tegether with the locals while watching the sunset with the view on Izu-hanto and other islands. Life doesn't get much better than that!
The only thing I found a bit difficult was finding places to eat, since there aren't that many restaurants and the opening times seemed rather random. And not a single konbini at the island....