Hotels
Kawazu: Arashinoyu Tojinokan 2nd Building
IZU: Hinodeya
Kawazu Section
Day 1: Tokyo Straight to the Kawazu Coast
- Morning: Board the JR Limited Express Odoriko train directly from Tokyo Station to Kawazu Station (approx. 2 hours 35 minutes). This scenic train ride takes you right down the eastern coast of the Izu Peninsula.
- Afternoon: Arrive in Kawazu, walk to your accommodation, and drop off your bags. Spend a relaxed afternoon getting your first look at the festival, exploring the food stalls, and scoping out the best photo spots along the river.
- Evening: Enjoy the festival at dusk when the trees are beautifully illuminated and the massive daytime crowds begin to clear out.
- Overnight: Stay in Kawazu Town (or nearby coastal towns like Imaihama Onsen or Izukyu-Shimoda).
Day 2: The Waterfall Day (Inland Excursion)
- 09:00 AM: Walk to Kawazu Station and board the northbound Tokai Bus [C50].
- 09:45 AM: Ride the bus all the way up to the Jorenno-taki (Joren Falls) stop. Spend an hour descending into the misty gorge to see the 25-meter drop and the lush wasabi fields.
- 10:45 AM: Catch the southbound bus back down the mountain and get off at the Mizutare stop.
- 11:00 AM – 01:00 PM: Hike the 1.5 km Seven Falls trail entirely downhill. Since your morning is dedicated strictly to the waterfalls, you can take a highly relaxed, slow pace to photograph the basalt columns and suspension bridges.
- 01:00 PM: Finish the hike at the lower village, look up at the massive double-loop bridge, and enjoy a traditional wasabi-don (wasabi rice bowl) or soba lunch.
- Afternoon: Take the bus back to Kawazu Station. You have the rest of the day completely free to relax at a hot spring ryokan or take a coastal stroll.
- Overnight: Second night along the Kawazu coast.
Day 3: Morning Blossoms & Return to Tokyo Haneda
- Morning: Wake up early to walk the Kawazu River banks. Mid-to-late February morning light (around 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM) is the absolute best time for cherry blossoms, as the air is crisp, the paths are empty of tour buses, and the lighting is perfect for photos.
- Midday: Grab lunch near the station, pick up your bags, and board the northbound Limited Express Odoriko from Kawazu Station back to Shinagawa Station (approx. 2 hours 15 minutes).
- Afternoon Transit: Transfer seamlessly at Shinagawa Station to the Keikyu Airport Line, which delivers you directly into the terminals at Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) in just 15 minutes.
Alternative Route:If Kawazu Doesn’t Work
Day 1: Volcanic Peaks & Cherry Blossom Groves
- Morning: The Odoriko Express from Tokyo
- Logistics: Catch the direct JR Limited Express Odoriko train from Tokyo Station straight to Izu-Kogen Station (approx. 2 hours). It’s a smooth, highly scenic ride that tracks right along the coast.
- Pro Tip: If you have the JR PASS, the Tokyo-to-Ito portion is covered, but you will pay a small local surcharge at the gate for the Izukyu private railway track between Ito and Izu-Kogen.
- Mid-Day: AscendMount Omuro
- The Experience: From Izu-Kogen Station, take a 20-minute local bus directly to the base of Mt. Omuro. This perfectly symmetrical, extinct volcano will be black after burning. You take a chairlift to the summit rim and hike the 1-kilometer circular path around the crater edge. On a clear winter day in mid-to-late February, you get unparalleled 360-degree views of Mt. Fuji, the Izu islands, and the ocean.
- Afternoon: Stroll through Sakura no Sato
- The Experience: Walk right down from the Mt. Omuro chairlift station into Sakura no sato. Because this park features over 40 varieties of cherry trees spread across a massive lawns area, you are almost guaranteed to find trees blooming even if the main Kawazu run has leafed out early. Grab a hot sweet potato from the local food trucks at the park entrance and enjoy a peaceful afternoon picnic.
- Evening: Overnight on the Izu Highlands
Day 2: The Rugged Coastal Trek
- Morning to Mid-Day: Hike theJogasaki Coast Trail
- The Experience: Take a short local bus or train link to the trailhead of the Jogasaki Coast. This rugged, jagged shoreline was formed by lava flows from Mt. Omuro thousands of years ago.
- The Route: Hike the well-maintained coastal forest trail (approx. 2–3 hours). The absolute highlight is crossing the Kadoshawa Suspension Bridge, which hangs 23 meters directly over crashing ocean waves crashing into the volcanic cliffs.
