Mishima, Izu, Shuzenji

Located just about an hour away from Tokyo via the Shinkansen is a hidden gem for viewing Mt. Fuji without all the crowds. Though Mt. Fuji is elusive and often described as 'shy', on the occasions where she decides to show herself, you can enjoy great, up-close views of Mt. Fuji in this area. Let's take a closer look at both Mishima and Mt. Fuji in this 1-day itinerary that ends the day with a wonderful hotspring ryokan experience! 

Our journey starts at Tokyo main station via the Shinkansen bound for JR Mishima.
When booking your seats, you can request for the "Mt. Fuji side", though, it is quite popular and may not be available if you book it last minute.

Upon arrival at Mishima station, it is just another 20 minute bus ride to Mishima Sky Walk!

From the outside, you can already see the suspension bridge rising high into the sky but once you walk inside, you will be greeted with an extraordinary view.

There are also a few lockers at the entrance if you brought some luggage with you.

Once you enter the area and walk up a tiny little slope, you will be greeted with a breathtaking view of Suruga Bay and the main attraction of Mishima Skywalk - the 400m suspension bridge.

On a good day, Mt. Fuji will reveal herself and you can see the famous mountain in all its glory from this bridge. Unfortunately, Mt Fuji did not seem to be feeling it that day.

Across the bridge, there are some activities you can take experience. 

For the adventurous ones, you can try some more physical activities like the Zipline. Animal lovers can enjoy the animal cafe where you can enjoy a nice little drink and have a small animal cuddling with you. There are also some food stands here if you'd like to have some small snacks.

This blue coloured ice cream, only available here, is made with milk from a local ranch. This soft serve is so creamy that it tastes almost like butter was blended into it! Going at JPY500 per cone, it might be a little on the high side but its definitely worth a try.   

Once we leave Mishima Skywalk, we head towards Shuzenji but along the way, we can take a detour to Izu Panorama Park where a short cable car ride will take you high up where you once again, can enjoy the view of not only Mt. Fuji, but also all around the peninsula.

At the top, you can enjoy views like these, and if you are lucky, Mt. Fuji can be spotted among the various other mountains in the region as well. There is also a small shrine here as well if you believe that praying will allow you to see Mt. Fuji.

You can also rent a private 'box' area for your group. This way, you can enjoy the scenery away from the crowds. You can also order some snacks or drinks from the cafe to enjoy here.

When you get to Shuzenji onsen town, you will be greeted with an atmosphere that is tranquil and quiet, as well as beautiful views all around the little hotspring town like these.

There is also a tiny bamboo grove as well, where a bench is built in the middle.If you lie down on the huge circular bench, you can get the amazing view of a 'circle' of bamboo.

Of course, you cannot miss this temple which the hotspring town is named after - the Shuzenji Temple which was founded over a thousand years ago.

If you are looking for a traditional ryokan experience, look no further. Operating since 400 years ago, this ryokan still retains much of its olden charm. The rooms may look dated but well maintained. 

There are various onsens you can use all around the hotel. Upon check-in, the staff will give you a map of the hotel and explain to you all the different onsen available in the facilities.

There are two different public shared onsen which you can use. If you'd prefer a more private soak, there are also two private onsen in the hotel which you can use for free. 

Unlike many other ryokans which charge a steep fee for booking of their private onsen, at this hotel, you just have to simply look out for the sign which says 'vacant'. Simply turn it to 'occupied' and it is yours to use!

Of course, a ryokan experince is not complete until you have also enjoyed a full course kaiseki dinner. At Kikuya, you get a 8-course dinner served in sequence. The menu is changed every season to make full use of seasonal local ingredients and you even get to choose the dish you'd like for a few of the courses throughout the dinner! Pictured above are just a few of the dishes served.

During dinner, the waitress who will be with you for the whole meal, will ask you for your choice of breakfast - whether you'd like to have a Western or Japanese style breakfast the next morning. While we all only had the Japanese breakfast, if you'd prefer not to have rice in the morning, you can go for the Western option.

 

 

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Getting to Mishima Station: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Mishima Station (50 mins from Tokyo Station)

Cost: 4,600 JPY

Mishima Sky Walk
Address: Mishima Sky Walk, 313 Sasahara Shinden, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-0012, Japan
Getting there: Take the Tokai Orange Shuttle Bus (Route N) from Bus Stop 5 at the South Exit of Mishima Station (JR Line) bound for Motohakone Port, exit at Mishima Skywalk(20 minutes) and it will be immediately outside

Timetable (Japanese only): https://mishima-skywalk.jp/access/pdf/timetable_bus.pdf
Cost: 1,100 JPY

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Izu Panorama Park
Address: Izu Panorama Park, 260-1 Nagaoka, Izunokuni, Shizuoka 410-2211, Japan
Getting there: Take the Izu Hakone Tetsudo from Mishima Station bound for Shuzenji Station, alight at Izu-Nagaoka Station. From here, take the Izu Hakone bus to 伊豆の国市役所 bus stop and it is just across the river from there

Ropeway Cost: 2,500 JPY

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Kikuya Ryokan
Address: Kikuya Ryokan, 874-1 Shuzenji, Izu, Shizuoka 410-2416, Japan
Getting there: Take the Izu Hakone Tetsudo from Mishima Station (or Izu-Nagaoka Station if you went to Izu Panorama Park first!) bound for Shuzenji Station. From here, take the Izu Hakone bus to 温泉場 bus stop and it is just across the river from there

Cost: Check with us! We are able to book this ryokan.