Izu is a peninsula located some 100 km South-West from Tokyo. The peninsula is a geological wonder. It is located on the Philippine Plate, a tectonic plate stretching from the east of the Philippine islands to Japan. The Philippine Plate moves northward and meets two other plates, the Amurian Plate and the Okhotsk Plate at Mount Fuji. The thickened crust of the Izu?Bonin?Mariana arc colliding with Japan constitutes the Izu Collision Zone. The Izu Peninsula was made of the volcanic islands drifting from tropical ocean.
Izu is a popular tourist destination for people living in both Tokyo and Nagoya areas. The charm of Izu exists in the beauty of ocean and mountain as well as numerous spas and fresh seafood.
As I have a summer house in the Amagi Mountains, the highest mountains of the peninsula, I often visit Izu and know many of its charms. Therefore, I would like to describe here diverse aspects of the area which are not found in usual tourist guides.
I added a small trick to the map. When you move the cursor on one of the essay titles, a star appears on the corresponding place of the map, so that you can locate the place related to that essay.