Izu City, Beautiful Natural Resort

27/02/2017

Production of wasabi in Izu City is the NO.1! I would like to introduce the beautiful landscape of wasabi field and how to eat wasabi deliciously this time.

Izu City is the biggest wasabi producing place in Japan! Moreover, the taste is also the best thanks to limpid stream from Mt. Amagi.

Wasabi field in Ikadaba, Izu City is huge wasabi field terrace. The size is 3 times as large as Tokyo Dome! When I see verdant wasabi field, I feel so refreshed.
This landscape is that I want you to see in your own eyes.
Just this season is the time wasabi flower blooms. Small and cute white flower is symbol flower of Izu City.

My recommendation way of fresh wasabi eating
1. Standard…with sashimi
It is very typical to eat wasabi with sashimi dipped soy source?
Do you dissolve wasabi in soy source when you eat sashimi? The best way to eat is that you put wasabi a little on sashimi and dip in soy source.
Of course, it is your preference, but please try this way!

2. Simple is the best?! Wasabi rice bowl.
Please put some wasabi and katsuobushi on just cooked rice and put soy source on it.
Please mix them with rice and taste it. It is very simple recipe, so you can enjoy the taste of wasabi itself. It makes you eat another bowl of rice!
‘’Sabi chan’’ who is the fairy of wasabi introduce hot to cook wasabi rice bowl in this movie. Please check it!

3. Desert used wasabi!
Maybe you know the famous local wasabi soft cream in Izu. It is the good combination of spicy wasabi and cold and creamy soft cream.
Please try it by vanilla ice cream at your home.

22/02/2017

Five places I recommend you to see beautiful view of Mt. Fuji in Izu City
In winter, you can see the beautiful Mt.Fuji so that the air is dry and clear. Of course, not only cold weather, you can see beautiful views of Mt. Fuji in Izu City in season.
I will tell you my top five recommendation places for views of Mt.Fuji.

The view of Mt.Fuji from Darumayama-Kogen-rest house
You can see Mt.Fuji is beyond Suruga Bay from the observatory of Darumayama-Kogen –rest house. The picture taken from here was exhibited at NY expo in 1939 as representative view of Japan. It is highly recommended for night scene and starry sky.

Mt.Fuji and Shuzenji Ume Grove
There are 20 kinds of 3000 plum trees like over 100 years old in this plum grove. The best time to see flowers during mid-Feb to beginning of March. In sunny days, you can see plum flowers and Mt.Fuji at the same time! NOW it is the best season to see Ume bloosom!

The view of Mt.Fuji from Nishina Pass
Nishina Pass is at 895 meter elevation on the Kendo Amagi-Kogen line which is ridge that extends from Funabara Pass. There are no high trees on Nishina Pass, so you can see panorama view with Mt. Fuji and Mt. Daruma. The view of Mt.Fuji with fuji cherry like this picture is seen around mid-April.

The view of Mt.Fuji from Yagisawa Coast
Commencing with Yagisawa Coast, Kokudo 136 line in Southern Toi area is the view point of Mt.Fuji. You can see the beautiful edge line of Mt.Fuji from autumn to March.

The View of Mt.Fuji from Lover’s Cape
West coast of Izu Peninsula is only place you can have glorious view of Mt.Fuji beyond Suruga Bay. The best time to see the view is until 10 in the morning from end of October to beginning of March.

27/12/2016

*Introduction for Toi cheery blossom, “Toi Sakura”*

Winter is so COLD! Do you know the cherry blossom which comes out in such cold atmosphere?
In Toi, Izu City, we have Toi Cherry blossom which is one of the earliest blooming cherry blossoms in Japan.
It comes out in the first part of January and continues blooming until middle of February.
We just got a news some Toi cherry blossoms opened already on December 22th in this season!
The features of Toi cherry blossom is deep pink, so it is vivid and beautiful. Would you like to come to see this cherry bloom and feel spring earlier?
During January 28th to 30th, we have Toi sakura festival. You can get a cup of hot miso soup! Please come to Toi to enjoy seeing Toi sakura.

28/09/2016

12/09/2016

The best spots of colored leaves in Izu

We feel cooler at the morning and evening in September. However, it still continues hot days in day time. We would like to feel autumn earlier, we introduce places which have beautiful colored leaves. We have different altitudes in a city. Leaves color gradually from high place to low place, so we can enjoy beautiful leaves for a month at many places in the city. Today, we introduce 5 places we recommend you to see colored levees

1. Shuzenji Temple garden, Tokai-daiichi-en
The garden in Shuzenji temple is usually veiled to the public. However, you can enter the inside during only colored leaves season. This garden has another name “Tokai daiichi en” which means the best garden in Tokai district. Please have a moment of deep autumn in beautiful garden which the historic old temple in Izu has kept.
Open period, Nov 19th to 30th in 2016

2. Shuzenji Shizen Koen Momeji Bayashi, Shuzenji Natunal Park colored leaves forest
This park is known for the biggest colored leaves forest. In sunny day, you can enjoy seeing beautiful Mt.Fuji and colored leaves together.

