Izu Islands
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The Izu Islands (伊豆諸島 Izu-shotō) are a chain of volcanic islands scattered over several hundred kilometers south of Tokyo, Japan.
Islands
From north to south:
- Izu Oshima - largest and nearest of the Izu Islands
- Toshima
- Niijima
- Shikinejima - known for its hot springs
- Kozushima
- Miyakejima - possibly repopulated after volcanic evacuation
- Mikurajima - offers swimming with wild dolphins
- Hachijojima
- Aogashima - a beautiful double volcano
Understand
The Izu Islands lie southeast of mainland Tokyo in the Pacific Ocean. The closest, Oshima, is 108 km away, while Aogashima is 354 km away from the metropolitan office. Each island is has its own unique character. All sorts of marine sports such as swimming, scuba diving, surfing, and fishing can be enjoyed. There are many places with scenic beauty, which get crowded with tourists during the summer.
Get in
By plane
The islands are covered by a confusing blanket of small airlines.- New Central Air Services operates semi-regular flights from Chofu Airfield (Tokyo) to Niijima, Oshima, Miyakejima and Kozushima.
- Toho Air operates "helimuter" (helicopter commuter) flights under the brand "Tokyo Ai-Land Shuttle" (東京愛らんどシャトル) between Aogashima, Hachijojima, Mikurajima, Oshima and Toshima, timed to match the Air Nippon flights to Hachijojima.
By boat
Tokai Kisen operates ferries from Takeshiba Terminal (竹芝客船ターミナル) in Tokyo, adjacent to Takeshiba station on the Yurikamome line. There are two main routes:- Tokyo - Oshima - Toshima - Niijima - Shikinejima - Kozushima.
- Tokyo - Miyakejima - Mikurajima - Hachijojima.