Niijima Island's Perfect Guide: Must-see spots, Activities, Accommodation and Access

Check out the information about COVID-19 in Niijima and plan your trip.

The contrasting white sands and painterly light blue of the ocean leaves visitors to Niijima with quiet the impression. 3 hours away on a high speed jet boat from the city. Here is a list of our most recommended destinations including attractions, restaurants, cafes, events and transportation for a 2 day trip to Niijima.

Must-See spots on Niijima Island

Habushiura Beach

Habushiura beach is a well known surf spot. Its water’s beauty far exceeds that of other places. It’s beyond mere description how clear and transparent the water is. The water at Habushiura beach is of a color you won’t find anywhere else. A pastel light blue, as blue as though it were painted by an artist.

The cherry on the cake at Habushiura beach is this white building. Its presence is so grand it’s almost asking to have its photo taken. The tourists heed to this by snapping away tons of photos.

*This is not a swimming area. The waves are strong here so please keep away from the water's edge.

Habushiura beach
Map: 3 Honmura, Niijima-mura, Tokyo

Fujimitoge Observatory

Fujimitoge Observatory offers an all inclusive viewing spot of the ocean, mountain and city. You can go from the base of the mountain to the top in 10 minutes by car. There is also a hiking course which will take around 2 hours on foot. (Bycicles are not allowed). An observatory recommended for anyone who wants an all encompassing view of Niijima.

Ishiyama Observatory

Map: Honson, Niijima village, Tokyo

Boro Sanbashi (Pier)

Boro Sanbashi is the islanders’ favorite scenic spot. The pier is ideally suited for taking pictures of its photogenic surroundings. It takes just 2 minutes by car or around 20 minutes on foot from Niijima port. It is an easy to miss spot, so please take a look here:

Map: 1-5, Honson, Niijima village, Tokyo

Secret(Shiro Mama Cliff)

Map: Honson, Niijima village, Tokyo

Jusansha Shrine

As there are 13 deities, it goes by the name of Jusan(13) sha Shrine. The combination of a Japanese shrine and  tropical trees are unique. The mountain that rises behind the shrine is also a sight to behold.

Map: 2-6-13, Honson, Niijima village, Tokyo

Stone zoo

Map: 1-1, Hiyama, Niijima village, Tokyo

Glass Art Center

The Niijima Glass Art Center is in a stylish building standing in an open space facing the ocean. Here, Koga stones are used as raw material to make pieces of glass art. There’s a line of glass art in unique shapes and colors that can be bought to take home as a souvenir. They also offer classes for making glass goods from Koga stone.

Glass Art Center
URL:http://www.niijima.com/facility/community/glassartcenter.html(only Japanese)
Hours:10:00 to 16:30
Toll:Free
Holiday:Every Tuesday, year-end and New Year holidays

Map: Mamashita Kaigan road, Niijima village, Tokyo

Niijima-mura Museum

Niijima-mura Museum is a place to learn about the history of how Niijima came to be, such as how in the Edo era, criminals who were exiled ended up on the island, or how one of those criminals is rumored to have been Tonomo Souma, last leader of the infamous Shinsengumi. There's a lot of trivia, and while I originally thought I'd be done in about 10 minutes, I ended up staying for close to an hour.
The staff are very knowledgeable too, and will happily answer any questions that you may have. I left feeling smarter, and enriched with new knowledge.

Niijima-mura Museum
Map: 2-36-3 Honmura, Niijima-mura, Tokyo
Hours: 9AM - 5PM
Official website here

Shinsui park

Map: Honson, Niijima village, Tokyo

Must-do Activities on Niijima Island

Swimming

Maehama Beach

This beach is one of the most popular beaches on Niijima. During summer time shade from the sun will be provided for on the beach. So you don’t need to bring your own parasol. If you wish to visit with kids or if you are not very proficient at swimming, this is the best place to relax at the beach as it is shielded from high waves.

Map: 2-4-8, Honson, Niijima village, Tokyo

surfing

Onsen

Yunohama Roten Onsen

Yunohama Roten Onsen
Map: Setoyama, Honmura, Niijima-mura, Tokyo
Official website here

Mamashita Onsen

Mamashita Onsen is located 15 minutes on foot from Niijima port. There are not only hotspring or outdoor hot spring, but also a sauna and a sand bath! The cost is 300yen for hotsprings and a sauna, also 700yen for a sand bath. You don't need to wear a swimsuits here for hot springs because here is separated by genders. Here is also good place to chat with islanders.

