Land of Hydrangeas 4 nights 5 days Shimoda
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Day 01
Tokyo - Shimoda
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The lush Izu Peninsula seems a world away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, but it's amazingly close - you can reach its southern part by taking just one train from Tokyo station. There are several direct trains daily, and it only takes two and half hours to reach the closest station, Izukyu-Shimoda. The East Japan Railway train is called the Super View Odoriko, named after the famous novel "Izu no Odoriko" (Izu Dancer), by Yasunari Kawabata.
Enjoy your ride and the beautiful views of mountains and ocean. It might be fun to have a Japanese bento (box lunch) on the train.
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14:00
Check in at Seiryuso.
TThe beautiful Seiryuso ryokan is about 5 minutes from the station by complimentary shuttle. A short distance from Shimoda, the little hot-spring town of Rendaiji is a quieter, though still substantial resort with a fascinating history - part of which is Seiryuso. This ryokan is a perfect hideaway trip from Tokyo. From the moment you arrive, the opulence and beauty of this traditional Japanese inn captivate your mind. The place is so lovely that you might worry that you'll miss some delightful detail if you blink your eyes. Spend a few moments and bask in the sublime beauty of Seiryuso.
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The pool beckons you to submerge into a world of purity where harmful chemicals do not exist. The entire pool is filled with hot spring water and kept at a constant 33 degrees centigrade throughout the year. Unwind as you soak your cares away.
Seiryuso also offers its Palm Terrace and Kelo (Sauna) Thermarium, which you can use privately. Then you can just relax by rocking in a hammock in the garden.
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19:00
Dinner Japanese cuisine at Shimoda takes advantage of the ryokan's location close to the ocean, and access to a variety of seasonal fresh seafood. At Seiryuso, the chefs use only fresh seafood caught at Sagami Bay and Suruga Bay, as well as fresh-picked vegetables from nearby farms. Wasabi is a specialty of Amagi, Shizuoka Prefecture, about one hour from Shimoda. At Seiryuso you can enjoy artful and sophisticated Japanese kaiseki cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere.
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Day 02
Shimoda
Visit Shimoda Park and Perry Road to enjoy the hydrangeas in blossom.
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Shimoda Park
Shimoda Park is an attractive wooded park on a hill. There are about 150,000 hydrangea plants in the park, and in season about 3 million flowers bloom. The Hydrangea Festival is held in June every year. From the far side of the park you can get a preview of the wildly rugged coastline of the southern tip of the Izu Peninsula. In Shimoda Park are the ruins of a castle.
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Perry Road and Ryosen-ji (temple)
In 1853, Commodore Matthew C. Perry arrived at Japan with his fleet of Black Ships, to request the opening of Japanese ports to ships of the United States. The signing ceremony for the Japan-U.S. Peace Treaty was held at Ryosenji temple. Several years later, the first American consulate was established. The walk itself is just a short fifteen minutes from end to end, but it's packed with shops selling traditional crafts, restaurants, cafes and pubs and is crisscrossed by numerous picturesque bridges.
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Ropeway (Mount Nesugata Nature Park)
A short walk from Shimoda's train station, the Shimoda Ropeway (also known as the Nesugatayama Ropeway) is the best place to go to capture the true panoramic beauty of the town and harbor. The summit also features a beautiful nature park immaculately manicured with seasonal flowers, a rotunda-style Buddhist pavilion that is a well-known power spot, and several 19th century cannons with their sights still aimed at the bay where Perry's ships once anchored. It's a wonderful way to spend a day in Shimoda, and the brisk seaside breezes at the top help cool you down after your stroll through town.
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Shimoda harbor Black Ship tour
Cruise around Shimoda harbor in a life-size replica of the Susquehanna, the "black ship" that brought Commodore Perry here in 1854. On the cruise you can enjoy the view of the city and mountains nearby, the same scenery that greeted Perry and his crew.
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17:00 Return to Seiryuso and enjoy the onsen baths Not only is the Japanese bath the perfect way to get some "rest and relaxation" and a respite from our daily lives, it is also physically and psychologically therapeutic. It embraces your body with warmth and aids circulation. At Seiryuso, there are some communal indoor and open-air baths. You may soak in natural hot spring water before and after dinner, or even at midnight. Even if you have a room with a private open-air bath, experiencing a large communal bath is highly recommended.
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Day 03
Shimoda – Nishi (West) Izu
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Visit wasabi fields in Amagi.
Wasabi, the definitive horseradish that gives the zing to sushi, needs clear, clean water and a particular set of climatic circumstances to grow well. It's not a very common sight, and very few people have seen natural wasabi, even in Japan. Thanks to its abundant mountain streams, the Amagi area has many wasabi fields and is famous for the quality of its wasabi, as well as the beauty of its landscape.
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At Namesawa Gorge, enjoy a landscape of the beautiful valley.
The expanse of level rock that makes up the floor of this beautiful gorge is actually a field of lava that flowed through the valley eons ago, filling it up and creating the beautiful topography we see today. The gorge is a lovely location, with streams cascading among the hard laval rocks, as well as lush nature. Namesawa Gorge is famous for its red leaves in the fall.
Otherwise, you may take a west coast route to enjoy the rich nature and beautiful scenery of the Nishi Izu area.
This is a region with a unique and beautiful landscape, as well as an intricate coastline featuring towering cliffs, uniquely shaped rocks and small islands. Up the coast is the Golden Cape, named for its golden color at sunset. The cape is famous for its rugged scenery, and the powerful white-capped waves that pound the base of the towering cliffs. This is a popular tourist spot.
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Dogashima is a popular scenic spot of Nishi Izu. In this area you can find hundreds of caves, as well as cliffs formed by the lava flows of past volcanic eruptions and you can also enjoy the beautiful clear ocean water. Sanshiro-jima is one of the most popular spots in Dogashima area. There is a rocky path there that appears at low tide so you can walk out to the island.
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You could also join a sightseeing boat for a cave excursion. Visiting the caves by boat is a popular activity in Nishi Izu and is the best way to see its "rias" coastline. The caves are spectacular, with mysterious light filtering down through the cave ceiling.
Return to the ryokan.
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