"The Izu Peninsula" Top 5 Page for this destination Fuji-Hakone-Izu-kokuritsu-koen by chodearm

Fuji-Hakone-Izu-kokuritsu-koen Travel Guide: 180 reviews and 659 photos

The Musical Box Museum - Fuji-Hakone-Izu-kokuritsu-koen

The land below Fuji

IF YOUR LOOKING FOR INFO ON MT. FUJI PLEASE GO TO MY MISHIMA PAGE AND MAKE SURE YOU READ THE CLIMBING MT FUJI TRAVELOUGUE.

Fuji or The Fuge looms at the head of Honshus tail. Honshu, the largest of the Islands that dot the Pacific ocean to make up Japan, has many peninsulas forking off. Izu seems to be special in the amount of volcanic activity sparking off below the ground. This hot magnma forms Izu's largest tourism draw, the Onsen (Japanese baths).
Upon landing on Honshu, Yukijohn was welcomed to Japan with a family visit to Izu. I understood the concept as a similar rendition of the SPA. My undersatanding swayed with the first wrap of the Yukata belt. Never had I donned any other garb than should I say it, traditional American clothes, Jeans and a T-shirt, well occassionaly but never a robe publicly. Once over the costuming shock we headed to dinner with the fam. Dinner was being served in a Tatami room, handed out by Kimono clad women who spoke very little and just acted their part as server. Couple bows and nods of the head later and I was finding my legs tied into a pretzel stuffed under a low lyeing table, buttocks spreading out on the tatami floor. Try sitting this way for two hours and parts of you die off as the blood loses its circulatory path. Pins and needles arise.
The food makes it to its landing in front of me. Little plates containing a single fish here, a block of tofu there are set out forming a crest in front of me. I'm starving since survivng the airline food and quickly indulge, trying to stomach the dried fish head, and overcome the stare he burned me with.

"Listen head...I don't wanna eat ya but I gotta, I think you would taste like soiled garments!"

As I said, the taste matched my preconcieved thought.
Food and putting it down and keeping it down was definately aided by the beer. Asahi, and a few Kirins doubled as a slide for the fish head to reach mylargest of intestines. The first front was conquered and I thought I was done. Than the KARAOKE machine rolled in.

The Stained Glass Museum

"Pray engrish song"

The book flapped like a bird and landed cozily into my crossed legs. The added weight stretched my legs a bit, the only relief this book could give. I thumbed through looking for roman charachters, for anything decipherable was sought. I came to a page with THE BEATLES transribed as the header.

"Give me one of these"

Of course I should have been more specific, the luck of the draw was no luck to me. A song I never heard less know the flow of. I babbled and groppled with a melody and beat to no adue.

"Yuki, he may be nice looking, but he can't sing" Yukis uncle shouts!

Humiliation has to be taken with two cents. I'm the foreigner and I am the new household fixture, so of course all eyes were directed to me. With this I thought I was free, remember I said "THOUGHT".

After dinner the family was to split into groups and bathe together. In America nudity is often looked at in such a primiscuous way where your privates remain private. Land of the free? Japanese men bathe at these resorts together and the women do the same. Both male and female rock it nude. There was no way I was getting naked with the fam. This was a hard hit to the men of the family.

"It's Japanese tradition, you have to."

"Ah Yuki......do I have to?"

Beyond all that!

Kawazu

Izu is the place to find one of the only white sand beaches of Honshu (imported), waterfalls and nature at its peak, and an abundance of art and cultural museums, from dolls to music boxes. The food lands on your plate usually from the sea, and the air always has a salty jist to it. It seems to be the Japanese city getaway with few if any tourist. This is the real way the Japanese are living, this is guidebook free territory.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Beaches.....its a peninsula!
Cons:100 dollars train ride away.

Last visit to Fuji-Hakone-Izu-kokuritsu-koen: Aug 2001
Intro Updated Aug 26, 2004
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Reviews (12)

Yuki still confused - Fuji-Hakone-Izu-kokuritsu-koen

Way off.....and Yukes Off The Beaten Path (2)

Since parking was a potential problem we sent off early from Mishima to get to this beach. 6 am Hirokazu's engine buzzed... more travel advice

Me amongst Volcanic discharge - Fuji-Hakone-Izu-kokuritsu-koen

Way off..... Off The Beaten Path (2)

Izu as a whole has a off the beaten path feel to it, so as I present to you this page, this is soooo far off that path... more travel advice

bird infested outcrop - Fuji-Hakone-Izu-kokuritsu-koen

Jogasaki Things to Do (10)

Jogasaki gots some rugged coastline. A hiking trail that extends 9 km weaves a path through this beautiful landscape... more travel advice

emaeralds - Fuji-Hakone-Izu-kokuritsu-koen

Kawazu-nanadaru Falls Pt. 2 Things to Do (10)

Once again, another of the 7 falls along the path. 7 waterfalls will be passed all within 2km. more travel advice

Travelogues (1)

Written Aug 24, 2004

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Comments (6)

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willy_wonka Jul 13, 2005 at 5:53 PM

dude, that story about the old chick bound in the bushes... wtf?!?! is that for real? man, that be some whacked stuff! as for sara's volcanic discharge.... nasty! ;-P
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arasnosliw Jan 26, 2005 at 5:52 PM

volcanic discharge, what word choice...
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tiger9090a Nov 7, 2004 at 5:12 AM

wow!
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kazander Aug 26, 2004 at 6:55 AM

An unknown Beatles song? whatever could it have been? So did you end up going naked with the fam or did you get out of it? That's some story about the crazy broad in the bushes!
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Nemorino Aug 26, 2004 at 5:49 AM

This is an excellent page with a great story of your cross-cultural family welcome to Japan.
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chodearm Aug 18, 2004 at 12:49 PM

I'll answer you here.....i got out of it, Yukes' other uncle reserved the whole bath area for Yukijohn for one hour, now thats the nude one I wanna see not males raw materials.