July 2007
Imagine an idyllic, serene island, with clean, white-sand beaches interspersed among a hot spring, shrine and temple.  Next, envision yourself being surrounded by immense stone carvings made of a rare sandstone, and lush green forests mostly unspoiled by humans.  Finally, throw in a healthy dose of surfing during the summer, and one can only wonder just where this island paradise could be.

Surely not less than one hour by airplane from the world’s biggest metropolis, Tokyo?

Indeed, Japan is a country full of contrasts, where you can find ancient Buddhist temples next to high-rise buildings, a narrow, quiet alley next to a bustling motorway, and beautiful islands just a hop, skip and jump away from the Tokyo megalopolis.  One of those islands is Niijima, whose many sights and attractions can be enjoyed free of charge, and at your own leisure.

Part of the Izu island chain, Niijima is perhaps most well known for its surfing, and as a place where people can pick up members of the opposite sex. In fact, it is called “Nampa-jima” by many Japanese, meaning “Pick-Up Island.” 

Although that did pique my interest, that wasn’t the only reason I decided to check out Niijima.  In fact, even though I lived in Japan for a little while, I had never been to any one of those islands; a shame, considering that they are so close to Tokyo.

I decided to rectify that, so one summer night, two friends and I boarded the ferry at Takeshiba Pier in Tokyo, embarking on an eight hour journey to the infamous island.  When we boarded the boat we were surprised to find out that, like most people onboard, we did not have any reserved seats, so we had to sleep on one of the decks of the ship.  Fortunately, we were already so tired after a long day that even the cold, hard steel of the deck did not prevent us from getting some sleep.  The staff were also kind enough to lend us blankets and pillows.  

Early next morning, we woke up to find ourselves on the shore of Niijima.  And indeed, it was a sight to behold.  Gentle, tree covered rolling hills were surrounded by a light mist, but the sun shone high in the sky, and beautiful sandy beaches and crystal blue water awaited us.  We had booked a room at a delightful little family run inn with owners so hospitable and friendly we wondered if we were on a different planet.  They even came and picked us up by van, from the tourist information center not far from where we had arrived.

Although technically considered part of the Tokyo metropolis, Niijima could not be more different.  Life here is slow-paced, relaxed, and people are in no rush to make money.  Rather, they enjoy swimming and surfing at one of the many beaches, dipping into the Greek-style Yunohama Hot Spring, or just conversing with family and friends, something that seems like a thing of the past in big cities like Tokyo.  

Speaking of beaches, we were told by the inn owners that there were some “secret” beaches on the island, meaning they could not be accessed by car.  So they drove us as far as they could, through narrow jungle-like passages with trees on both sides, through bumpy, narrow, winding trails, and then stopped abruptly.  That was as far as we could go by car, and would have to walk the rest of the way.  After a 20-minute walk, we arrived at one of the secret beaches, where surprisingly, we were alone save for a few Brazilian tourists who had also managed to find the beach.  But they soon left the beach, leaving us all alone in this majestic place.  Overlooking the beaches is a giant hill full of stone statues made of rhyolite, which is indigenous to only several places on Earth, one of them being Niijima.  In the local dialect, these statues are called moyai, which means “to work together in effort.”

Some locals had told us earlier that a typhoon was approaching and would be here in the next few days, and thus, the waves were rather large. Unfortunately, they were crashing right at the shore, which made surfing very difficult, so we had to settle for some swimming and sunbathing instead.  One thing we had forgotten was some sunscreen, so we soon found ourselves scorched beyond belief.  This was a good opportunity, we thought, to hit Yunohama Hot Spring.

Not only does it offer incredible views of the surrounding ocean and hills, as well as nice architecture, but the hot spring is free of charge to anyone on the island.  This is only one of the many things that are free on this island, yet another thing that sets it apart from Tokyo.  Later we ran into some campers from Canada, who were dismayed that we were staying at a minshuku, or family-run inn, and paying $40 each a night. 

