Trip to Izu - Part 2

We'll continue to talk and highlight some areas in the Izu Peninsula, which is located in Shizuoka prefecture, Japan. Part 1 is HERE. 


The morning of day two would be our final day to enjoy food at the hotel. For the rest of our stay, we opted for the "stay only - no meals" plan, in order to save money. Many resort hotels offer this kind of service in Japan; you can call ahead to check.

Buffet breakfast was served in the main dining room. I enjoyed lots of Japanese and Western dishes...

I love big breakfasts!! ^_^

Close up of soba (buckwheat noodles) -- these are famous in Nagano prefecture:

Assortment of mini dishes -- scrambled egg, seaweed, tofu with edamame and konyaku jelly (high in fiber, zero calories).

After breakfast, my travel partner and I hiked 30 minutes from the hotel to visit an extinct volcano.

Once arriving at our destination, there were large signs in both Japanese and English explaining how Izu was created thousands of years ago. Numerous volcanoes spewed lava from the ocean floor, initially creating islands. These islands eventually joined together, and via the Earth's plate movements, these lava-created islands were pushed northwest, finally connecting to the main island of Japan.

You can read more history in the photo below 
(click for details, and enhance using your PDF viewer): 

This extinct volcano is called: Mount Omuro. The official name on the sign below translates to: "Omuro Mountain Volcano". 

A sign nearby proclaimed Mount Omuro to be a national park:

The interesting feature of this volcano is that you don't have to hike up the mountain at all. You can ride a comfortable ski lift to the top for ¥500 per person (return trip included).

The chair lift:

Once at the top, I got a photo at the summit marker, which says Mount Omuro stands at 580 meters. The weather was cloudy due to a passing typhoon far off the coast of Japan; within an hour however, it became clear.

Cutenekko gives the thumbs up.....Omuro! (Japanese joke)

A walking path circles the crater of the volcano, allowing visitors to enjoy a 360 degree panorama of the area. On a clear day, you should be able to see Mount Fuji from this location. Despite the clouds on our climb, I still enjoyed the view very much.

View from the top, looking East to Sagami Bay (Pacific Ocean):

View of the extinct volcano's crater:

Archery targets can be seen in the crater

One interesting feature of Mount Omuro? You can practice archery in the crater! We saw targets set up on the crater's floor for people to enjoy shooting arrows. The cost was ¥1,000 ($10) per person.

This mountain is a great was to learn the history and development of the Izu Peninsula; I highly recommend stopping here should you visit the Izu area.  After Mount Omuro, we hiked lava cliffs snaking along the ocean to a suspension bridge. Check back again to read more. ^_^


*** Information ***

The Izu Peninsula is easy to access from Tokyo. By Tomei highway, travel takes approximately 2.5 hours. (Google Maps). By train, from Tokyo: take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Odawara or Atami. OR, take the Romance Car (Odakyu line) from Shinjuku Tokyo, to Odawara. For both trains, change to the Ito line, traveling south to Ito. Other trains operate between Ito and more southern points; however, trains are not frequent. Approximate cost: ¥5,500 one way ($55). 

WikiTravel page is HERE. Lonely Planet Guide's site on Izu is HERE. 

Mount Omuro is on Trip Advisor. Read reviews HERE. Directions to Mount Omuro: Take a bus from Ito station (35 minutes) or from Izu Kogen station (15 minutes). Buses are labeled clearly in English & Japanese. I'm sorry, I couldn't find the cost. The summit is typically windy and cold. Bring a sweater!

The Izu Dream pass allows you to travel on ferries, buses and trains in the Izu area for up to 3 days. Read more HERE.