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Location : On the Pacific Ocean, 290 km south of Tokyo. How to get : Boat is operated from Takeshiba pier in Tokyo. It takes about 10 hour. Airplanes are also available from Haneda airport in Tokyo.
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Left : Hachijo-Ko-jima from Hachijo-Fuji|
Hachijo Jima is a big island of Izu isles. There are two mountains that used to be volcanoes. One is Hachijo-Fuji, 854 m Height. Another is Higashi Yama 701 m height. As shown on left photo, there is a smaller island next to Hachijo Jima, which is called Hachijo-Ko-jima. Ko means small. The top of the island has 617 m height. Up to 1969, some people lived, but now only goats live in the island. Hachijo Jima has some good view points. From Hachijo-Fuji, You can look down Hachijo-Ko-jima. Nako View Point in south of the island is also good. You have to pay to enter, but you can drink "Shima Zake" (Sake made in the island) .
____ I visited Hachijo Jima on January 4th to 7th in 2001. The ship for the island was shaken in storm. When I walked the corridor in the ship, my body was hit by wall. ____ Next day morning, ship arrived at Sokodo Port. After confirming my reservation of the inn at guide booth, I started climbing Hachijo Fuji. I had planned to walk around the edge of volcano, but when I got to the edge, terribly strong wind was blowing so that I had to give up the plan, and then went down. ____ The inn I stayed was comfortable, and served huge amount of menu as a dinner. ____ On second day, I got on a bus and went to south part of the island to bathe at Borawazawa hot spring, which is no-charge 24 hours type hot spring. At first no one was there except me, and then one surfer came in to make his body warm. ____ At Nako view point, elderly woman asked me if I drove a car. I said "No", and then she allowed me to drink Shima Zake, which is a kind of liquor made in the island. Two or three Ochoko of Shima Zake made me feel good. ____ After taking a lunch at local menu restaurant, I went to another hot spring "Uramiga Taki hot spring". I found that I left my swim suit in my room (then, in Tokyo). So I couldn't bathe. Since there're some hot springs where you have to put on swim suit to bathe, so if you go to Izu isle, please don't forget swim suit. ____ On the third day, I visited historical museum and visitor center. You can learn a lot about the island at the museum. In Edo era, Hachijo Jima is a kind of prison. Many criminals were sent to there.....etc. Visitor center has a green house that you can see tropical flowers. ____ Last morning on the island, master of the inn said to me that "Don't think Hachijo is cold like these days". Surely, it was cold when I visited on January. But I guess in summer time, the island makes me see different sight. ____ Before getting on ship, I bought some Shima Zake and "KUSAYA" which is semi-dried fishes with heavy smell. That fishes' smell are so terrible that some people hate. But once you've known how tasty they are, you become eager about eating KUSAYA.
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