Just a short drive from Mishima Station and Shuzenji, the "sunset city of Nishi Izu," said to be the best in Japan, has the mysterious Dogashima Tenmado-do Cave, beaches surrounded by strange rocks, ukiyoe-style spots from which to view Mt. Fuji, and sea cucumber walls that convey a nostalgic culture.
The comfortable cafes and local gourmet food are also not to be missed. A relaxing drive through the charming Nishi Izu region and a visit to the hotel's lounge, Tramonto, to watch the sunset at its best, is also an experience that can only be enjoyed at Il Azzurri. We will be waiting for you with wines and beers appropriate to the season and the time of day.
Mt. Fuji can be seen from many locations jutting out to the west of the coastline in Nishi Izu.
In his "Suruga Bay Fugaku Sanjurokkei" (Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji from Suruga Bay), the Edo period ukiyoe artist Katsushika Hokusai showed the world the beauty of Mt. Fuji in its various seasons from West Izu.
Please find your own magnificent view of Mt. Fuji.
From the Kumomi shore, you can see Mt. Fuji floating in the azure waters in Suruga Bay.
Ushiki Rock and the majestic ocean dome line the front of the 200-meter-long beach, making it a scenic spot.
In summer, the beach is crowded with young people enjoying marine sports.
There is a "Nagisa-no Ashiyu (footbath)" next to the beach.
Approximately 20 minutes by car from the hotel
Located on the scenic island of Dogashima, this small beach with calm waves is surrounded by a number of strange rocks and small waves, and is highly recommended for families.
Also across the street is Tenmado-do Cave, commonly known as Blue Cave, a famous place of scenic beauty.
It was designated as a national natural monument in 1935.
10 minutes walk from the hotel
From the mid-Meiji period to the early Showa period, houses with namako walls were built to compete for more robust and fire-resistant buildings to use the wealth gained from sericulture.
The "namako wall" is a product of its time, symbolizing the history of the region.
Matsuzaki-cho currently has 189 Namako wall (sea cucumber wall) buildings, and is a member of the "Most Beautiful Villages in Japan" association. Once again, the "Namako wall buildings" were recognized as a local resource, and the resource value of the Namako wall buildings was reaffirmed.
Approximately 10 minutes by car from the hotel
Chohachi Irie is a master plasterer and trowel painter. Also known as "Chohachi of Izu," he was not only a master architectural plasterer, but also created a world of trowel paintings that incorporated elements of painting and color, creating a unique worldview.
The Chohachi Museum of Art in Izu was built to collect and present to posterity dozens of such pieces of natural ornamentation.
23 Matsuzaki, Matsuzaki-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka prefecture, 410-3611 Japan
Approximately 9 minutes by car from the hotel
In 1958, he was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit.
He served as an advisor to Saburo Shionogi Shoten (now Shionogi Pharmaceuticals), director of the Otuo Research Institute, and professor at Tokyo Imperial University, where he was engaged in the development of alkaloid drugs. His birthplace, which used to be a drug wholesaler, is a magnificent and atmospheric building with representative Namako walls.
216-1 Matsuzaki, Matsuzaki-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka prefecture, 410-3611 Japan
Approximately 9 minutes by car from the hotel
Suruga Bay, the deepest bay in Japan, is 2,500 meters deep, and is located from the top of Mt. Fuji to the bottom of the sea at an "altitude of 7,000 meters!"
The Kuroshio Current flows through the bay, which is said to be home to about 1,000 species of fish.
From inshore to deep-sea fish, the diverse, abundant, and fresh seafood is prepared in a variety of dishes that can be enjoyed by both the eyes and the palate.
There is also a unique program in which you can buy fish you catch with local currency.
Okiagari Shokudo is a cafeteria located in a seafood direct-sale center operated by the Izu Fishery Cooperative Association.
Because it is directly managed by the fishing port, the food is of course fresh, inexpensive, and delicious.
In particular, the "ikasama donburi" is the most popular menu item, which is made of fresh, thinly sliced squid topped with pickled squid.
980-6 Nishina, Nishi-Izu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka prefecture 410-3514, Japan
Approximately 3 minutes by car from the hotel
The seasonal sweets are added to the menu as the seasons change.
The most popular is the mikan (mandarin orange) cake, and the owner's homemade, pesticide-free lemon cake is a very popular sweet that is sure to sell out.
The terrace of the café is always filled with happy smiles.
23 Miyauchi, Matsuzaki-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka prefecture 410-3612, Japan
Approximately 10 minutes by car from the hotel
