Ferry from Izu Oshima to Atami

Izu Oshima Guide

Izu Oshima Ferry Port

Found off the south-eastern coast of Japan’s Izu peninsula is the small island of Izu-Oshima. This egg-shaped isle, its landscape defined by a black-rocked coastline and steep mountains overgrown with plant-life, is the closest of Tokyo’s border islands and has become a popular getaway retreat for those looking to escape the bustle of city life. The most famous landmark in Izu-Oshima is the Mount Mihara volcano at the heart of the island. The slopes of this towering mountain are permanently scarred by the eruption that rocked the region in 1986, and those brave enough to scale its heights will find that the crater at its peak still smoulders and rumbles with life. The island’s entire population is spread across six seafront villages at the base of the inland mountains. Oshima Town, the largest settlement and capital of the island, is found on the foothills that line the western coast. The white-walled, block-shaped apartment buildings here are synonymous with the Japanese seaside. They climb away from the edge of the Sagami Sea between a neat network of palm-lined streets which, as they approach the outskirts, become narrow roads that twist through the dense sub-tropical woodland. The town is known for its warm weather and the Kobo-hama Beach, a broad stretch of golden sand lined by seafood restaurants and lively bars. The Gojinka Hot Spring spa is another local highlight; its collection of baths and saunas open to weary travellers looking to ease the pain of their aching bones. The port in Oshima Town is located near the centre of town, at a point just south of a rocky waterfront area known locally as Nagane Cape. The ferry terminal here sits at the toe-end of a concrete wharf that juts into the shallows of the sea. This relatively large building, its façade defined by an overhang propped upon concrete pillars, is home to a number of passenger facilities including a ticket office, an indoor waiting hall, toilets and vending machines selling food and drink. Due to the small nature of the island and Izu Oshima’s status as the capital, travelling to and from the port is relatively easy. The 208 highway is the island’s major route. It cuts through the centre of Oshima Town before tracing an unbroken circle along the entire island coast, passing by both the town of Okata in the north and Habuminato in the south. Oshima Airport, offering services to the Japanese mainland, is just a ten-minute drive away too. A vast number of ferry routes currently operate from the port in Izu-Oshima throughout the week. Services hosted by Tokai Kisen sail in all directions to destinations across the Sagami Sea and beyond. Some lines travel north to the towns of Kurihama, Tateyama and the capital city of Tokyo on the Japanese mainland; others west to the Izu Peninsula and the cities of Atami, Ito and Inatori; still more hop south to the neighbouring islands of Toshima, Niijima, Shikinejima and Kozushima.

Atami Guide

Atami Ferry Port

The city of Atami, literally meaning “hot ocean,” in Japanese, is a coastal resort famed for its volcanic hot-springs and views across the glittering blue Sagami Bay. Found on the eastern coast of the large Izu Peninsula that juts into the Sagami-nada Sea, Atami is blessed by warm summers and long sandy beaches. Due to its location just an hour's train-ride from the centre of Tokyo, it is a popular retreat for city-goers looking to escape the stresses of city life. The port of Atami is found mere minutes from the city centre in a narrow inlet of Sagami Bay. Though the ferry terminal here is small, there are a number of facilities available to passengers including vending machines, an indoor waiting room, toilets and a convenience store selling food and drink. There are plenty of transport links to and from the harbour. The extensive Tomei Expressway road cuts through the centre of Atami and along the rugged coastline to the north and south, leading directly to the Japanese capital of Tokyo. Atami Station, found in the centre of the city, is also a terminal for Japan’s impressive network of high-speed trains that whizz across the mainland. Foot passengers looking to hop into the city centre from the port can catch one of the buses that stop just outside the entrance to the terminal. A Yu-Yu shuttle bus also runs directly to Atami Castle – a pagoda style structure that offers spectacular hill-top views across the tree-lined coast. Currently only one service runs from the port of Atami. A Tokai Kisen line operates along the southbound route to Oshima Island a number of times each day, a short trip that skirts the rocky eastern coast of the Izu Peninsula.