any recommendations as to places to stay in Okinawa? I am considering going there with mybfamiltpy in August- after 4 days in Tokyo and 2 in Kyoto

Depending on your budget, this thread might be useful:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...ch-luxury.html

Hoshinoya, while not appealing to me personally, seems to be pretty highly rated. The Shigira (SLH) looks nice too, though also not really our thing. I'd use both "areas" as a base for exploring other properties as well. There are many lower and mid-range options to choose from, so you might want to post more criteria if you want to elicit a more helpful response from those on the forum who are in the know.

thank you. Any comments on ANA IC or The Ritz?

No comments from me as I've never been to the islands.


Can anyone please tell me whether Numazu, Shizuoka city, or Hamamatsu is worth a night's detour? We're spending a weekend on the Izu Peninsula and I'm having some fun researching and putting together a rough itinerary for that now. I know that Shizuoka is supposed to be a fantastic regional food draw but I wonder if there's anything to really see/do/eat that would absolutely be worth an extra night outside of Tokyo? I'm guessing the answer is probably no, considering we're already spending two nights in Shuzenji and plan to explore the peninsula. I'm thinking more in terms of food than anything else, I guess.

I don't think so. I would suggest staying an extra night on the peninsula. That said, I could find activities to fill my time if I had a day in any of those cities - Numazu has Baird Brewery, which might be worth a stop for a craft beer fan. Shizuoka has a museum devoted to Keisuke Serizawa (a kind of Japanese William Morris), who made some gorgeous textile art, and Hamamatsu has a refurbished inn ...
Fantastic regional food? I've had good seafood. The region produces a lot of eel, tea, wasabi ... but I'd never thought of it as a particularly outstanding gourmet destination. Don't get me wrong - I like the region. I find that Shizuokans are often relaxed, friendly, and hospitable.

Thanks for the feedback!

Are you suggesting you'd sooner spend an extra night on the peninsula, or you would actually recommend staying an extra night (3n) on the peninsula?

Aside from the local wasabi farms, Izu is supposed to be known for their fresh line-caught ayu from the Kano river, their inoshishi nabe (wild boar) which I've also seen prepared in gyoza, ramen and other dishes, local aji and of course, excellent sakes incl. one from Morimoto Brewery in Kikugawa City which interests me (although I'm sure it could be found in Tokyo). I'm not a big fan of shochu but apparently it can be found made with wasabi... along with plenty of other touristy things that probably sound more interesting than they taste, like wasabi ice cream. :)

Anyhow, there seems to be a lot to do and see on the Izu peninsula and the distance between Shuzenji onsen station and the capes seem to be significant; I wonder if it would be worth spending 3 nights rather than 2 just to be able to take full advantage of the area; hikes, beaches- and our ryokan? I just worry that a lot of the food in Shuzenji seems geared to cater to weekend tourists and doesn't seem interesting outside of the kaiseki meals in a handful of ryokans. Lots of lunchtime soba shops, bentos; not unlike to Hakone. Three consecutive nights of similar kaiseki sets reusing the same seasonal ingredients might get tiring. I think I'd need to venture inland to really find more quality and diversity and it sounds like destination-wise, there's not much to do or see outside of the peninsula. I guess we'll just head back to Tokyo.

jib, one more question for you if you don't mind --

The more I research the Izu Peninsula, the more I think an added night on the southern coast might be useful. I'm thinking somewhere between Cape Irozaki and Shimoda/Shirahama Beach. That might afford some more time to explore the Eastern Jogasaki Coast.

1) Do we need to rent a car to really explore the peninsula properly or can we get around quickly and conveniently by bus? I know the routes and schedules are avail. online but from a practical point of view, what's the best method to get around the peninsula and what would you recommend? Are taxis an option?

2) Do you have a suggestion for where we should stay, if adding an extra night? Considering we'll be spending 2 nights at Asaba in Shuzenji, what would be most ideal in terms of sightseeing and exploring, to easily get around while also ticking off the obvious requirements of being a nice area, preferably scenic and coastal, good lodging, etc?

