Somewhat of a recent find for me. After surfing for years and living in Kanto for over half a decade and some how I had never heard of these tropical like Tokyo/Izu islands, and the fact that one of them has insanely great surf on it (possibly others too, but for now I’ve just hit Niijima). Also a free camping ground near the surf – this soon came to the top of the summer holiday spot list. We got busy chatting to friends who had let us know about this place, started to put together our plan to get over there.
Once arriving we weren’t disappointed. The island is a nice size, not too big that can’t easily explore most of the island on a bike, but not too small that you get bored after a couple of days. We were there a total of 1 week, surfed, onsened, barbecued, explored the island on bikes, hiked and swam the week away and could easily of stayed longer.
Surf spots:
The surf breaks on the island, are pretty good, something for all levels. Across the road from the camp ground is Habushira Beach, a great powerful beach break (intermediate-advanced surfers), I surfed this nearly every day and is the type of place that has at least something to surf most days. Punchy powerful waves with a short paddle out, could see the potential for hollow barrels under the right winds. Unfortunately when we were there we had a lot of light onshore winds, but still got plenty of good waves here.
A long this same stretch of beach are a number of other spots, helicopters etc i’m Sure with the right sand banks, tides etc are great on their day. One spot down this coast worth checking out in particular is the not so secret “Secret Point” (good for all levels) to the south. (For those new to Japan, in Japanese surf point, means surf spot – not necessarily a point break.
This “secret spot” happens to be printed on every tourist map and is even sign posted, so there’s not too much trouble finding it. Be warned though, you have to walk down steep stairs and walk along soft sand for about 10 minutes to get there with no shelter from the sun, so take water and leave some energy in the tank for getting back to the road.
There is also Awiura on the north east of the island which apparently is one of the best spots on the island. I didn’t venture up there on this trip, mainly because you need a car to go through the tunnel of the island’s main mountain to get there (no bikes or walking in the tunnel).
For more about the surf, checkout http://www.surfinginjapan.com/islands/nijima
Other activities
Outside of surfing there are plenty of things to do. I recommend hiring a bike, that way you can easily cruise around and see a lot of the island. On the west side of the island where the ferry comes in there are a number of little bats perfect for swimming that are patrolled.
Also on the west side is the must visit outdoor onsen (which is free & open 24hrs). Beautifully perched on the corner of the coast with pools scattered in the rocks with stairs cut into rock up to one with panoramic views over the ocean to watch the sunset from. FYI: this onsen, swimsuits are to be worn.
It’s definitely worth renting bikes and riding around the island, there’s some great views, beaches and beach side shack restaurants, hidden cafes in the hills with small water parks for kids. All very reasonably priced. The small township has places to eat, a few small supermarkets, a Japan Post (with ATM) and number of places to rent bikes, surfboards, beach things etc.
If you like a walk, there’s a great view to be had at the top of Mt. Miyatsuka which is right smack in the middle of the island and provides great views of both coastlines. The view is worth it, even if the walk itself is steep and just by road – but if you’re looking to get some exercise in on a flat day – go for it.
Resources:
Transit
There are few options to choose from for travel. You can take a short 40 min flight from Fuchu airport. High speed ferry from Tokyo Bay that takes about 3 hours or if you really want to save some money and have a lot of gear to take with you there is an overnight ferry leaving around 10pm and arriving 8:30 in the morning.
High-speed ferry & overnight ferry:
https://www.tokaikisen.co.jp/en/time_price/guide/
Flying:
https://www.central-air.co.jp/en/index.html
Other helpful resources:
General Info on Niijima and other Isu Islands
http://tokyoislands.jp
Hiking:
https://ridgelineimages.com/hiking/niijima-unclimbable-peak-mt-miyatsuka/
