Ferry from Ito to Atami

Ito Guide

Ito Ferry Port

The scenic city of Ito, found on the craggy eastern coast of Japan’s Izu Peninsula, is renowned for its therapeutic hot springs and astounding natural beauty. The entire city is nestled between a sweep of verdant mountains in the west (culminating in the colossal form of Mount Omuro), and the ultramarine waters of the Sagami Sea in the east. Over half of Ito is protected by the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and wildlife thrives. The twisting web of the city’s streets, spread out in districts that fringe the jagged cliffs of the coast, are shaded by the leafy greens of subtropical trees, manicured bushes and the multi-coloured blooms of exotic flowers. The port in Ito is found on the shoreline edge of the city’s central Wada district. It sits at one end of a bay and is shaped by a group of piers and jetties that jut into a squared-off section of the Sagami Sea sheltered by breakwaters. The ferry terminal is found on one of the smaller piers used locally as a fishing spot. There are not many passenger facilities at the terminal save for a ticket office, a small car-park and a number of vending machines selling food and drink; though a well-stocked supermarket can be found just a short walk from the port entrance. Travelling to and from the port is relatively simple due to its location alongside the 135 motorway. This extensive route circles around the city centre before cutting north and south on a route that traces the entire length of the peninsula. Ito train station is just under a 20-minute walk away too, with lines whisking passengers to the nearby cities of Shimoda and Atami. Two ferry routes currently operate from the port regularly throughout the week. The services hosted by Tokai Kisen sail in opposite directions along the edge of the peninsula; one heading the short distance south to the port of Izu Oshima on the island of Oshima, and the other venturing north to the mainland city of Atami.

Atami Guide

Atami Ferry Port

The city of Atami, literally meaning “hot ocean,” in Japanese, is a coastal resort famed for its volcanic hot-springs and views across the glittering blue Sagami Bay. Found on the eastern coast of the large Izu Peninsula that juts into the Sagami-nada Sea, Atami is blessed by warm summers and long sandy beaches. Due to its location just an hour's train-ride from the centre of Tokyo, it is a popular retreat for city-goers looking to escape the stresses of city life. The port of Atami is found mere minutes from the city centre in a narrow inlet of Sagami Bay. Though the ferry terminal here is small, there are a number of facilities available to passengers including vending machines, an indoor waiting room, toilets and a convenience store selling food and drink. There are plenty of transport links to and from the harbour. The extensive Tomei Expressway road cuts through the centre of Atami and along the rugged coastline to the north and south, leading directly to the Japanese capital of Tokyo. Atami Station, found in the centre of the city, is also a terminal for Japan’s impressive network of high-speed trains that whizz across the mainland. Foot passengers looking to hop into the city centre from the port can catch one of the buses that stop just outside the entrance to the terminal. A Yu-Yu shuttle bus also runs directly to Atami Castle – a pagoda style structure that offers spectacular hill-top views across the tree-lined coast. Currently only one service runs from the port of Atami. A Tokai Kisen line operates along the southbound route to Oshima Island a number of times each day, a short trip that skirts the rocky eastern coast of the Izu Peninsula.