Is Shimoda the answer or is there something around Irozaki or Tarai? Bear in mind that we'll be traveling mid-to-late-November, so I'm not sure if that impacts the addition of a night on the southernmost point.

If you feel that it's completely unnecessary and that 2 nights is more than enough time to enjoy the serenity of our ryokan and onsen, explore the town of Shuzenji, stroll along the Katsura River and through the Chikurin no Komichi bamboo grove, visit the Mt. Amagi area along Route 414 near Yugoshima Onsen, the Jyoran Waterfalls and Kawazu Nanadaru (seven waterfalls), continue on to Toi Kinzan and the west coast, visit Koibito-Misaki Cape at sunset, take a sightseeing boat around the Dougashima/Futo Coast and Tensoudou Cave, on to Toji Beach, etc. etc. etc.??

Seems like a heck of a lot to cover in 2 days but then Hakone was similar and it turned out that everything was so conveniently situated and transit was so efficient that we basically did everything we'd intended without feeling rushed. The peninsula seems to be a much larger area though, as best I can tell.

Would love your feedback and thoughts on the perfect amount of time to spend and where (apart from Asaba) to spend it?

Thanks again!!

I don't know much of Izu peninsula all that well, as we always end up going to the same places over and over. If you want to explore the peninsula in depth, though, I think you need a car. It's not compact or well-connected like Hakone. Izu is a place to enjoy the onsen, enjoy nature and scenery, and enjoy the ocean during summer time. It's got a bit of everything, but I can't say that anything there is spectacular. You can check it out on a day trip or spend a few nights, but it's not necessarily a must-visit area either.

Agree with what jib said about Numazu, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu. All these places (well, I'm not familiar with Numazu) have something to offer, but not really worth contemplating as places to go stay at if you're visiting Jpn from another country. I think the Chuo line/expressway corridor in Yamanashi and beyond has more to offer to tourists than Shizuoka west of Izu.

I would not hesitate to rent a car, but I would try to make the journey up and down the peninsula by train because the road can be a solid line of traffic at times. While I haven't looked at up-to-date bus timetables, I don't anticipate that they're much better than the last time I was there. IME it's a pain to fit my plans around infrequent, local bus services, and taxis tend to be costly (and sometimes time consuming). Neither bus nor taxi gives flexibility to take detours or stop in isolated spots and enjoy the scenery.

Some people break out in hives at the mention of renting a car in Japan. It's not a discussion that I have the patience for any more. What works for me is not everyone's cup of tea. YMMV, as they say.

If you want to stay at a deluxe hotel property with knives and forks rather than chopsticks in the restaurant, I would check out sites like ikkyu. You can find a few places like this that might tickle your fancy:
http://www.raku-yu.jp/
The pool will certainly be closed in Nov. despite temperatures that I'd feel comfortable swimming in ... I remember being down there in T-shirts and shorts at Christmas one year.

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.

Yup.

If you go to Atami expecting Monaco, you'll probably be disappointed. There's no glamor and glitz in Atami. For your purpose, I would say it's not worth going, unless you're going there for onsen. Still, I will say that Atami reminds me a bit of Monte Carlo in terms of the layout ... or I should say Monaco reminded me of Atami when I first went there. And as a guy who's not made of money, there's a lot more to do in Atami than Monte Carlo.


I don't think you'll find much beach culture at all in Izu in Nov.

Thank you both. I think we can officially close the book on Izu now.

A weekend at Asaba in Shuzenji oughta be nice. We'll catch the shinkansen back to Tokyo afterwards. ^

Final question, though it won't drastically impact our plans one way or the other: is the Mt. Amagi area worth the bus ride over for the waterfalls and wasabi fields? Should we feel guilty for not doing that, if we were to decide not to venture outside of town?