Shimoda: The Perfect Getaway!

Posted on 04/01/2022 Last updated on 04/01/2022

Top Photo by 663highland used under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

Looking for a place to get away from the city life? Here’s the perfect city for sunny or gloomy weather! At the southern tip of the Izu Peninsula, a home to famous hot springs and beautiful beaches, lies the coastal city of Shimoda. You can get there by a few hours’ of drive or train ride from Tokyo. Here are some things to get excited about this place:

In Hot Days

Those residing around Tokyo generally want to skip the long-distance travel to beaches away from the city. Shimoda offers plenty of beach space for you to enjoy at a reasonable distance! There’s also marine sports and swimming opportunities to relieve yourself from the scorching summer in Japan. The official swimming season extends from mid-summer to early fall.

If you are looking for a convenient & popular beach to visit, you can’t go wrong with Shirahama Beach. It is 5 kilometers away from Izukyu-Shimoda Station. It’s also close to some convenience stores and beach gear rental shops. While you’re trying to cool off, why not grab some Kakigōri?

In Cold Days

Located just in front of Shirahama Beach is Hotel Izukyu. Here you can relax in an open-air bath (Ryujin no Yu) or in a large bath (Rendaiji no Yu) hot spring. You can find them at Rendai-ji Onsen, one of the four (Rendai-ji, Kawachi, Shirahama, Kannon) hot springs within Shimoda.

If you are not able to experience of these hot springs, cheer up! Shimoda has foot baths or ashi-yu facilities around the city for free. And, one of these can be found right in front of Izukyu-Shimoda Station.

Seafood

And, if we are talking about seafood, the Japanese red snapper or kinmedai is a must-try. The city takes pride in having the largest catch of kinmedai all over Japan. Also, I would like to recommend Kinmeya, a restaurant located at Higashihongo, Shimoda.

The city alone has a lot to offer. And there’s even more if we look at the whole Izu Peninsula of Shizuoka. Indeed, the Land of the Rising has never ceased to leave me in awe. When you’re here, grab your chance to enjoy and explore it!

Photo Credits & Information:

Information on Hotel Izukyu’s Hot springs – https://www.hotel-izukyu.co.jp/
Additional Photographs

Top Photo by 663highland used under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

All other images were provided by the original author and used with permission