- Late Afternoon: Return to Tokyo
- Logistics: Head back to Izu-Kogen or Jogasaki-Kaigan Station, hop back onto the Odoriko Express, and head straight back into Tokyo.
Shikoku
Day 1 — Hiwasa
- Arrive in Hiwasa → explore town → Hiwasa Castle / Ohama Beach → relax.
- Night: Hiwasa
- I’d keep this day relatively easy so you’re rested for the hike.
Day 2 — Hiwasa → Yamagawachi 🥾🌊
- 12.2 km / ~4–5 hours
- Start from Hiwasa Station in the morning.
- Hiwasa → Senba Sea Cliffs → Yamagawachi
- Then take the JR Mugi Line one stop from Yamagawachi to Mugi and stay there.
- That gives us a really nice little progression:
- Hiwasa coastal town → coastal mountain trail → Yamagawachi countryside → tiny train ride → Mugi
- Night: Mugi
Day 3
Mugi Train→Yamagawachi → Mugi
16.3 km / ~5.5–7 hours
🌲 mountain forest
⛰️ Mugi-toge
🌊 Oshima Viewpoint
🐟 tiny coastal settlements
🌅 Pacific Ocean
Night: Mugi
Alternative: If Day 2 is rainy:
- Day 2: Hiwasa sightseeing / shorter coastal walk
Day 3: Use the better forecast day for the big Mugi-toge hike. - And if the weather is bad both days, we can just use the JR Mugi Line and continue west.
Day 4 — Mugi → Iya Valley
Your route would be:
Mugi → Tokushima → Awa-Ikeda → Oboke → Nishi-Iya
🚆 Leg 1: Mugi → Tokushima
Take the JR Mugi Line north from Mugi to Tokushima.
This is the easy part. The Mugi Line runs between Mugi and Tokushima, and you’ll want to get an early start because the whole journey across Shikoku takes most of the day. JR Shikoku’s current timetable confirms regular Mugi Line service toward Tokushima. jr-shikoku.co.jp
I’d aim to leave Mugi around 7–8 AM.
That gives us plenty of room for the connections later.
🚆 Leg 2: Tokushima → Awa-Ikeda
At Tokushima, transfer to the JR Tokushima Line heading west toward Awa-Ikeda.
Awa-Ikeda is the major transportation hub for this part of Shikoku. The trip from Tokushima to Awa-Ikeda is roughly 1½–2 hours, depending on the train. The Miyoshi tourism office lists the Tokushima → Awa-Ikeda connection at about 1 hour 10 minutes on the limited express, although exact service varies. miyoshi-tourism.jp
🍱 lunch in Awa-Ikeda
Build in a 45–60 minute buffer rather than trying to make a super-tight connection.
Awa-Ikeda is a real town with restaurants and shops, so it’s a much better place to grab lunch than trying to find food once you’re in the mountains.
🚆 Leg 3: Awa-Ikeda → Oboke
Then take the JR Dosan Line from Awa-Ikeda to Oboke.
The train follows the Yoshino River through the mountains, eventually reaching the dramatic Oboke/Koboke gorge.
Oboke is only about 20 minutes from Awa-Ikeda by limited express, and JR trains connect the two regularly. miyoshi-tourism.jp
Leg 4: Oboke → Iya Valley
This is the important part.
Once you arrive at Oboke Station, you can take a local Shikoku Kotsu bus into Nishi-Iya.
The buses go toward:
- Oboke Station → Iya Kazurabashi → Nishi-Iya → Iya Onsen → further into the valley
The buses aren’t especially frequent—generally every 1–2 hours—so this is the connection I would build the day around.
http://iyatime.com/bus-times?utm_source=chatgpt.com
🕐 What the day could look like
I’d structure it approximately like this:
7:00–8:00 AM
🚆 Mugi → Tokushima
~9:00–10:00 AM
🚆 Tokushima → Awa-Ikeda
~11:00 AM
🍜 Lunch / coffee in Awa-Ikeda
~12:00 PM
🚆 Awa-Ikeda → Oboke
~12:30 PM
🏔️ Arrive Oboke
~1:00 PM
🚌 Oboke → Nishi-Iya
~1:30–2:00 PM
🏡 Check in / drop bags
Afternoon:
🌲 Walk around the valley
🌉 Kazurabashi if open
📸 Explore nearby villages/viewpoints
♨️ Onsen
