Dogashima is a scenic spot in the western Isu Peninsula. Facing Suruga Bay, its beautiful coastline is compared to Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture, one of Japan’s Three Finest Views, and it is called “Matsushima in Izu.” Visitors can fully enjoy its dramatic stone formations created by forces of nature.
The highlight of the sightseeing in Dogashima is Tensodo (Skylight Cave) on Kameshima Island in the close offing of the boat pier. The erosion of waves made a tunnel in the rock. The ceiling of the tunnel is open, and it is just like a skylight. The cave is nationally designated as a Natural Monument.
The three islands (Zojima, Nakanoshima and Takashima) in the offing of the coast are generically called “Sanshiro Island.” At low tide, a 30 meter wide natural stone bridge emerges and connects the islands with the mainland shore so that people can walk to the islands. This stone bar is called a “tombolo” and is prefecturally designated as a Natural Monument.
On the hill near the coast is Orchid Resort Dogashima with an area of 9 hectare. Visitors can enjoy various species of orchids of the season both in the greenhouses and in the open air garden.
Futo Coast on the west side of Izu Peninsula is a scenic coast with a total length of 900 meters. It is a beautiful coast with shining ocean and indented coastline with bizarre stone formation.
At low tide, pools of seawater are formed in the cove on the other side of the bathing beach, where you can enjoy watching or catching inshore fish and sea shells. With clear sea and good natural environment, it is one of the few distinctive diving spots in Izu Peninsula, a good hidden spot for surf fishing and marine sports. It is also a fine place to view the sunset. The sun setting among small islands is absolutely beautiful.
As the promenade is set out from the northern end of the coast to Tago, you can enjoy 1 hour walking while viewing oddly-shaped stones and the indented coastline with colonies of sea plants on the way. There are other sightseeing spots such as Dogashima and Cape Koibito-misaki in the vicinity.
Cape Koganezaki is a scenic spot in Ugusu in Nishiizu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture. It features the rugged surface of the cliff, which was formed by the volcanic fluid from Mt. Nekko flowing down into Sagami Bay.
Cape Koganezaki is known for its magnificent view of the ocean and the beautiful sunset. As the name “Koganezaki (the gold cape)” implies, the cliffs shine gold at the sunset. This is because weathered andesite was uniquely altered into yellowish brown propylite, which is prefecturally designated as a natural monument.
Cape Koganezaki is full of charms including flowers that come into bloom from spring through fall, the view of Mt. Fuji on a fine day, the stone monument in memory of Yukio Mishima, the fine promenade and colonies of wild plants.
Cape Koganezaki in Ugusu in Nishiizu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture、is known for its magnificent view of the ocean and the beautiful sunset. The cliffs shine gold at the sunset because weathered andesite was uniquely altered into yellowish brown propylite, which is prefecturally designated as a natural monument.
The whole part of the cape is designated as a public park named Koganezaki Park, where the promenade, the turf field and the observatory are set out among naturally grown pine trees. In Collection Garden, which is a 17 hectare botanical garden, visitors can enjoy viewing various flowers from spring through fall.
From the middle of February to the beginning of April, as many as 15 species of cherry trees come into bloom. Koganezaki Cherry Festival is held on the 1st Sunday every year.
Ose Shrine is in Nishiura Enashi in Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture. As it enshrines Hikitajikara no Mikoto, it is formally named Hikitajikara no Mikoto Shrine. It is also called Ose Myojin Shrine.
The origin of the shrine is not identified, but, according to one story, the shrine was founded because, when an island called Biwashima emerged by the elevation of the sea bottom due to a big earthquake in 684, the local people believed that the god had pulled land from Tosa province (present-day Kochi Prefecture), where a lot of land sank into the sea by the same earthquake.
The enshrined deity, Hikitajikara no Mikoto, is known as the guardian god of the sea and has been worshipped by fishermen in Suruga Bay. A lot of Ema-plates depicting fishing activities in the old days and model fishing-ships made by ancient fishing people preserved at the shrine. These votive items are considered historically precious and prefecturally designated as a tangible folk cultural property.
Kami-ike Pond in the precinct is counted as one of the Seven Wonders in Izu because it is a fresh-water pond in spite of being located just by the sea.
En no Ozunu is the founder of Shugendou which teaches how to gain mystic powers through ascetic practices in the mountains and, by unifying with nature, to reach Sokushin Joubutsu, attaining enlightenment in one’s present form. As the initiator who first organized the Japanese spiritual doctrine, En no Ozunu has stood out with his enormous influence that still continues today.
He was born in 634 at the foot of Katsuragi Mountain in present day Gose City, Nara Prefecture. He possessed unique talents since childhood teaching himself to carve Buddha statues and learning how to write Sanskrit characters. At the age of seventeen, he left his family home and began spiritual practice in Katsuragi Mountain.
Legend says he spent time with a sennin, a legendary immortal hermit, even chastising Buddha and deities, and became a man of strength who had a demon as his follower. When his supernatural powers became known to the Imperial Court, the Emperor, frightened by his power, ordered him exiled to Izu Ooshima Island.
In his late life, he traveled throughout Japan and visited a number of sacred mountains. Reportedly most of mountains considered sacred mountains today were founded by him. At the age of sixty seven, he passed away while smiling, surrounded by many disciples in Tenjyouga-dake Mountain.
Otaki (the Big Waterfall) in Osori in Nishiizu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture, is a waterfall with a height of 48 meters and a width of 8 meters. It is one of the representative waterfalls in Izu Peninsula and is the biggest waterfall of over twenty waterfalls located in the upstream of the Nishina River and other rivers in the town.
The Otaki Waterfall is a literally big and dynamic waterfall with a large basin. When the river volume increases, it flows straight down the cliff with splashes of water. There is a slight terrace in the middle of the cliff, from which water flows down in a folding-fan shape. It is also called Heitagataki or Sankaitaki (the Three-story Waterfall) because it flows down in three stages. A rainbow can be seen, depending on the direction of the flow.
Visitors can enjoy seasonal changes in scenery including tender green in early summer and crimson foliage in fall.
Sebama Beach is located in Dogashima, a scenic spot in Nishiizu Town on the west side of Izu Peninsula. The three islands (Zojima, Nakanoshima and Takashima) in the offing of the beach are generically called “Sanshiro Island.” At the low tide, a 30 meter wide natural stone bridge emerges and connects the islands with the mainland shore so that people can walk to the islands. This stone bar is called a “tombolo” and is prefecturally designated as a Natural Monument because this kind of natural phenomenon can be rarely seen in Japan.
There is a tragic legend concerning the islands. In the late Heian period (794-1192), a young man called Izu no Sanshiro hid himself on Nakanoshima Island to escape from the pursuers of the Taira clan. He fell in love with Koyuki, a daughter of a powerful warrior in a nearby village. On the day when Sanshiro set out to join Yoritomo’s army, Koyuki ran to the beach to cross the tombolo bridge but she was drowned in rough waves of the high tide.
If you’d like to cross the tombolo bridge, you should check the time the bridge appears, for it doesn’t appear depending on tide.