3. Shuzenji Nijinosato
Shuzenji Nijinosato, the team park of flower, illuminates colored leaves from evening.
You feel the different atmosphere of colored leaves from day time. We surely recommend seeing colored leaves reflect in the pond. It is really romantic.
The period of light up, Nov 18th to 27th in 2016

4. Masuyama Temple
The huge ginkgo tree welcomes you with great yellow leaves once you step in the temple. The age of tree is estimated 350 to 400 years old. You can feel deeply flavor of autumn to see the carpet of yellow leaves.

5. Deaibashi Bridge, the encounter bridge
Deabibashi Bridge in Amagiyugashima s known for firefly festival is also famous for colored leaves spot. Maples and ginkgo trees were planted along promenade. There is a romantic story which you fall love with someone who “ENCOUNTER” here. Let’s go to see colored leaves and love at this bridge!

03/08/2016

Fireworks have been a special feature of summer in Japan since Edo period. A variety of fireworks festivals are scheduled to be held throughout Japan every year.

03/08/2016

*Survive in summer! Cool & Cold sweets*

It’s so hot these days! There are many fun activities at beaches, mountains and rivers in summer! We would like to introduce one of my favorite of summer, sweets!

1. Wasabi soft cream
It is famous for wasabi in Izu City. You can eat soft cream by using wasabi! The combination of creamy, cool and sweet soft cream and spicy, refreshing wasabi sounds mysterious, but it is very tasty, actually! There are two types of wasabi soft cream. One is already mixed soft cream and wasabi. Another one is soft cream with wasabi topping. You can find wasabi soft cream in many spots in Izu City. Please eat and compare with them!

2. Tokoroten
Nishiizu is famous for tokoroten( Gelidium jelly). We can get high quality Gelidium seaweed which is the main ingredient of tokoroten in Toi. I love tokoroten made in Toi because the texture is really great! Usually, we eat tokoroten with vinegar and mastered, however, it is also tasty to eat it with brown sugar syrup, soybean flour and ice cream like a dessert. Tokoroten is almost no calories. So it is very healthy.

3. Fluffy Shaved Ice
Speaking of summer is shaved ice. At Kotobashi seika, Amagi brunch, you can eat shaved ice limited to summer season. We thank for summer to be able to eat ice shaved fluffy with special syrup. Anybody love this fluffy texture! Soft cream with green tea and sweet beans paste ‘’Shizu’’ is also limited in summer. Don’t miss them!

24/07/2016

20/07/2016

The best activity in summer, Canyoning!

Have you ever heard ‘’canyoning’’? It is an adventure sport activity in a nature, which is born in France. You do canyon-walking in the stream, jumping off into crystal clear water pools, sliding, and rappelling with guides. So, it is the activity you can feel thrill and nature at the same time!
I joined canyoning tour of Banjyo waterfall just recently near. It was very exciting to jump from the cliff and slide down and also it was good relaxation to float in the clear water and fresh green. If you have a chance to do, I surely recommend you to do this activity!

08/06/2016

Iris festival in Shuzenji

In Shuzenji Onsen area, many potted iris are displayed until 19th, June.
Please enjoy Shuzenji Onsen area which has more Japanese taste by iris.
Seeing beautiful flowers, you can feel the summer is coming soon.

Also, in Shuzenji Nijinosato Park, you can see 300 kinds of iris.
There are many types of iris, like white and purple. You will be imoressed to see the view such many iris bloom at the same time!
Shuzenji Nijinosato Park is known for the amusement park which you can enjoy seeing many flowers through a year like cherry blossoms in April and colored leaves in deep Autumn.
Now, you can enjoy several kinds of lovely roses in addition to iris. From middle of June to middle of July, it is the best season to see hydrangea flowers. When I see hydrangea flowers, I am so happy in rainy days!

Please visit Shuzenji Nijinosato Park to see lovely flowers and feel the change of Japanese seasons.

30/05/2016

Go hiking in Mt.Amagisan!

We went hiking in Mt.Amagisan on May 8.
Mt. Amagisan has very beautiful natural forest including pine tree, beech, and etc.
Actually, Mt. Amagisan is the general name of a chain of mountains in Izu Peninsula.
The highest mountain in Amagisan is Mt. Banzaburo and the second one is Mt.Bajiro.
You can go hike several mountains on the same day!
It is the most popular time to go hiking in Amagisan for hikers in this season because it is the season to bloom azalea and rhododendron flower.
We started to walk Amagikogen Golf to the end of Amagitouge.
This hiking course includes Mt. Banzaburo and Banjiro and Mt.Kodake which is famous for beech forests.
We enjoyed walking as we saw beautiful flowers and fresh greens.
Surprisingly, we walked 20km in total and it took over 10 hours this day!
If you are interested in hiking in fresh green, please visit Mt. Amagisan in May.

13/05/2016

The recommendation of going for a walk in Shuzenji Onsen area!

It is getting a great season!
You must feel so happy to go for a walk in fresh air and green here!
Especially, we recommend a morning walk, being blown by a refreshing breeze in this season.
So, we took a walk to Bamboo Grove Path from Tokko-no-Yu in Shusenji Onsen area.

There are five red bridges over the Katsura River in Shuzenji Onsen.

There are five romantic folklores in these five bridges and if you make a wish as you walk to those every five bridges, your love comes true.
There is a story in Kabuki, the shogunate Minamotono Yoriie fell in love with a workman's daughter, Katsura in Shuzenji.
After you wished your love and walked bridges, please pray at Shuzenji temple and get your love!