KOZUSHIMAPERFECT GUIDE

If you’re going to Kozushima in the summer, we highly recommend you go snorkeling. The visibility here is amazing, with multicolored fish swimming freely through the ocean. You also get to see coral reefs. The Akasaki promenade is a snorkeling area, but in the summer it’s also popular for the dive board – jump of the board into the bright blue sea for an exhilarating experience. Enjoy some Kozushima swimming in the summer!

The closer you are to Kozushima, the bluer the color of the ocean becomes, clearing up to reveal extraordinarily transparent waters.
You can rent 3 piece snorkeling sets at the local dive shops. In the summer they’re also available for purchase at Akasaki promenade, so you can arrive empty-handed and enjoy some Kozushima snorkeling.

Akasaki Promenade

Address: Kobeyama, Kozushima-mura, Tokyo
Access: Bus from Honmura (Kozushima Port). Schedule changes depending on season. Check with your accommodation or Tourist Association.

Kozu-shima island is highly popular as a diving spot as well. The ocean floor is carpeted in pure white sand, and there’s even a massive arch to be seen. You may come across green turtles and a ton of colorful fish. Crustaceans including lobsters also call this place home. Night diving is also popular – the moon lights up the ocean, creating a mysterious atmosphere. While it’s a little chilly in the winter, Kozushima attracts divers year round as it’s known for its high density of fish.

For a list of Kozushima’s scuba diving shops, visit  https://kozushima.com/shoptype/taiken/(Google translated site available)

If you’re visiting Kozushima island, you have to visit Mt.Tenjo. There are two hiking trails, both of which take about 40-50 minutes to the peak from their respective starting points – Mountain Trail Entrance or parking lot. Both are relatively easy routes. Once at the top, enjoy the stunning view but before you begin your descent, seeing as you’ve made the effort to climb Mt. Tenjo, we recommend you add the crater loop to your experience. Making it to all the spots will take 5-6 hours total, but with so many terrains to see in just one mountain, it’s a very interesting trek.

The Allure Of The Crater Loop At Mt. Tenjo

The crater loop at Mt. Tenjo can be completed in roughly 3 hours. As a mountain it’s not that big, but it’s dotted with a series of contrasting landscapes. The area known as ‘urasabaku’ with snow white sands, ‘Fudoike’, a heart-shaped pit which turns into a pond aft
er rain, and ‘Hairanaigasawa’, a serene spot known as the place where Gods of the Izu Islands held their assembly.

Urasabaku

Sendai-ike

Fudoike

Hairanaigasawa

Mt. Tenjo is an easy hike great for beginners, and the views are exceptional. We highly recommend hiking it.

The hot springs at Kozushima are separated by indoor and outdoor hot spring areas. The indoor hot spring can be entered without a swimsuit, but as the outdoor hot spring is coed, you’re required to wear a swimsuit.
If you’re not comfortable going bare with strangers, the outdoor hot spring is the better option for you. The outdoor hot spring has a fantastic view of the ocean, and at night, if you’re lucky you may see the night sky filled with stars.
There’s a bus running from Honmura, so even if you don’t have a car this place is accessible.

Look up at the night sky, and you’ll see so many stars they look as though they’d fall out of the sky. From time to time you may even get a glimpse of the milky way. The best time to go are the new moons, or dates close to it.
Lunar Calender for Tokyo
See here for the best stargazing spots.

Enjoy the millions of stars that glimmer in the sky like precious stones.

There is only one camping area on Kozushima. Tako bay camp ground. If you are mountain lover or you don’t have a tent, Tako bay camp ground will be the choice for you. It is located at the foot of Mt. Tenjo, surrounded by beautiful green and you will wake up to the voice of birds. If you have a tent and want to stay at this camp ground, the fee is 400 yen. Rental tents and deck tents (Max 8 people) are available too.

About Tako bay camp ground is here

*Swajiri Bay Camping Site and Nagahama Bay Camping Site are permanently closed as of March 31, 2020.

Golden Eye Sea Bream (Kinmedai) is known in Japan as an expensive fish. Kozushima happens to be a known place for catching Kinmedai. Eating Kinmedai in Tokyo and other parts of the main island, it’ll easily cost you thousands of yen, but at Kozushima you can eat a set meal for as little as 1000 yen.

Youchare center

Address: 37-2 Kozushima-mura, Tokyo
Hours: 11:00am- 2:00pm
Closed: Tuesdays (open during summer and New Year season)
3 minutes from walk from Kozushima port
*Many accomodations serve Kinmedai for dinner, so check with them beforehand.

Japanese sake is not all there is to Japanese liquor. Did you know that in the southern parts of the nation, many drink Shochu instead? Shochu is typically distilled from potatoes or barley.

While many of the Izu islands make their own shochu, Kozushima’s Moriwaka (盛若) is a barley based shochu renowned across Japan. The delicious spring water of Kozushima is the secret to its smooth finish.

