Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture, is a city where nature and culture coexist in perfect harmony. Approximately 45% of the city area is designated as Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, and in April 2018, the Izu Peninsula Geopark was certified as a UNESCO Global Geopark, earning international recognition for the region's unique topography and nature.
The spectacular scenery of Mt. Omuroyama and Jogasaki Coast is particularly spectacular, and the spectacular view from the Izu Skyline is also a scenic spot that attracts many visitors. This topography and the blessings of nature have had a great influence on the food culture, industry, and traditional culture.

It resembles the location of the sacred rock of Miyamizu Shrine, where Taki and Mitsuha met in the movie "Your Name."

A breathtaking view of Mt. Omuroyama and an aerial stroll. Enjoy an exhilarating time on the lift

As you drive along the mountain road, Mt. Omuroyama, shaped like an upside-down rice bowl, will appear before you.
Mount Omuro is about 580 meters above sea level. You can take a lift to the top, but as you approach the top the scenery changes and you will be greeted by a view you have never seen before. You will feel the comfort of slowly moving through the air.

History of Mt. Omuroyama

Mount Omuro is a scoria cone formed by an eruption about 4,000 years ago, and is the largest of the volcanoes in the Izu eastern region. Normally, scoria cones disappear in a short period of time depending on environmental conditions, but Mount Omuro has maintained its shape for 4,000 years, and is designated as a national natural monument.
Currently, climbing the mountain on foot is prohibited in order to protect it, but the lift to the summit is a clever way to allow as many people as possible to experience the charms of the mountain while reducing the burden on the environment.
When you reach the top, a vast view spreads out before your eyes. Looking back, you can see the majestic Mt. Fuji, and on the other side, the Izu Islands floating in Suruga Bay. You will be captivated by the overwhelming view, and experience a truly magnificent moment.

Traditional "Yamayaki" event: a spectacular sight in spring

Every February, Mt. Omuroyama holds a traditional event with 2 years of history, the "Omuroyama Mountain Burning."
At first glance, this may seem like a bold method, but it does prevent the grass and trees on the mountainside from overgrowing, maintaining the beautiful grassland scenery unique to Mt. Omuroyama, and protecting the ecosystem of the plants and animals that live there.
It has now become an established feature of Ito's spring scenery, with tens of thousands of spectators gathering every year to witness the spectacular sight of the entire mountain being burned.
Once ignited, the sight of a bright red flame shooting up from the foot of the mountain to the summit at an altitude of 580 meters is a spectacular sight. From Sakura no Sato, close to Mt. Omuroyama, you can see the mountainside burned completely black.

Spring seasonal event: mountain burning

A 360-degree panoramic experience around the crater

After arriving at the summit, we enjoyed a walk around the crater rim, a large depression in the crater. We were able to walk around the 1,000m circumference of the trail in about 20 to 30 minutes.
During my walk, my eye was caught by a sign that many people were stopping to look at. It was a sign for the anime series "Laid-Back Camp△." The series is about high school girls enjoying camping and the outdoors, touring real campsites and famous places, and many of the locations that were modeled after are in Shizuoka Prefecture.
I myself have watched this anime, and I remember being amazed at how faithfully the stores and scenery that appeared in it were recreated. For that reason, it seems that many people visit the area as a pilgrimage spot, taking photos with the same composition as the characters.

It was truly refreshing to stroll while enjoying the unobstructed 360-degree panoramic view. The color of the mountain surface changes with the seasons, so you can enjoy different scenery every time you visit.

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Mount Omuro
[Address] 672-2 Ike, Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture
[TEL] 0557-51-0258
[business hours]
October 10st to March 1th / 3:5-9:00
March 3th to March 6th / 3:15-9:00
October 3st to March 16th / 9:30-9:00
[URL]https://omuroyama.com/
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Experience the thrills and cinematic world of Kadowaki Suspension Bridge at Jogasaki Coast

After descending the mountain and leaving Mt. Omuro behind, the next place we visited was the Kadowaki Suspension Bridge at Jogasaki Coast. This is also a must-see spot.
The bridge is 48 meters long and 23 meters high, which is equivalent to an eight-story building. When you think about it, it's quite thrilling.

A suspension bridge at Jogasaki Coast that is 23m high and 48m long.

Once you've crossed the suspension bridge, there's a place where you can walk on the rock surface. The footing is unstable so you need to walk carefully, and when you turn around, you'll see that the suspension bridge you just crossed is also made of dark, rugged rock. This was formed when lava from the eruption of Mt. Omuroyama about 4,000 years ago flowed into the sea and was eroded by the waves. The cliff coastline, with a succession of small capes and coves, offers a spectacular view.

