The izu islands

Niijima | Shikine Island | Kozu Island

 
 

general:

There are several different combinations for island hopping in the Izu islands. But one of my favourite combinations is the Niijima, Shikine Island, Kozu Island route. Here are some reasons why:

  1. They are all nice and close.

  2. They are cheap and easy to travel in between. Island hopping transfers between these three islands cost from 280 yen for the shortest distance to 820 yen for the longest. Very affordable!

  3. There is free camping on all of them.

  4. They all have good hot springs (Shikine and Niijima have free hot springs).

  5. They all have awesome beaches.

  6. They are all small enough to either walk or cycle and still have a good time (Niijima & Kozu require bicycles at the least).

  7. They all have amazing scuba-diving (Kozu and Shikine are amazing for snorkelling too).

  8. Each island has one special thing about it:

    • Niijima & Surfing: Niijima is the spiritual birthplace of surfing in Japan and gets possibly the best waves in the country.

    • Shikine & Onsen: Shikine has probably the best tidal hot spring in all of Japan in Jinata Onsen. It is free of charge too.

    • Kozu & Hiking: Kozu Island has some pretty awesome hiking with Mount Tenjo being a great day hike.

 
 
 

LOGISTICS:

Leaving from Tokyo there are several boats and also direct flights. I recommend starting in either Niijima or Kozu Island. Please check out the Niijima and Kozu Island pages for details on how to get to them. Aim to spend at least one night on each island to make your time there worth while. Transfer from island to island and enjoy!

example itinerary:

Note: We recommend taking longer over this trip but if you only have three nights you can still have a good time!

  1. Day one - Fly from Tokyo Chofu Airport to Niijima. Rent a car and a surf board. Enjoy! Camp and BBQ in Habushiura Camp Site for the evening time.

  2. Day two - Transfer to Shikine by boat. Rent a bicycle and check out the hot springs. Go to Jinata Onsen at low tide. Go snorkelling and camp at Oura campsite.

  3. Day three - Transfer to Kozu Island by boat. Rent scooters and fly around the island making sure to snorkel and jump in the sea from Akazaki diving platforms. Camp at Nagahama beach.

  4. Day four - Fly back to Tokyo that day.