With everything going on around the world at the moment, I couldn’t make any travel plans for this summer or this year in general. My last proper trip was in March, in Tottori Prefecture. But, this month, I decided to try and enjoy summer at least a little bit with short day trips not far from Tokyo, while taking all the safety precautions and measures against the virus (wearing a mask, sanitizing my hands often, avoiding crowded places, and so on), of course.
For the last weekend of summer, I went on a weekend trip somewhere not far from Tokyo. If you look at the photo above or the one below, it does look like Okinawa, doesn’t it? The blue shades of water and white buildings are also similar to Greece. My friend told me that the color of the water here is exactly like that of Zakynthos, in Greece. But I went to neither Okinawa nor Greece. So where is this? You might ask.
This picturesque island is called Niijima island and it is part of Tokyo’s 11 islands. I just learned that Tokyo prefecture includes 219 small islands located in the Pacific oarsman, containing many unspoiled, natural environments. Among these, 11 are inhabited islands and are onsen (hot springs) or beach resorts. They are known for white, sandy beaches and blue waters. They are easily reachable from Tokyo, by a large ship, high-speed jet ferry, or even by plane. By taking the plane you can reach the islands as fast as in 50 minutes and with the high-speed jet ferry, it takes 2 to 3 hours.
Niijima is located approximately 163 kilometers south of Tokyo and 36 kilometers south of Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The initial plan was to go to Niijima from Shimoda, until I found out about the high-speed jet ferry, that only takes a little bit over 2 hours to go from Tokyo’s Takeshiba Pier (close to Daimon station) to Niijima. I had no idea that such a pretty place with this beautiful shade of blue water and white sand beaches can be reached so quickly and easily from Tokyo.
Now besides my bucket list of visiting Japan’s 47 prefectures, I have a new Japan travel goal, to travel to all the 11 islands too! Honestly, I was quite surprised by how pretty Niijima was, I expected it to be different compared to the beaches near Tokyo (Zushi for example, where the water is not so clear and the sand is pretty dirty too) but it completely exceeded my expectations. Next on my list is Mikurashima, I want to swim with the dolphins there one day <3 (I’m a real traveler, already planning the next trip, haha).
How to get there?
As I said, we chose the high-speed jet ferry by Tokai Kisen. This high-speed jet ferry goes to 7 out of the 11 islands. For more info, check their website here. And for more info about access to each island, check out this website. We benefited from a pretty good discount by reserving around 2 weeks in advance so a one-way trip ticket was 8, 260 yen, 16, 520 yen for a round trip. It took only a bit over 2 hours to get there from Tokyo’s Takeshiba Pier located right in the center of Tokyo. By large ship, it would take around 8 hours. It is a good option for those who have more time or those who can take it at night. I recommend the high-speed jet ferry experience at least once in a life, it feels similar to being in an airplane. For me, it was my second time going somewhere by this means of transportation, the first time I experienced it was from Hong Kong to Macau. Be careful not to get seasickness though! (I always drink medicine before going on a boat… so as not to experience this nasty feeling)
As for getting around the island, most hotels/hostels/inns generally provide transportation from the port and drop off back at checkout time. Besides that, for visiting the spots and going to the beaches, the most convenient option is renting a car if you have a driver’s license. Other options are renting a bicycle (I considered this option too but it was too hot for it…), taking the taxi (very hard to catch one) and there is also a bus going around the island only at certain times.
Accommodation
Niijima Grand Hotel (info only in Japanese)
Niijima has one hotel, a few ryokans (Japanese inns), several minshukus (smaller version of ryokan usually run by a family), and hostels where visitors can comfortably stay. There is also a campsite (which was closed this year).
The hotel is Niijima Grand Hotel and we decided to stay there as it was also close to Habushiura beach, one of the main spots of the island. The hotel had a great ryokan-style dinner & breakfast included and it was around 16,000 yen per night per person. They also had a large shared bathroom (which was closed this year). The lady from the reception was so nice and gave us many tips as to how to get around, where to eat, where to go, and so on. And she also gave me a beautiful hibiscus flower upon checkout.
What to see & do?
Habushiura Coast 羽伏浦海岸
The distinctive white gate against the blue sea makes this spot iconic and similar to Santorini, which is why I called Niijima the Santorini of Japan. This is the most Instagrammable spot on the island as well and how I found out about Niijima, by seeing a photo from here on Instagram.
The gate represents the entrance to Habushiura Beach, a famous destination for surfing but unfortunately not suitable for swimming. But even if swimming is not possible there, it is worth seeing this beach for the splendid view of the white sands and emerald blue water and Habushiura Coast is part of 新東京百景 Shin Tokyo Hyakkei (100 Views of New Tokyo).
Wakago-maehama Beach Resort 若郷前浜海岸
This is a good beach for swimming and snorkeling. The water is so clear and we were lucky to see plenty of beautiful fish there, it was recommended to us by the lifeguard of Habushiura Beach. The sand here is black and it is not such a large beach but it seems to be a pretty local spot so not many people were there, actually when we went, there was only one more group who seemed to be people living on the island. So, it felt like a private beach.
Ishiyama Viewing Platform 石山展望台
Great viewpoint over the beautiful waters and nearby islands, Shikinejima and Kozushima. On a sunny, clear day, far off in the distance, the Izu Peninsula and Mt. Fuji can also be seen.
Niijima Glass Art Center 新島ガラスアートセンター
Niijima is famous for Kogaseki volcanic stone, a type of stone found only in two places in the world, in Niijma and Lipari Island in Italy. Beautiful glass products made from Kogaseki can be found here and at the Niijima Contemporary Art Museum. When kogaseki is melted at about 1,400 degrees, the molten liquid is transformed into “Niijima glass,” which is olive in color and has a distinctive shine.
Mamashita Beach 間々下海岸（間々下浦海水浴場）
Located near the Mamashita Onsen (has admission fee) and Yunohama Roten Onsen (entry is free) this beach is perfect for swimming, snorkeling or just admiring the view. The small Toriga Island stands out and some people climb it for a nice view over the beach. I’ve heard it is also a nice spot for sunset.
Yunohama Roten-Onsen 湯の浜露天温泉
Located only five minutes on foot from Niijima Port, this onsen is open 24 hours at no cost. Baths are shared so the onsen can be entered in a swimsuit. There is also a place for changing and showering, and that is divided for male and female. The ancient Greek themed building is made of Kogaseki and there is a stunning view over the Pacific Ocean from there. There are 6 outdoor baths both large and small, including one foot bath too.
I never knew that Tokyo’s islands were so beautiful and worth seeing! As I said, Niijima exceeded my expectations and now I wish to visit other islands of Tokyo as well. There are plenty of amazing photo spots in Niijima so it is heaven for photographers and Instagrammers! I wish to go back one day to visit the spots that I haven’t had time for on this trip and to see Yunohama Roten-Onsen at sunset. I thought one weekend might be enough but at least two nights on the island would have been even better.
Stay safe everyone and happy travels!
