Shizuoka / Izu Peninsula — 7 days, car

A coastal drive down the Izu Peninsula and back up the Suruga Bay side: the Jogasaki coast, Mt. Omuro, Shimoda, the Izu Skyline, Miho no Matsubara, and Fuji views from Fujinomiya’s Shiraito Falls.

Don't miss

raw sakura ebi in Shimizu while the autumn catch is running.

• Day 1 — Tokyo → shinkansen Atami → car → Izu coast → Jogasaki (rocky coast walk) → Mt. Omuro (cinder cone, chairlift). (drive ~1.5h). Stay Izu. — Route map
• Day 2 — Izu full day — Kawazu Nanadaru Falls, Shuzenji (temple town + onsen). (drive ~2.5h). Stay Izu (tattoos: ⚠️ cover-up / private bath). — Route map
• Day 3 — Izu → Shimoda (Perry Road, Ryosenji, Shirahama beach) → Izu Skyline (Fuji views). (drive ~3h). Stay Ito. — Route map
• Day 4 — Ito → Nihondaira (viewpoint, tea fields) → Miho no Matsubara (UNESCO pine grove) → Shimizu (sakura ebi). (drive ~2.5h). Stay Shimizu. — Route map
• Day 5 — Shimizu → Sumata Gorge (foliage, suspension bridge) → Kawane (scenic tea terraces, Oigawa railway) (drive ~2h). Stay Kawane/Fujinomiya area. — Route map
• Day 6 — Fujinomiya morning: Shiraito Falls (iconic Fuji waterfall) + Fujinomiya Hongu Sengen Taisha (Fuji’s head shrine) + Fuji World Heritage → drive to Atami (~2h) → onsen evening (drive ~2h). Stay Atami (tattoos: ⚠️ cover-up / private bath). — Route map
• Day 7 — Atami morning (onsen) → evening shinkansen to Tokyo (no car day) (tattoos: ⚠️ cover-up / private bath). — map

Highlights

🌊 Jogasaki Coast — black-lava cliff walk above a crashing sea

🏔️ Mt. Omuro — the cinder cone climbed by chairlift, with Fuji on the horizon

🌊 Miho no Matsubara — the pine-grove shore with Fuji across Suruga Bay

🏞️ Shiraito Falls — Fuji's silk-thread falls, a World Heritage site

🛕 Shuzenji — momiji-lit temple grounds

🏞️ Kawazu Nanadaru Falls — seven-tiered autumn falls

⛩️ Shimoda — the temple town where Commodore Perry's fleet landed

🛣️ Izu Skyline — the ridge-hugging toll road with Fuji views

🌄 Nihondaira — Shizuoka's cliff-top viewpoint over Suruga Bay

🌉 Sumata Gorge — the Dream Suspension Bridge over autumn gorge

⛩️ Fujinomiya Hongu Sengen Taisha — Fuji's head shrine at the mountain's foot

Local food & drink

• Izu wasabi — fresh grated wasabi over soba or sashimi
• Sakura ebi kakiage — Shimizu’s cherry-shrimp fritters (autumn season)
• Shimizu shirasu — raw or boiled whitebait
• Shizuoka oden — skewered fish cakes in dark broth
• Fujinomiya yakisoba — Fuji-region fried noodles
• Atami himono — sun-dried beach-town fish
• Shizuoka green tea — world-famous sencha from Kawane/Nihondaira
• Izu sake — light local brews with seafood Don’t miss: raw sakura ebi in Shimizu while the autumn catch is running.

Local culture

• Shimoda’s Perry history — the town where Commodore Perry’s black ships landed in 1854 is steeped in the drama of Japan’s opening to the West, from Perry Road to Ryosenji
• Onsen bathing culture — Izu’s volcanic springs make the evening soak a daily ritual, with Shuzenji and Atami offering everything from temple baths to ocean-view rotenburo
• Fuji worship and Sengen shrines — Fujinomiya Hongu Sengen Taisha is the head shrine of the mountain’s cult, and climbing culture and pilgrim traditions center on it
• Tea-terrace farming — the stepped tea fields of Kawane and Nihondaira are worked by generations of growers who hand-pick the region’s famous sencha
• Izu Skyline driving culture — the ridge-hugging toll road is a beloved local institution, a scenic drive that locals take for the pure pleasure of the Fuji views
• Kawane’s Oigawa railway — the nostalgic steam and sightseeing trains through the tea terraces preserve a slower, rural way of travel
• Atami’s resort heritage — Japan’s original seaside hot-spring resort, Atami’s ryokan and promenades recall the golden age of domestic honeymoon travel
• Wasabi cultivation — the clear mountain streams of Izu are home to traditional wasabi terraces, a meticulous farming craft unique to the peninsula