Izu Peninsula

The Izu Peninsula (Jp. 伊豆半島 Izu-hantō) is a peninsula to the west of Tokyo on the Japanese island of Honshu. Formerly the eponymous Izu Province, the Izu peninsula is now a part of Shizuoka prefecture.

Attractions

A popular recreational area for people in the Tokyo region, the Izu peninsula is above all known for its onsen hot springs, including Atami and Mishima. The peninsula abuts Mt. Fuji and is a part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

It is also a popular destination for scuba diving. The top three diving destinations (historically at least) are Izu Ocean Park (IOP) (word-for-word translation of 伊豆海洋公園 Izu Kaiyō Kōen), Yawatano (八幡野), and Ōsezaki (大瀬崎).

Access

The Izu peninsula is easily accessible from Tokyo and points west via the Tokaido Shinkansen, which has stations in both Atami (east side) and Mishima (west).

By car, it's 103.3 km from the Tokyo end of the Tōmei Expressway, the end informally known as the Yōga IC (用賀インター), to Numazu, on the west side of the peninsula. Accessing the east side requires branching off at Atsugi and traveling along the tetrapod shoreline: Odawara, Yugawara, Atami, etc.