Mamashita Onsen
Map: Setoyama, Niijima-mura, Tokyo
Fee: Hotsprings- 300yen
Sand bath- 700yen

What can you do at night?

Go to a snack and Karaoke bar

If you want to enjoy some night entertainment on Niijima, go check out Ganbarujan bar. It’s both a snack and Karaoke bar run by a lady owner. Many islanders visit Ganbarujan to enjoy Karaoke and have some drinks. There’s a 750 yen seat charge. Beverages start from 750 yen. If you missed out on dinner you can also have a  light meal here. For Karaoke it’s 200 yen per song. If you would like to hang out with some local people, this is the best place to meet them.

Ganbarujan Bar
Business hours: 7:30pm - 1:30am

Map: Tokyo, Niijima, Honson, 1 Chome−9-4

Where you can try some local foods?

Sakae Sushi

The owner at Sakae Sushi, who is a native of Niijima island, filets the fish himself. While the sight of him doing so is charming enough, the taste of sushi here is vouched for by locals. As the sushi tastes great and the shop spacious and clean, the place is busy not just with tourists but locals as well.
We recommend trying the shimazushi, literally island sushi, that can only be found on the Izu islands. Shimazushi is sushi topped with cuts of white fish marinaded in soy sauce and other seasoning. At Niijima, it’s common to serve it with a touch of Japanese mustard on top.
Sakae sushi serves a variety of other dishes that originate on the island.
If you wish to try Niijima style dishes, come stop by Sakae sushi for an unforgettable meal.

Sakae Sushi
Map: 5-2-9 Honmura, Niijima-mura, Tokyo
Hours: Lunch 11:30AM - 2PM, Dinner 5PM - 10PM

Nagisa

This Izakaya restaurant opened its doors in 2021. The Niijima born owner trained as a chef in Tokyo for over 20 years and has now fulfilled his dream of serving delicious local cuisine based on ingredients specific to Niijima by opening an izakaya on Niijima.
Using freshly caught fish and homegrown vegetables on Niijima this restaurant offers a variety of choices ranging from local cuisine to creative new dishes. Enjoy the island's food alongside with Niijima's delicious shochu.

POOL/PARK

With a fantastic location just one road over from the ocean is POOL/PARK. A renovated warehouse turned cafe, POOL/PARK comes with terrace seats where you can sit for a beer under the sun. Inside the interior is chic with a resort theme. The food is made using local vegetables and other fresh ingredients. It’s a great cafe for anyone looking to lounge around and take it slow.

POOL/PARK
Map: 2-9-23 Honmura, Niijima-mura, Tokyo
Hours: 10AM - 5PM
Official website here(Japanese Only)

Rest House(in Shinsui Park)

If you want to enjoy a slow pace whilst watching nature, this is the place. The restaurant is equipped with drums and other instruments, and occasionally there are performances. You can enjoy lunch, such as pasta, pilaf covered with white sauce, taco rice or curry rice etc…, also, don’t miss out on Niijima cream soda. The soda with the light blue color is like the color of the ocean in Niijima, beautiful and tasty.

Map: 120 Setoyama, Niijima village, Tokyo

What kinds of foods are there on Niijima?

If you come to Niijima, we are sure you want to enjoy foods as well. Here is the list of dishes you must try on Niijima Island.

Shima zushi(Sushi)

Shima zushi is a kind of sushi with raw fish marinated in a special sauce, including soy sauce, sake and some other ingredients. And in the end, putting some mustard on the rice to make it a little spicy. This is a famous local Sushi in the Izu Islands.

Kusaya

Kusaya is a japanese style salted, dried and fermented fish. It is believed that Kusaya originated in Niijima. Although the smell of kusaya is strong, the taste is nice. It is good finger food to go alongside some nice alcoholic beverages.

Niijima vegitable

Islanders grow a variety of vegetables on Niijima. Ashitaba, American potatoes, Japanese islands' shallot and onions, etc. The climate, with its brilliant sunshine and heavy rainfall, produces delicious vegetables.

Shochu

The Izu Islands are known for their shochu (Japanese liquor). On Niijima, the only distillery on the island is hard at work making shochu. Shimajiman(嶋自慢) is a famous brand from Niijima.

Find Accommodation on Niijima Island

Now let’s find an accommodation on Niijima. Go to the website of Niijima Tourist Association. You will find some places to choose from on the website. However, for some accommodations it will be difficult to place a booking in English so it is better to have a Japanese speaking person take care of the reservation or try your luck with Google translate.