Jogasaki Coast, with its cliffs and coves

The combination of these cliffs and the sea is perfect for creating tension and thrills in suspense dramas and special effects programs, so it's no wonder that this place is often used as a filming location.

Then, I felt like I had seen the crater of Mt. Omuroyama somewhere before, so I looked into it and found out that it resembled Lake Itomori, the setting for the film "Your Name" directed by Makoto Shinkai. As a result, many tourists started to visit, thinking that Mt. Omuroyama must have been the model. Having actually visited, I realized that Ito City's nature has the power to draw people in, to the point that it has been used as the setting for dramas and films.


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Jogasaki Coast
[Address] Futo, Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture
[URL] https://itospa.com/spot/detail_54002.html
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To the prestigious Kawana Hotel, a classic hotel

After experiencing the magnificent nature and getting some exercise on your walk, you'll probably start to feel hungry.
We drive north along the coast to Kawana Hotel, famous for the omelet rice that Marilyn Monroe once ate.

The Kawana Hotel Main Building and the Country House, modern architecture built in 1936 (early Showa period) inspired by British castles, are still preserved to this day. On February 2016, 2, the hotel was designated a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure).
*Photo provided by Kawana Hotel

I was captivated by the amazingly majestic scenery and well-maintained gardens. The view from the hotel is beautiful, with a view of the Sagami Bay, Mount Fuji, the Tanzawa mountain range, Mount Oyama, Shonan, the Miura Peninsula, Tokyo Bay, the Boso Peninsula, Oshima, and the Izu Seven Islands.
Okura Kishichiro, the second generation head of the Okura Zaibatsu and its founder, was fascinated by this magnificent view and built it as a villa to recreate the large mansion surrounded by nature that he visited while studying in England during the Meiji era. Over time, it became the Kawana Hotel. The Oshima golf course was completed in 2 (Showa 1928), followed by the hotel and Fuji course in 3 (Showa 1936). The design, which has cultural value, has been passed down since the hotel first opened, and tradition lives on.
Kawana Hotel has a proud history as one of Japan's leading resort hotels, beloved by important figures in the political and business world, top international film actors, and even hosting members of the Imperial family.

My dream golf course

The Fuji Course is a beautiful layout that makes the most of the natural terrain, but is said to be the most difficult in the Orient.
*Photo provided by Kawana Hotel

The Oshima Course is located overlooking the Sagami Bay and can also be used as a day trip plan.
*Photo provided by Kawana Hotel

[Fuji Course and Oshima Course]
Among golfers, it is also an aspirational golf course known as a "golf mecca" due to its spectacular views overlooking the Sagami Bay and course design that makes use of the natural terrain.
British golf course designer CH Allison came to Japan in 1930 and fell in love with the magnificent scenery of Kawana. Based on Allison's drawings, the Fuji Course was completed in 1936 (Showa 11).
Additionally, the Oshima Course is an elegant course designed by Otani Mitsuaki and completed in 1928 (Showa 3).
I was amazed to hear that this golf course was built by hand, after clearing a vast area of ​​land in an era without heavy machinery, but the course is maintained to respect the wishes of the designer, and the scenery has not changed since it first opened. I imagine that the mission of "preserving first-class standards" without compromise must have involved immeasurable effort and hardship, and I was deeply impressed by the greatness of Kichiro Okura.

The elegant Kawana Hotel

The lobby is decorated with a magnificent array of furnishings. There is an eagle emblem hanging above the grand fireplace, a designed carpeted floor, leather sofas, a large chandelier, and the front window offers a view of the sky and sea, as well as the contrast of the blue and green of the spacious lawn. Everything is supposed to be out of the ordinary, yet when you sit on the sofa, you will mysteriously find your mind calmed by the quiet and serene space. Even the lighting is so striking that you can't help but stare at it. Wherever you look, the beauty and grace of the atmosphere will take your breath away.

The main lobby features a European chandelier

Main lobby: Sofas that have been maintained and used since the opening

Main bar: It remains the same place for evening conversation as it was back then.
*Photo provided by Kawana Hotel

A sculpture of a devil with a sword stuck in it in the main lobby, which is believed to be a European talisman.



The building is very spacious and you can see a variety of architectural styles. The exterior is Spanish, the interior is English, and Japanese. Personally, I was thrilled by the handwritten font used on the information boards inside the building, which gave me a sense of the era. There is also a reference space that shows the history of the hotel, where you can see photos of state guests and VIPs from around the world.

