Kawazu Nanadaru, Izu Inatori and onsens

Kawazu Nanadaru are seven waterfalls in the mountains above the town of Kawazu (accessible by bus from the train station) in southeast Izu. A pleasant walking trail leads for about one kilometer through the forest and past waterfalls, the height of which varies from the 30-meter Odaru („big waterfall“) to the 2-meter Kanidaru („crab waterfall“).

At the foot of the trail is the small hot spring resort of Nanadaru Onsen and the impressive Kawazu Nanadaru Loop Bridge, a unique two-story spiral bridge along National Route 414 high above the valley floor. The bridge is 45 meters high, 80 meters wide and 1064 meters long.

From Kawazu, it is just one train stop to Izu Inatori. After leaving Izu-Inatori Station, we head down the road towards the fishing port. The temple is on our right. There is a bell tower and a large tree in front of the entrance.

The temple belongs to the Kenchoji school of the Rinzai sect and was built in 1560. In the front is the main hall and to the left is a large Burmese Buddhist Nadebotoke bell and a stone Buddha.

We continue to the coast and walk along the port of fishing boats. It is after the main season, we are almost alone here and only the abandoned hotel complexes remind us of the tourist traffic of the summer months.

A walk through the harbor gives us the feeling that there is a piece of Japan that seems frozen in time. It invites us back to a time without restaurants where you order on tablets, to cafes without smartphones. Modern Japan may be slowly forgetting some of the traditions that the locals still honor. This elusive and sometimes romantic atmosphere offers a side of Japan that many still long to find and experience.

We meet a local fisherman. Our knowledge of Japanese is not up to par for any conversation, so we follow the routine of network maintenance.

We continue by train to Atagawa Izu station. After exiting the station building, we are greeted by an old wooden drilling tower with steam flowing. These old derricks were once a common means of drilling deep underground to pump out hot water for so-called onsen. Today, it acts as a beautiful reminder of the traditional craft of creating a Japanese hot spring. We sit inside and refresh our feet in a warm bath. Pretty nice passenger service.

We are here again almost alone, but the dense hotel development reminds us that the interest in spa tourism is high here in the main season.

The word onsen refers to a Japanese hot spring. In volcanically active Japan, there are hundreds of onsen, which were traditionally used as public baths and still play an important role in domestic tourism today.

We continue our rail trip. The last stop is a completely peaceful and sleepy place on the Pacific coast, the small town of Hokkawa Izu. It was a pleasant day in the beautiful setting of the east coast of the Izu Peninsula, with very little tourist traffic indeed.