Izu: From Exile to Empire
The Izu Peninsula . . . onsen (hot springs) resorts and amazing natural scenery. However, few people think of Izu as a place that shaped Japanese history.
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Japanese Culture
Anjinsai – A Local Izu Festival
The Anjinsai Festival in Ito, Shizuoka, is a captivating local festival on the Izu peninsula that draws locals and tourists alike to experience a fusion of traditional customs and exhilarating festivities. Known for its breathtaking fireworks display, energetic yosakoi dances, thrilling taiko competition, and lively outdoor Wakuwaku-ichi market and beer garden at Fuji no Hiroba, the Anjinsai Festival is a true celebration of the rich cultural heritage and lively spirit of Ito.
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Izu’s Oldest Shrine: Shirahama Jinja
Not far from the laid back cafes of Shimoda’s popular Shirahama Beach lies a hidden gem that whispers of Japan’s ancient legends. Shirahama Shrine isn’t your typical tourist stop — it’s a living connection to the Izu Peninsula’s deep cultural roots, where nature, mythology, and life in a small community seamlessly merge. A Shrine Steeped […]
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Traditional Crafts in Izu
I’ve often lamented that many of the old ways are nowhere to be found in Izu, but I understand why. People have no practical reasons to preserve the past, and few young people have the interest nor the time. That’s why Shuzenji Gami is such a rare and important discovery.
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Shizuoka Tea
But there’s another side to Japanese tea—one focused on taste, health, and pure drinking pleasure—thriving in places like Shizuoka Prefecture
Izu’s Transformation by Rail
Before the railroad came, the Izu Peninsula was a place of deep isolation. Tucked into rugged mountains or clinging to the rocky coast, its villages were shaped by geography, self-reliance, and harmony.
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The Red Cow of Fukusenji
The Red Cow of Ike: The tale of a shape shifting murderous dragon lord.
Ike is a small, quiet community with two Shinto shrines and a single Buddhist temple. Ryukeiin was built 500 years ago, when it replaced an even older temple that was haunted by a murderous red cow.
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Tale of the Soga Brothers
There are stories here hidden in the mists of time, waiting to be heard. One of the most dramatic? The legendary Soga Brothers’ Revenge
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Mt. Omuro’s Sengen Shrine
The Izu Peninsula’s Mt. Omuro is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Japan’s Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.
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Setsubun Day
Today is Setsubun in Japan. It is one of several very old traditions imported from Chinese culture and based on the lunar calendar.
In the West, spring is associated with the vernal equinox (March 21), and rituals in European countries generally take place in early April. In Japan, the beginning of February is seen as the start of a transition from winter to spring. It is a time when the seasonal responsibilities of numerous gods start to shift, and they get restless and move around. To prevent gods of bad luck from wandering into the house, people developed a protective ritual called mamemaki (mah-may-mah-kee) or bean sowing.