*Photo provided by Kawana Hotel




It seems that there is a lot of drama involved in running a hotel with such a long history, and we were able to hear the following story.
Before the hotel was built, the residents of Kawana lived a semi-farming, semi-fishing lifestyle. However, once construction of the hotel was completed and many jobs were created, the residents flocked to the Kawana Hotel, where the salaries were high, and they changed from their traditional country clothes to Western-style uniforms and worked in a workplace that everyone aspired to, transforming both their bodies and their minds. The background to this is that when Okura Kichiro bought land in Kawana, he made it a condition of the purchase that the townspeople be employed at the hotel and that water be brought to the town of Kawana. By accepting these conditions, the residents were able to solve the employment problem in a land with a small population.

Shortly after the hotel opened, the Pacific War broke out, and Kawana Hotel was engulfed in the turbulent whirlpool of the Showa era. When the war began, Kawana Hotel was used as a temporary refuge for the ambassador to Japan, and later caught the eye of Army General Tojo Hideki, who said, "Playing golf during wartime is out of the question." There is an anecdote that when a Japanese military inspection team came, horses and cows were borrowed from nearby farms and let loose on the premises to disguise it as a ranch, but it was eventually taken over by the Japanese military to be used as a naval hospital. After the war, it was taken over by the occupying forces, mainly the US military, but was finally lifted in 1952 and the hotel was finally able to resume operations.

Kawana Hotel's high-quality water from Mount Amagi

Kawana Hotel is also known for its delicious water, which has earned it high praise for its good quality.
Water is drawn from the foot of Mt. Amagi, about 12km away, and all the water used in the hotel is from Mt. Amagi. This high-quality water is used not only for drinking and cooking, but even for the water in the hotel's pool. The water, which has naturally spring up over a long period of time, is soft and easy to swallow, and has little peculiar taste, making it ideal for cooking such as soups, sauces, and stocks. Another major attraction of Kawana Hotel is the carefully selected water, which makes your stay at the hotel even more special.
In fact, there are various theories about the origin of the place name "Kawana," but one theory is that it is derived from the fact that there is no river, and that this is where the name "Kawana" came from. When this hotel was built, the surrounding area was a lava region and there was no water. Upon opening, founder Kichiro Okura thought, "We'll be in trouble if we don't have water," and drew water from Mt. Amagi using the force of gravity. For this reason, Kawana Hotel has been putting the SDGs into practice using natural water from Amagi since its founding.

Marilyn Monroe's midnight snack: omelet rice

As for an anecdote about the hotel's history and distinguished guests, on February 1954th and 29th, 2 (Showa 5), actress Marilyn Monroe and major league baseball player Joe DiMaggio visited Japan on their honeymoon and stayed secretly at the Kawana Hotel.



One night, when Marilyn was hungry late at night and tried to order room service, there was only an apprentice cook in the kitchen, and he said, "I can make omelets, so I can make omurice, even though it's not on the menu." And so, this is the omurice that Marilyn ate.




Sun Parlor: A lounge with a great view and a great location
*Photo provided by Kawana Hotel
Marilyn liked this omelet rice so much that she had it again, and it has now become a popular revived menu item at Kawana Hotel.
It has a beautiful appearance with the Kawana Hotel branding on it. Chicken rice seasoned with tomato ketchup is wrapped in fluffy egg and finished with demi-glace sauce that has been simmered for 3-4 days to concentrate the flavor of vegetables. This omurice is fluffy on the outside and soft on the inside, making it a perfect dish to remember your trip by.

Marilyn, who came to Japan on her honeymoon, was already extremely popular at the time, and from the moment the plane landed the couple were surrounded by the press and fans, and were always the center of attention when traveling and eating. In such a situation, as if to protect their privacy, they quietly made it to the Kawana Hotel, where the couple enjoyed the scenery and took a walk, finally taking a break. The warm omelet rice they ate on such a relaxing night must have left a deep impression on Marilyn.

I had my omelet rice in the glass-walled lounge "Sun Parlor" on the first floor of the hotel, where I enjoyed my meal while overlooking Sagami Bay. The high-ceilinged, wooden-floored hall was an elegant space reminiscent of an aristocratic social gathering or a ballroom stage. Chairs upholstered in blue fabric were neatly arranged, and the quiet tea time in the sunlight was a time to forget about everyday life and truly relax.

You can also enjoy omelet rice and other meals at the grill on the B1 floor. There were cakes lined up in the showcase, and there were also some unique Kawana dishes that we couldn't introduce. I've decided to come back and try them myself.

What did you think?
Enjoy a wonderful trip in Ito City, the setting for many stories, and spend time in a tranquil space filled with the natural blessings of Ito's sea, mountains, and water, as well as beautiful scenery and a sense of history.

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Kawana Hotel
[Address] 1459 Kawana, Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture
[TEL] 0557-45-1111
[URL] https://www.princehotels.co.jp/kawana/
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