Izu was a getaway that I owed to myself for a long time, having heard some brilliant stories about the breathtaking peninsula. Taking a Monday off at the beginning of the month might raise a few eyebrows but I didn’t flinch a bit. However, Sunday at Ito was completely washed out due to the heavy rains that knew no mercy. So, I was really looking forward to Kawazu.
Kawazu’s cherry blossoms start blooming from early February, which Tokyoites can only dream of. Around 8,000 cherry trees line the 2.5 mile walk down the river starting from kawazu station. Noticeably large and pink, they are a feast for sore eyes. It draws over a million visitors every year, all flocking to the pretty town for the sakura they’ve been waiting over the past year. Some sakura spots are interspersed with yellow nanohana too and the combination is enchanting.
The entire atmosphere has a festive feel to it. There are hordes of shops lining the river walk that sell everything from interesting souvenirs like bottled soft water collected from Kawazu Nanadaru Nature Reserve and towels with sakura designs to tasty delicacies like dried fish and summer oranges.
There are hot water foot spas as well to soothe the tired mind. Besides, there are seven famous hot spring baths in the area, which formed the setting of the classic novel ‘The Dancing Girl of Izu’ by Kawabata Yasunari that subsequently won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
It takes just a few hours to get your fill of sakura before you can head off to nearby places. I personally recommend visiting the classic old port of Shimoda, just a few stations away. Or if you got more time to spare, check out Imaihama beach and Ito. However, for all those who could not make it this year, remember Kawazukura is just one of the multitude of things to do in Izu. The Izu Peninsula hides many a secrets and you need more than a weekend to cover all that!
Access:
By Train: Tokyo Station to Kawazu Station -> Odoriko Express: 160 minutes.
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