The cruises on Sumida River and in Tokyo Bay, with yakatabune (old-style Japanese houseboats), regular ships or with the futuristic Himiko are a well known attraction in Tokyo. A little less known is the fact that from Tokyo and Yokohama you can enjoy a longer cruise towards Izu Ōshima, the largest (and closest) of the Izu Islands, a group of volcanic islands administered by Tokyo. Ōshima is a popular tourist destination, famous for its Mount Mihara volcano.
The Tōkai Kisen company operates Jet Ferry cruises towards the Izu Islands aboard hydrofoils. The main advantage of the hydrofoil (besides its speed) is that it is little affected by waves, making it ideal for those with seasickness.
Here is one if their hydrofoils, the Seven Islands Niji (Rainbow), painted by a well known Japanese illustrator, Ryohei Yanagihara.
Travel tip: In Tokyo, the Jet Ferry departs from the Takeshiba pier and a cruise to Izu Ōshima costs about ¥7400. It is quite expensive, but think about it as a water version of a Shinkansen: while the Jet Ferry travels from Tokyo to Ōshima in 1 hour and 45 minutes, the same trip with a large passenger ship will take about 8 hours…
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Yesterday’s Japan Photo:Japanese architecture, Hotel Monterey Osaka |
