Izu Peninsula- Volcanic Beauty - Journeys in Japan

The stunning Izu Peninsula. Famous for its dramatic landscapes, shaped from intense volcanic eruptions long ago. Hi, I'm Dean. I've been to Izu several times before, but this is my first time seeing it as a UNESCO Geopark. I want to experience this region's true value, not just the nature, but also the history and the culture as well. On journeys in Japan, Dean Newcomb delights in magnificent landforms and the people who treasure the blessings of nature. Oh boy, it's so heavy, wow. Dean feels the breath of the land called Izu. Our exploration of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka, which is an easy escape from Tokyo, takes in three distinctive places. Twenty million years ago, Izu was a group of underground volcanoes south of today's peninsula. Moving north, they collided with Japan's main island, creating the form you see today. In Ito City, on the peninsula's eastern coast, remnants of the volcanic activity are readily visible. Wow, look at that, it's amazing. This is Mount Omuro. It's a mountain formed 4,000 years ago, and I heard that there's a lift and we can go all the way to the top. Wow, this is really nice. It's very peaceful, the lift moves quite slowly and it just feels like you're gliding or floating through the air. Wow, isn't that incredible? So from here we can see the whole shape of what used to be the volcano and we can really imagine it once having erupted from this point. What an amazing view. I can see all the way along the coast of Ito from here. Lava cascading into the sea from Mount Omuro formed the dynamic coastline. Konnichiwa. Hajimemashite. Dean to omoshimasu. Nishitani Masaharu is a geo guide. Konnichiwa. Kyouno ruto wa dono ruto desu ka? Kyou wa desu ne, Omurayama no yougan ga nagarete kite, umu made todokita, yougan ryu no daichi wo aruite ikimasu. Geopark site no sugoku kirei no toka wo omisete ikimasu yo. Kanoshimi ne. E? Douzo. Ikimashou. When Mount Omuro erupted thousands of years ago, lava reclaimed the sea and sculpted the Jogasaki coast. Wow, look at that. What a great view. Looks amazing over there, huh? How it all stretches out into the sea. Like walking on the edge of a volcano here. Masa, where are you taking me? It's a good adventure. You really got to watch your step here because we're off the path and we're actually walking on top of the volcanic rocks. It's really cool. Kono yougan no ue arukeru no mo koko no miryoku desu yo. Omoshiroi. Tanoshii. Yosha. Kiosukete. Okay. Iya, go shoukai shitakatta no wa koko nandesu yo. This is amazing. Wow. Omuramu no yougan ga umi made todoku to saigo wa konna mezurashii katachi wo tsukutte kureru desu ne. Wow. Kore wo ne chuujou seturi de itte hashira jo no yougan no katamari nandesu yo. Sarani, mite mite asu konno tokoro. Sono chuujou seturi ga nami toka kaze toka de yowamatte houraku shite tonneru jo ni natta toko nandesu yo. This is a real power spot and it's just an incredible view. You've got the arch that runs through here and this pillar is incredible. It looks like something that you would find in, you know, ancient Greece or something. Soredewa, Jin san. Sugoi ne. Chuujou seturi no steiji. Ikimashou. Ichiban shita made ikeru? Ikimasu. Saki made ikimashou. Sugoi. Wow. Sugoi yo ne. Metsu hitotsu hitotsu. Dekai. Koko wa mou hontoni. Steiji. Kore ga saki setsumei shita mono ga hontou hashira ni natteru no ni sono ue dake. Ne? Notteru steiji nande. Koko ni wa kanarazu kita hou ga ii. This is an area with some absolutely incredible views. But more than that, this time I was able to walk on the formations, touch the formations and then even sometimes have to jump over the formations and I think that's what makes this place so special. Shuzenji has prospered as the oldest hot spring resort on the peninsula. Tokonoyu is believed to be the source of Shuzenji's hot springs. Legend says that a famous monk discovered it 1,200 years ago. Kobo Daishi was also a scholar and engineer who is still highly revered in Japan. So there's a local legend here that 1,200 years ago, there was a small boy bathing his sick father in the cold river. And when Kobo Daishi saw that, he was really moved. And he took his staff and he hit the riverbed. And from that point, an onsen came bubbling out. Now I don't know if that's true or not, but still, the idea that an onsen can come straight out of the riverbed is still pretty special, right? Hot spring development gathered pace in the 19th century and the town flourished. Lore also has it that Kobo Daishi established Shuzenji Temple. So we can already hear and feel that it's getting a bit lively here. Actually, today and tomorrow, there's a special ritual happening. And I'm lucky enough to be able to take part. Let's go and have a look. The rite is for expressing gratitude to both Kobo Daishi and the natural hot spring phenomenon. Wow, so the ritual has begun. There's actually a lot of people inside right now, so I just have to be quiet. A portable shrine is paraded through the town. Kobo Daishi is enshrined within. Hara Kei is the head of a Shuzenji preservation group. Wow. It definitely feels pretty special here. I didn't know the word Banjo-Setsuri until I came here. Now that I think about it, from the point of view of Izu's Jio Park, it's like a sample of Banjo-Setsuri. When I come here, I feel like my body is being tightened up. I'd like everyone to come and see this place. This place just has the most incredible energy. And I think the spirituality here is born through this beautiful nature that we can see. And actually, just by being here, it's like we feel this connection to the people of the past. On the second day of the festival, locals