Thank you both so much!

I've rented and driven in Japan before, so that's not a concern. It was much ado about nothing really; I enjoyed the experience.

Originally the plan was to visit Izu solely for Asaba- as a destination ryokan. A couple of nights of relaxation, serenity, good food, a change of scenery. From what I've seen, the ryokan is situated in an inland mountain at the upper mid-section of the peninsula. The setting appears to be similar to Hakone; tourist-driven but less populated, perhaps due to it's further distance from Tokyo. Minus the art and culture too. I would be very happy to spend a weekend soaking in onsens, wandering through town and strolling along the pretty river. The Mount Amagi area seems most convenient to plan any sort of "sightseeing" as it's an easy bus ride to visit the many waterfalls and wasabi gardens. I get the sense that anything beyond would require more time. Here's where I'd appreciate some help...

Coming from Northern California, we've no shortage of dramatic coastline and Pacific Ocean vistas. That said, I think it might be interesting to get a quick taste of Japanese beach towns and the West Coast and South Coast of the peninsula seem to be the most interesting and picturesque; with rugged cliffs, rocky bluffs, and miles of shoreline to explore. Furthermore, I've read that the seafood further down the Izu peninsula is really killer (lobster sized prawns and much more!), although I'm sure that we'll experience much of it at Asaba. I intend to reach out to the property ahead of our stay to express interest in this specifically.

I'm just not sure how rewarding our time would be in late-November, when beach days would surely be limited, if even possible. I remember our last trip to Hakone at that time of year, bundled in wooly shetlands and a buffer coat. My wife wore a hat and scarf every day. Coming from San Francisco, we're very familiar with the variance in temperature and wind factors on the coast. A winter's day in the Mission district feels a lot different than it does along the Embarcadero or on the Bay, and even more so when we head out to Ocean Beach!

I also doubt if the scenery can really match what we're so privileged to have around our own peninsula, when driving out to Half Moon Bay and Pacifica, hiking in the headlands. My only real incentive to drive the circumference of the Izu Peninsula would be for a taste of Japanese seaside culture, which we've never really experienced save for a very brief encounter around the southwestern part of the Ishikawa Prefecture, in Kaga. That was on the opposite side: the Sea of Japan. We didn't see any beaches or beach towns. Some quiet and moody looking harbors, rough and stormy waves. That setting seems entirely different to Izu though.

Anyhow, based on evergrn's post, it sounds like we should probably just stick around Asaba and enjoy the ryokan as originally intended. I did read some of your past comments about the Atami area (searching the forum) and describing it as similar in feel to Monaco or the French Riviera, albeit not so "nice". It's piqued my curiosity, but I'm not sure whether it's something that's worthwhile when there's so much exciting and uncharted territory for us in Tokyo alone and we're limited in time.

As for lodging, I really don't need anything 5-star or luxurious in these seaside towns. I've only really explored Shimoda so far and from what I've seen, many of the seaside resorts appear to have been built in the 1960's and offer their own sort of faded charm. I just wonder if it would feel a bit like an empty and budget vacation town in winter, without the sun tourists?

I suppose if we won't be taking advantage of the beaches and seaside due to the off-season, then there's probably not much need to extend an extra night. I thought it might be cool to hike out to Koibito-Misaki Cape... but then I'm a 10-15 minute drive from the Marin Headlands, so I'm not sure how much of a priority we should place on it.

The small vacation towns with their local beach culture would be the most unique to us, simply because we haven't experienced that in Japan before. If they're likely to feel empty and abandoned in winter, then the reality is that we could eat just as excellent seafood (if not much better, albeit more expensive) in Tokyo. That's why I'd appreciate your collective thoughts on whether you feel it's worth the time and added cost. We could always wait to return at a different time of year, if that's recommended. Then again, if it's beach culture that we're looking for, coming from San Francisco, we could surely find more impressive and convenient beach destinations elsewhere, so perhaps we shouldn't even be focusing on this at all in Japan.