Access and tips for traveling around Niijima

Access

There are two ways to get to Niijima: by ship or by plane.

by ship

The great thing about going by sea is how affordable it can be. If you choose to take the large ferry operated by Tokaikisen, a two way ticket leaving Takeshiba sanbashi port in Tokyo will take 10 hours and 35 minutes, but only around 10,000 JPY. Even the high speed jet ferry, which would get you there in as fast as 2 hours and 20 minutes is roughly 15,000 JPY. The only con is the travel time. The large ferry in particular will save you a lot of money but takes a long time to get you there. That said, many of the large ferries leave late at night, so you can sleep through most of the ride. In the summer, high speed jet ferries are available almost daily, but beware that in winter, the majority of boats departing for the islands are the large ferries.

Ferry reservation→Tokaikisen

by plane

The other option is to fly. You will land at the New Central Air Service on a small plane, and the flight is just 35 minutes from Chofu airport in Tokyo! It's the best option for anyone looking to minimize travel time. The disadvantage of flying is the cost of tickets which comes at a higher price than the boats at roughly 25,000 JPY.
Plan your transportation accordingly to your schedule, budget and preference.

Plane reservation→New Central Air Service

Transportation

Since Niijima is not a big island, you can go around by bicycle. However, if you want to go to Wakago, which is the north side of Niijima, you need a car and go through the tunnel. Bicycles are prohibited from entering the tunnel. Here are some pros and cons of transportation on Nijima.

By car

If you want to go around Niijima, you need a car. It costs about 12,000 yen per day to rent. On the last day, you need to fill up the tank.

By bicycle

If you don’t need to go to the Wakago area and want to cut costs, it’s better to choose bicycles. There are only 5 bicycles at Niijima port so it might be hard to rent from the Niijima port. When you arrive at Niijima(Niijima port or Wakago port), it is better to ask your accommodation to pick you up. If you do camp, you need to ride on a bus. You can rent a bicycle in town(Honson).

By bus

There are local buses but only 3 round-ways a day. The rides are free of charge. If you have plenty of time and want to conserve your budget, or if you want to go to Wakago area, it is good to use the bus. However, you should be mindful about the schedule.

The schedule of the bus is here
The route of the bus is here（Only In Japanese)

Once again, if you want to go to Wakago area by bus, please check the schedule of the bus. If you miss the bus, you need to catch a taxi, which is hard to find since there are not many taxis on Niijima.

tips for traveling around Niijima

Best Season To Visit

A common misconception is that the best time to go to an island is in the summer. Sure, it’s very nice in the summer, and there’s always the advantage of being able to swim in the ocean.
As a result, the izu islands are packed during the summer season. Many in the know of how busy it gets book hotels 2 to 3 months ahead. There aren’t that many restaurants and eateries, so you end up having to fight for seats. It’s best to call ahead and book a table.
There’s a free camping site on the island, so if you own a tent, it’s a great place to camp in the summer too! (You need to check that it is available in that year before going) But other than that, just about everything else needs advanced preparation.

Here is a recommendation for visiting outside of the summer season. It’s a lot quieter during the other periods of the year and it doesn’t get too cold in spring or fall. The beaches are closed but the water is still very clear. If anything, the water is more beautiful in fall and winter. The sky is clear and the night sky is dazzling. As there are no street lights near Habushiura beach, it’s possible to catch sight of many, many stars. Plus, it’s much easier to book hotels outside of the peak season. True island aficionados visit outside of the summer season.

That Moyai Statue In Shibuya? It Comes From Niijima

You may know of the famous moyai statue outside of Tokyo’s Shibuya station. The statue, which over time has come to be a popular meeting spot, actually originates from Niijima island.
Don’t believe us? Come see for yourself. You’ll see why when you’re here. The whole island is full of moyai statues!
There are so many that it’s fun to look out for one with a face that you like. The sheer number of statues makes for an enjoyable art piece.

A Most Satisfying stay In Niijima!

As it’s a very small island, it’s possible to have plenty of fun in just 1 night and 2 days. You can rent a car, or choose to bike around the island. You can surf, or swim in the ocean. It’s a beautiful island where there’s plenty of fun to be had in the wild. It comes as a bit of a shock that there are such beautifully white sands and clear blue waters in Tokyo, but the warmth of the island and slow pace of life is very comforting. Go on, we urge you to take a trip to Niijima.