make an offering of the spring waters to Kobo Daishi. In the 1950s, Shuzenji's hot springs nearly disappeared due to excessive drilling. Hot springs are a source of life. They don't just exist for no reason. They've always existed. Hot springs are a source of life. They've always existed. But if we don't take care of them, they will all disappear. This temple and the hot springs are a source of life for the locals. They're a source of business. They're a source of life. That's why this town exists. So from here, we're going west, and I'm excited to see what else we can discover. Heda is on the peninsula's western coast. It rests on Japan's deepest bay, Tsuruga, which was formed by tectonic movement. The deep water has brought prosperity to Heda since olden times. Wow, it's so lively suddenly here. I wonder what's going on. So many people. Wow, there's so many fish here. Looks like you can touch them as well. This festival launched here in 2015 to reboot the local economy. In Heda, marine creatures living at depths of more than 200 meters are considered deep sea. Even aficionados and researchers flock to the festival to observe life from the abyss. Children are big fans too. Why do you like Shinkangyo? It's cool. What's cool? The movement of the mouth, and the light of the eyes. I like the shape of the fish. The shape? That makes me happy. Hello. Wow. Can I hold it? Wow. It's naked. Is this your first time? No, it's not. I've been to Shinkangyo before. You have? This is your second time? Yes, it's my second time. Please tell me more about it. Senpai. What did you say before? There's a place called Shibirei, and there's a place called Hatsuraikan, which is located in the center of the prefecture. There's a place called Shibirei, and that's where the electricity is generated. It's rare to see them alive. I see. What's the charm of Shinkangyo? The charm of Shinkangyo is that it's full of things you don't know at all. It's a world where research is progressing. It's a very romantic place. Deep-sea fish are increasingly making it to the table. Wow. Look at the size of these crabs. I have very big hands, but look at this guy's head. It's much bigger than my hand. Welcome. Hello. This is amazing. This is probably the biggest crab in my life. This is the world's largest crab, the Takahashi crab. It lives between 200 and 600 meters deep in the deep sea. Can I sit on this crab? Yes, go ahead. Can I hold it? It's okay to hold it. It's heavy. It's very heavy. If you bite it with your nails, it hurts a lot. How many kilograms is it? I think it's about five kilograms. I think this crab has lived for about 15 years. What an amazing experience, first of all, just to be able to hold such a big crab. And I can tell you that my bicep is really working here. It's so heavy. I can't believe it. Okay. Definitely the biggest piece of crab I've ever held or eaten. Here we go. That's actually really good. And there's so much meat on this leg. This crab meat is soft, flaky. And it has obviously a taste of the sea, but very delicate. It's not too overpowering. Actually, I have to say this is the best crab I've ever had. This is delicious. Deep sea fish may not always look appealing, but they are fatty and excellent as sashimi or tempura. So I think for some people, this is going to be a little bit odd to have the face of the fish looking back to you. But in Japan, that emphasizes the freshness of the fish. And so it's really a delicacy to be able to eat the sashimi in this way. And I'm pretty used to it. My first taste of deep sea fish. And it's very good. Thank you. How was it? It was delicious. It was very good. Recently, people have been paying a lot of attention to this dish. The gap between the appearance and the taste is very large. A lot of people are very interested in this dish and want to eat it. In Takahashi-ya, every year when the fishing season is over, the next day, we have a crab gathering. It's mainly for the local children. We do it to protect the treasures of this area. That's great. Hello! Omura Masafumi is a fisherman who also supports aquariums and research centers. Hello. Nice to meet you. I'm Omura. Omura-san, nice to meet you. Recently, deep sea fish has become very popular. Do you think it's a good thing? I think it's more fun when a lot of people get to know deep sea fish and find what they like. I think it's more fun when a lot of people get to know deep sea fish and find what they like. It's fun, isn't it? This is an octopus. Can I sit here? Yes, you can. I've never seen it before. It's soft. Wow, that's amazing. This is the ear. The ear? Yes, this is the eye. How do you eat this? You can see and touch it. It's an aquarium. You can study. What kind of sea is Suruga Bay to you, Omura-san? It's very interesting. Suruga Bay is the deepest in Japan. There may be some fish that no one has touched yet. For example, there may be some fish that no one has caught yet. There may be no name. No one has seen them or caught them yet. I think there are a lot of fish that no one has seen yet. I want to catch them someday. You'll give them a name, right? Yes, I will. Then I'll call them Dean. If it's a cool fish, I'll call it Dean. Thank you. It's been a short trip, but I've seen so many different sides of Izu. We often take the land that we stand on for granted, but here we've seen how the volcanoes, the onsen, and even the deep sea shape the people that live there. And as I've learned along the way, each of the encounters and the stories I've heard have become more meaningful. I leave here feeling very grateful and more curious than ever. From Tokyo, it takes an hour and 45 minutes by express train to Ito, the first stop in our journey.