The island of Hachijojima is officially a part of Tokyo. All cars have Shinagawa plates. Strange sight in a place that looks more like the Caribbean or South Africa than down town Tokyo. Got a car to get around the place. Spent two days to see all the major sites but still have to come back if I want the full experience. Didn’t do any surfing this time. Eventually found the place on the island where they surf, sort of hidden away.

Hachijojima is a small island 30 minutes south of Tokyo by air-plane. Off season it is a very low key place, I still found it to have a lot to offer. In the old days the island was used as a place to deport people who got in trouble with the authorities on the main land. Today it’s just a place with that “relax, you’re on the island” feel to it.

In a way Hachijojima is a kind of miniature version of Japan. Most of the times a visitor will go all over Tokyo, then to Kyoto for the temples, maybe down to Hakone for the onsens and the scenerary, and if they’re lucky a trip to Mount Fuji too. Now, all this AND MORE can be done in Hachijojima. And none of it is more than an hour away by car. (Well, first you have to haul your a** to the island)

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The island is volcanic with an 800 meter peak that overlooks the plain and the other highland part behind it. To get up there is a 40 minute walk on steep steps, this after driving the major part. Once up there a walk around the edge of the crater is about an hour. If you are really into hiking you can go down in the crater to.

Two drinks that are locally produced are shochu and surprisingly, milk. On the slopes of the volcano cows can be seen enjoying the green grass. (No, there is no local cocktail that mixes milk and shochu). Visiting the distillery includes free samples. The vintage stuff is not bad at all.

Shochu is really all over the island. After stopping the car at a scenic point there was a 100 Yen charge to enter. Sure, the view was nice, but the cover charge also included a free drink of the local stuff. That’s more in the spirit of the Caribbean where the rum flows everywhere. Not very Japanese.

Not to be underestimated is the quality of the onsens here. The scenery is the key. One place is free, a rotemburo at the side of road with a view of a waterfall. Another place is high on a cliff, with a 180 degree view of the sea and rocks. Better than Hakone, I think.

Ever since I arrived in Japan I wanted to see taiko drumming. Of course this too was available on my new favourite island of Hachijojima. According to the story the exiled people from all over Japan needed an outlet for their frustration, so dancing and banging on the taiko drum was a mean for that.

Finally there was surfing. Hidden away at the end of a road behind a small fishing port the waves came in. This was for hard core surfers. No beach but instead big rocks and those concrete things to keep the land from eroding. Best waves I have seen in Japan so far. Next time I will have to bring a board. Mahalo.

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