📔 My Day in Izu Experience 📔

I specifically saved a day for Izu and would like to share my own itinerary, hoping it can help those who need it! I scheduled Izu in the middle of my trip from Tokyo to Kyoto, stored my luggage at Atami Station, where there are many lockers. After finishing in Izu, I returned to Atami and took the Shinkansen directly to Kyoto. 1⃣ Weather: I went to Izu on Thursday, June 6th. The weather was sunny turning cloudy. The grass in Izu was already very green in June. Although it didn't look as good in cloudy weather as in sunny weather, I still found it quite beautiful. If the weather forecast predicts rain, it's better not to come as there will be heavy fog. 2⃣ Outfit: Remember to bring an extra jacket. It's not recommended to wear a short skirt; you can wear a long skirt or pants as the wind is strong and could blow them up. Also, when going up and down in the cable car, you'll be fully exposed, so if you want to take photos, remember to use hair spray to set your hairstyle; the wind up there is strong and cold. 3⃣ Transportation: The trip from Tokyo is a bit far. I suggest either leaving early, renting a car, or staying overnight in Izu. It takes about 2 hours to get to Izu one way. This time, I took the Sanyo Shinkansen from Tokyo to Atami Station and then took the Izu Hakone Line directly to Izu Plateau. The advantage of this route is no transfers are needed, but the downside is I didn't get to ride the Kinmedai train. After arriving at Izu Plateau Station, there is a large bus station to the right where buses to Ōshima Yama depart. Buses I70 and I72: Highland Line both go to Ōshima Yama. Pay attention to the bus schedule and remember the last bus time (17:30). Since we started a bit late and had lunch on the way, we arrived at Izu Plateau at 1 pm. The previous bus had left at 12:45 pm, and the next one wasn't until 14:45 pm 😢. There was no choice but to take a taxi. Next to the bus station is a taxi stand, and a taxi arrived in a few minutes. The starting price was 30 RMB, and the fare for about a 15-minute journey was over 100. 4⃣ Sightseeing: I originally planned to go to Ōshima Yama, Cactus Zoo, and Jōgasaki Coast, but we arrived too late. Considering it was dangerous to go to Jōgasaki Coast after 17:00 and I was personally a bit scared, we ended up not going to Jōgasaki Coast. 🟢 Ōshima Yama: It's still beautiful on a cloudy day, with very green grass. Taking the cable car up is really comfortable. The mountain is quite small, and walking around and taking photos takes about an hour and a half. It might have been a weekday plus cloudy weather, but there were very few people that day, making it very comfortable. 🟢 Cactus Zoo: It's right across from Ōshima Yama. With a cable car ticket from Ōshima Yama, you get a discount. The zoo closes at 16:00 in winter and 17:00 in summer. We went at around 3 pm. The park isn't large, and it can be toured in about 2 hours. We left the zoo at around 5 pm and caught the last bus at Izu Plateau Station at 17:30. As soon as you enter, there are super cute capybaras that you can touch and pet freely. The animals in the park roam around, and since I went late, there were very few tourists, and the experience was great. Seeing kangaroos up close for the first time was super exciting, and the capybaras were a blast to pet! If you're particular about cleanliness, be aware that there's a lot of 💩 on the paths and it smells strong. #Izu #Makabaka