Hachijo-jima!
- Izu shoto, Tokyo (March 21-23, 2003)
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| Hachijo-jima (68 sq km) is located 290 km south of Tokyo, and is actually governed as a part of the capital. It is possibly to fly there, yet Yuka and I decided to take a boat in order to get the feel of traveling (and to save some money). Since we chose the cheapest available option, we ended up in a room like this - with tons of other people. Fortunately, the boat did not sink. | We were incredibly unfortunate with the weather, and it rained pretty much every day we were there. The picture above was taken just before arriving early in the morning. By boat from Tokyo, one can expect to reach the island in 11 hours or so. Taking a plane will save you around 10 hours, and we were forced to do so on our way back home as the boat was cancelled due to poor weather. |
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| The campaign to liberate Iraq had just started at the time we left, thus I was very interested in watching the news. As you can see, the cabin we stayed in evidently was not designed for tall people. | If the weather is not great, at least Japan always has plenty of good food to offer. The place we stayed at was just average in this regard, but by Japanese standards, that is at least enough to get one through the day. |
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| Although the weather was terrible, we had the pleasure of visiting this beautiful hot spring (Sueyoshi Onsen Miharashi-yu). With an incredible view of the pacific ocean, it is a great place to relax for a while. | When it is raining, indoor activities are more than appreciated. Like most women, Yuka likes flowers, and she thus got excited about this local festival we happened to find. |
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| Even more flowers to look at, though I was personally more interested in the following "activity". | After having visited yet another hot spring, I decided to lie down in this chair. For a few enjoyable minutes, I was on public display. |
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This picture should give a good impression of the weather we had to endure for three days. Hachijo-jima certainly makes for an excellent trip away from Tokyo. I hope, however, that you are luckier with the weather than we were. |