[Access] About 20 minutes by bus from Motomachi port or Okada port

The Oshima Hot Spa Hotel in Mihara-yama Onsen is one of my favorite hot spring in Oshima, as it is easily accessible from the center of Tokyo and has many attractions, as well as an open-air bath with an outstanding view. It’s a simple hot spring with a slight yellowish color, perfect for relieving fatigue after a long day hiking.

There wasn’t much wind, however there was some noise from the tree near the open-air bath. Then, I noticed a wild monkey in the tree. I’ve been here many times, but I’ve never seen anything like this. Maybe are they also enjoying hot spring, just like the monkeys in Jigokudani Onsen? I would like to stay here at someday, although I always use it only as a day trip. I could imagine that the starry sky would be beautiful at night from here.

Tokai Kisen’s Jetfoil is the most convenient way to get to Oshima. I was actually very surprised that there’s almost no rocking during 1.5-hour boat ride from Takeshiba pier to Oshima. The ride of the jetfoil, which floats and moves at nearly 80 km/h, is more like a car. So, there is no problem at all for a day trip. And speaking about the Izu Islands, I should touch upon “shima-zushi”. Here in Oshima, they sell boxed lunch with “bekko-zushi (sushi with soy-marinated fish)”. It’s always “must” for me to go straight to the sales counter and got it without forgetting.

As we drove south on Oshima island, we saw this large geological cut surface, which you can find in the left side of the photo. The bus stop says “Baumkuchen” and that’s exactly the impression I got from this amazing view. I guess there are not many places in Japan where you can see such a large amount of strata exposed. Even my kid were surprised when he saw this. The photo on the right is “Brush island”, a rock that looks like the tip of a brush, as the name suggests.

In Oshima, there is a desert called “Ura-sabaku (the backside desert)”, which is made up of black lava and fine sand. Indeed it looks like we were in another planet. Although many people go to see the crater of Mt. Mihara, this “Ura-sabaku” is usually almost empty. So it looks like truly a different world.

Buying the lunch box filled with “bekko-zushi” is the first thing I always do when I arrive at Oshima. Oshima’s one (shima-zushi) is characterized by the slightly spicy flavor, which is marinated in a sauce with green pepper and accented with Ashitaba (Angelica keiskei) and Sansho (Japanese pepper). Even though with this flavor, my kid love it too. It comes with salted candies made from deep sea water, which is a nice treat for a tired body after hiking. I want to eat it again…