Other local shochus include Shima (島), and Onbase (思馳). Try a few and find one to your taste.

Kusaya is a dish widely eaten across the Izu islands. Kusaya is fish soaked in brine called Kusaya-eki (literally kusaya liquid), then dried under the sun. Kusaya is loved across the Izu islands, and has an extremely pungent smell. Its smell would make you think you were on a farm, and likely off-putting for first timers.

But then as you take one, two bites of Kusaya, you begin to notice how fluffy the flesh of the fish is, and you slowly get hooked on it. Not everyday you get to visit Kozushima, so we really think it’s worth a challenge.

*How to eat it: use your hands to rip small pieces of the fish and eat it.

Pluck it today and by tomorrow it would begin to bud. Hence the name for ashitaba (literally tomorrow leaf). As it’s part of the parsley family, it has a bit of a distinctive taste, but it’s high in nutritious value and super popular across the Izu islands. A great way to eat it is as ashitaba tempura.

Utsubo Karaage (fried moray eel) isn’t something you’d find at your typical eatery. At Kozushima, they often fry locally caught utsubo. These are superb eaten with the shochu mentioned earlier.

Shoyu-meshi (literally soy sauce rice) is a local favorite. It’s a seasoned rice with ingredients like local seaweed and soy sauce mixed in before steaming. These are sold as rice balls at Sekishou-shouten, a local supermarket. Pick one up before your hike to snack on at the peak of the mountain.

Sekishou-shouten
Address: 816 Kozushima-mura, Tokyo
Hours: 7:00am-10:00pm
Closed: First and third Wednesdays of the month

The advantage of getting there by large boat is the fact that it’s cheaper. If you take the large passenger boat operated by Tokaikisen from Takeshiba port in Tokyo’s Hamamatsucho, it takes takes 12 hours to Kozushima, but a two way ticket is give or take about 22,240 yen for the round trip.
The large ship bound for Kozushima depart late at night, so you’ll get most of the way there while you’re asleep.

– Book tickets for large passenger boat Tokyo Islands

In the spring to fall seasons there’re jet ferries in operation as well, cutting down the travel time to 4 hours, and costing roughly 31,860 yen for round trip.

– Book tickets for jet ferryTokyo Islands

Only peak seasons, jet ferries go to Kozushima from Atami in Shizuoka. If you come from the west side of Japan, such as Osaka or Kyoto and using JR pass, it’s better to get off at Atami station and come to Atami port. It takes 1 hour and 55 minutes from Atami port and costs about 20,760 yen for the round trip. You should check the schedule since the jet ferry to Kozushima is operated seasonally.

– Book tickets for jet ferry from Atami portTokyo Islands

The other option is to fly. Departing from Tokyo’s Chofu airport on a small passenger plane operated by New Central Airservice, flying will get you to Kozushima airport in 45 minutes! While great for cutting down on travel time, the disadvantage is the cost. At roughly 32,600 yen it costs much more than the boat.

– Book tickets for plane from Chofu airport in TokyoNew Central Airservice

Do you come to Kozushima from western areas such as Osaka, Kyoto, and Fukuoka? If you consider to use Shinkansen to come to Tokyo, why don’t you take Tokaido Shinkansen which is HIKARI or KODAMA and take off at ATAMI station. You change to JR Ito line bound for Izukyuko line and head to Izukyu Shimoda station. It takes about 7 minutes by cab or 20 minutes on foot from Izukyu Shimoda Station to Shimoda port.

Book tickets for a Ferry from Shimoda port 03-5472-9999 or 0558-22-2626 (Not online in English)

Renting a car is great for visiting the hot springs or going hiking, but not everything is driving distance.

The best way to get around is either on a moped or a bicycle. Neither can be booked in advance so go directly to the shop to rent. For those looking to rent a moped, be sure to bring your international driver’s license.

See here for a list of shops (Google translated pages available)

There’s also a locally operated bus, but it only runs three to four times a day. The destinations are limited too, with there only being one from Kozushima port to Kozushima Recreation Center/ Akasaki promenade direction, and another from Kozushima port to airport/Takowan direction (passes the camp site). For those planning on heading to Mt. Tenjo, be sure to make other arrangements as there are no buses.

*Check the bus timetable here (Google translated pages available)

Swimming in Kozushima’s stunning sea is a true delight, yet savvy travelers prefer to visit the island in the off-season. Kozushima is steeped in Japanese history and offers breathtaking trekking vistas and unique experiences like stargazing under the clear winter sky, making it a perfect off-season destination. Additionally, there’s a growing trend of people coming for “workations,” where working is complemented by the relaxing sounds of ocean waves. For a comprehensive guide on maximizing your off-season visit to Kozushima, click here

Travel to Kozushima island during Off-season (Spring, Autumn and Winter)