Higashiizu (東伊豆町), Izu
Higashiizu is a scenic and naturally rewarding coastal town stretching along the eastern shore of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, facing the Sagami Bay and the open waters of the Pacific Ocean along one of the most beautiful and least overdeveloped coastlines in the Kanto and Tokai region. It is a town of warm Kuroshio Current waters, celebrated hot springs, dramatic coastal landscapes, and a genuine resort character that has drawn visitors seeking natural beauty and restoration for centuries.
The town occupies a generous stretch of the eastern Izu coastline between the major resort city of Atami to the north and Shimoda at the southern tip of the peninsula, sitting within a landscape where the forested mountains of the Amagi range descend steeply to a coastline of rocky headlands, small coves, and subtropical vegetation that creates one of the most visually striking coastal environments accessible from central Japan.
The Kuroshio Current, the powerful warm ocean current that flows northward from the tropical Pacific along the eastern Izu coast, gives Higashiizu a maritime climate of remarkable mildness for its latitude. The warm current moderates winter temperatures, extends the warm season, and creates the clear and biologically rich coastal waters that make the area one of the finest diving and snorkeling destinations in the broader Kanto region.
The hot spring culture of Higashiizu is one of the most important and historically celebrated aspects of the town's character, with multiple distinct onsen areas distributed along the coastal strip each offering different water compositions and bathing environments. The Higashiizu hot springs collectively represent one of the most comprehensive and varied onsen landscapes on the entire Izu Peninsula.
Atagawa Onsen, one of the most celebrated and visually dramatic hot spring areas within Higashiizu, is famous for the extraordinary Atagawa Hot Spring Botanical Garden (Atagawa Banana Wani-en), a tropical plant and reptile facility heated entirely by natural hot spring waters flowing directly from the geothermal sources beneath the garden. The facility maintains an extraordinary collection of tropical and subtropical plants year-round using the geothermal heat, creating a genuinely exotic botanical environment within the temperate Japanese coastal landscape.
The crocodile exhibit at Atagawa Banana Wani-en is one of the most famous and unexpected attractions on the eastern Izu coast, housing one of the largest collections of living crocodilians in Japan in facilities maintained at tropical temperatures by the abundant geothermal waters. The combination of tropical plants, hot spring steam, and crocodiles in a coastal Shizuoka setting is one of the more genuinely surprising and memorable natural history experiences available on the Izu Peninsula.
Inatori Onsen, another celebrated hot spring area within the broader Higashiizu coastal strip, has a long history as one of the most popular and well-patronized resort destinations on the eastern Izu coast. The combination of beach access, hot spring bathing, and the beautifully clear water of the Inatori coastal area has made it a perennially popular summer resort destination for visitors from the Kanto metropolitan area.
The coastline around Inatori is particularly celebrated for the quality and clarity of its water during the summer swimming and diving season, when the warm Kuroshio Current raises water temperatures to comfortable levels and the exceptional underwater visibility of the rocky reef systems offshore attracts divers and snorkelers from across the region. The kinmedai (splendid alfonsino) and tropical reef fish visible in the shallow coastal waters near Inatori are among the most diverse and colorful accessible from shore anywhere on the eastern Izu coast.
Nanadaru Waterfall (Nanadaru-no-taki), a series of seven cascading waterfalls located in the forested mountain interior above Higashiizu, is one of the most beautiful and rewarding natural attractions in the town's hinterland. The falls descend through a series of dramatic drops through dense subtropical forest, and the hiking trail connecting the individual falls is one of the most enjoyable and scenically rewarding short walks available in the broader Higashiizu area.
The Hokkawa area of Higashiizu is particularly celebrated for its traditional ama (female free diver) culture, a fishing tradition in which women dive without breathing apparatus to harvest abalone, sazae (turban shell), sea urchin, and other shellfish from the rocky coastal reefs. The ama tradition of the eastern Izu coast has been practiced for many centuries and the fresh seafood harvested by these remarkable divers is served in local restaurants with a simplicity and quality that reflects the direct connection between traditional fishing practice and the table.
The Kawazu Cherry Blossoms (Kawazu Zakura), celebrated at the neighboring town of Kawazu just south of Higashiizu, are among the most famous and widely anticipated early cherry blossom events in Japan. The Kawazu cherry variety blooms from late January through February, weeks ahead of the main cherry blossom season, and the proximity of the blooming trees to the warm Inatori and Atagawa coastal areas makes the combination of early cherry blossoms and hot spring bathing one of the most beloved late winter experiences in the Kanto and Tokai regions.
Higashiizu is served by multiple stations on the Izukyu Line including Atagawa Station, Inatori Station, and Kawazu Station, connecting the town to Shimoda in approximately 20 to 30 minutes and to Ito Station for onward connection to the JR Ito Line and JR Tokaido Line in approximately 40 to 50 minutes. From Tokyo, the eastern Izu coast is reachable by the Odoriko limited express train in approximately 2 to 2 hours 30 minutes depending on the specific destination within the town.
