Just two to three hours from Tokyo, blue seas and mountains quietly unfold.
Born from volcanic islands that slowly met the mainland, the Izu Peninsula
remains shaped by earth, water, and time.
A journey into the life rooted here.
“Water and mountain, spirit and mind become one
in the stillness of Izu.”
Based in Izu–Matsuzaki town,
ITLA shares the natural beauty,
culture, history, and Living Arts
rooted in everyday local life
across the Izu Peninsula.
Through our journal, local
storytelling, and tailor-made journeys,
we invite travelers to discover
the unique spirit of Izu.
If you are planning a visit to
the Izu Peninsula,
please feel free to contact us.
Izu Travel & Living Arts - ITLA
In Matsuzaki, on the Izu Peninsula, there is a shrine that has quietly remained for centuries.
Inashimo Shrine.
It is considered one of the oldest shrines in the area, a place where layers of belief and everyday life have long overlapped. In Shinto, Japan’s indigenous belief system, it has long been understood that spirits dwell within nature—in mountains, rivers, forests, and the sea.
Behind the shrine rises Mount Ushibara, regarded as its sacred body. The mountain itself has been an object of worship, reflecting an older form of mountain reverence.
In Matsuzaki, Nishi-Izu, stands the Izu Chohachi Art Museum. The museum houses around 50 rare plaster relief works known as kote-e, created by Irie Chohachi, a master plasterer of the late Edo to Meiji period. Yet the museum’s appeal is not limited to the works on display. Designed by architect Osamu Ishiyama and built together with plasterers from across Japan, the building itself is a grand work of plaster art, where Edo-period plaster culture meets modern architecture.
Read More
A little piece of Italy in the countryside of Matsuzaki. Beneath a cave-like ceiling, local ingredients are transformed into what Chef Kenji Sato calls “Matsuzaki-style Italian.” Inspired not by the city, but by the warmth of a countryside family table, Salute offers simple and honest dishes made with local fish, seasonal vegetables, and Izu citrus.
Read More
About a 15-minute walk from Izukyu-Kawazu Station, across the Kawazu River, in a quiet residential area, you’ll find a small, tucked-away café: Cafe & Records Delmonico’s.
Inside, the walls are lined with records.
Thousands of them—around 10,000, it is said—collected by the owner, Mr. Takao Mori, a devoted music lover.
“Do you know where everything is?” When asked, he simply replies,
“Yeah… more or less.” A moment later, music begins to play.
What comes to mind when you hear the word “wolf”? A dangerous predator? The villain from Little Red Riding Hood? In Japan, wolves were once seen very differently. They were believed to be guardians of the mountains, protecting forests and farmlands by keeping deer and wild boar in balance.
What happened after they disappeared? We visited Professor Maruyama, a wolf researcher living in the forests of Minami-Izu, to explore the story of the animal Japan may have forgotten.
A slow morning walk through hidden streets and local stories.
