Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [171]
Sights & Activities
The island is dominated by two dormant volcanoes, 854m Hachijō-Fuji () and 701m Mihara-yama (), covered with lush semitropical vegetation. The best hike is the three-hour trip up Hachijō-Fuji. The one-hour walk around the crater rim is awesome, but watch for the large holes along the trail. On the Mihara-yama end of the island, try the hike to Kara-taki (), a lovely water-fall about an hour’s hike inland and uphill from the settlement of Kashidate. The best snorkelling is by the rocks at Nambara (), on the west coast.
Urami-ga-taki Onsen (; admission free; 10am-9pm) is not to be missed. Just below the road, it overlooks a waterfall – pure magic in the early evening. You’ll need a swimsuit since it’s mixed bathing. Take a Sueyoshi-bound bus from the port (you may have to change at Kashitate Onsen Mae) to Nakata-Shōten-mae and walk 20 minutes towards the ocean. Before you enter the onsen, take the trail from the road above and follow it upstream for a few minutes to the lovely waterfall of Urami-ga-taki ().
A 15-minute walk below Urami-ga-taki Onsen, towards the sea, is Nakanogō-Onsen Yasuragi-no-yu (; 7-0779; admission ¥300; 10am-9pm Fri-Wed), a quaint local onsen with a fine view over the Pacific from its inside baths.
Project WAVE (2-5407; www3.ocn.ne.jp/~p-wave, in Japanese) offers a variety of ecotourism options, including hiking, birdwatching, sea kayaking and scuba diving. Its owner, Iwasaki-san, speaks English.
Sleeping & Eating
Sokodo Camp-jō (; 2-1121; camp sites free; ) This excellent camping ground is 500m north of Sokodo pier. Toilets, cold showers and cooking facilities are available and there are two beaches nearby. You must reserve by telephone (in Japanese only) a spot at the ward office.
Kokuminshukusha San Marina (; 2-3010; fax 2-0952; www6.ocn.ne.jp/~marina-6, in Japanese; r per person incl 2 meals from ¥7875; ) This is a very tidy, breezy guest house with good food and a convenient location, about 500m north of Sokodo pier. Turn left off the coastal road at a sign that reads ‘Ocean Boulevard’ and look for a big whitish building.
Hachijō View Hotel (; 2-3221; fax 2-3225; www.hachijo-v.co.jp, in Japanese; s/d from ¥17,850/12,600; ) This contemporary hotel just west of the airport on the slopes of Mt Hachijō-Fuji has terrace dining, common baths looking out over the sea, and an outdoor whirlpool.
Ryōzanpaku (; 2-0631; mains from ¥1500; dinner Mon-Sat) This izakaya on the main road between the airport and the ferry port serves up delicious appetisers on the English menu, such as taro croquettes (¥800), as well as sashimi sets (¥1500). Look for the white vertical sign and sliding wooden doors.
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OGASAWARA-SHOTŌ
You won’t believe you’re still in Japan, much less Tokyo! About 1000km south of downtown in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, this far-flung outpost of Tokyo Prefecture has pristine beaches and star-studded night skies. Ogasawara is a nature-lover’s paradise surrounded by tropical waters and coral reefs. Snorkelling, whale-watching, swimming with dolphins, and hiking are all on the bill.
The only way to get here is by a 25-hour ferry ride from Tokyo. The ferry docks at Chichi-jima (; Father Island), the main island of the group. A smaller ferry connects this island to Haha-jima (), the other inhabited island.
The islands see few Western visitors, despite the fact that the earliest inhabitants were Westerners who set up provisioning stations for whaling ships working the Japan whaling grounds. You still see the occasional Western family name and face. You’ll also see disused gun emplacements at the ends of most of the islands’ beaches, built by the Japanese in hopes of repelling an anticipated Allied invasion in WWII (the big battles were fought further south on Iwo-jima).
Given the islands’ nature, history and location, a trip here is one of Japan’s great little adventures. When your boat sails from Chichi-jima and the entire island turns out to wave you off, you’ll know you’ve done something