“Man…why not just come over to the campground? It’s free!” exclaimed one of the campers.  Although it was a tempting offer, we rather enjoyed the company of the little old lady at the inn, who made our stay such a pleasure, offering to have us driven anywhere we liked free of charge, and offering us coffee and drinks whenever we wanted.

After dipping into the waters of Maehama Beach and relaxing at Yunohama Hot Spring, we decided to check out Jyusansha Shrine, a mystical-looking shrine which represents Shishi kagura, a form of Shinto theatrical dance, and is surrounded by lovely green foliage.  If you’re interested in the cultural aspects of Niijima, you can also check out the Glass Art Center, where you can make your own glass art, and which hosts an international glass art festival every autumn.  You can even visit Niijima Village Museum, which houses artifacts found on the island, and costs only $2.50 to enter.

We heard from some Japanese people visiting the island that there was a party that night on the beach, so we decided to check it out.  Featuring Reggae music, and a bar (though not free of charge, unfortunately), locals and tourists alike mingled and danced along to famous Reggae tunes. One thing we were surprised to find out was, even though we were visiting the island during the Japanese peak summer vacation time, there seemed to be few people visiting the island.  This is usually a good thing, unless you are trying to meet someone and find out just why the Niijima is called “Pick-Up Island.”   Opportunities were few and far between at the party, but we had a good time dancing to some classic songs and having drinks under the stars, which we could see very clearly.

But all was not meant to go perfectly, as the next morning we woke up to the sound of furious wind and heavy rain hitting the windows of our room.  This was the typhoon that the locals had talked about, only it had decided to arrive a few days earlier and ruin our vacation plans.  The inn owner told us that unless we boarded the ferry back to Tokyo that morning, we would risk being stranded on the island for at least a few more days.  While we really enjoyed being on the island, some of us had to get back to work, and besides, being stuck on an island during a big storm is not much fun anyhow.  We reluctantly decided to board the ferry back to Tokyo, and, within minutes, had packed up all of our gear.

This time however, it was a day ferry, and despite its gargantuan size, was being rocked about by the tempestuous winds and waves. Fortunately, we got back to Tokyo in one piece despite some delays, and, at 8 p.m. we arrived back at Takeshiba Pier, bedraggled and sunburned. But we'd had a marvelous time on the island, and no storm could take that away from us.  We were determined to get back to Niijima again sometime soon, and enjoy some more of its beaches and visit the temple and shrine again. 

Indeed, if you're looking to visit a peaceful, relaxing island with nice beaches, many free attractions, and a friendly populace, look no further than Niijima, which is less than one hour by airplane from Chofu Airport in Tokyo, or an 8-hour ferry ride at night.  If you do not like airplanes but want to get there sooner, try the two-hour high-speed ferry, which admittedly costs more than the night ferry, but saves you more time and is more comfortable.  As mentioned before, most of the attractions are free (the beaches, campground, shrine, and temple) or very cheap (the museum), and your biggest expense will be just getting there.  A second class, one-way, night ferry ticket from Tokyo costs about 7,360 yen in July, or $60, and the high-speed ferry costs 10,580 yen, or $86.

No matter how you get there though, be sure to check out all the nice things there are to do on Niijima, which is a stone’s throw from Tokyo but could not be any more different.  Indeed, just one visit to this island and you’ll wonder why it isn’t visited by more people, since it offers so many things that Tokyo cannot.  And you never know…you just might meet that special someone. 

Links:
Niijima Official Web site (Japanese): http://www.niijima.com/ni/index.htm
Tokai Kisen (for information on ferries to Niijima): http://www.tokaikisen.co.jp/
Niijima Glass Art Center: http://www.niijimaglass.com/

Discover China - China is a fascinating country that offers a wealth of opportunity for visitors, investors and potential residents. The world’s economy is shifting and the Chinese dragon is on the rise. It is an exciting place to be right now,  but there’s also the history, the culture, the amiable nature of the people, the atmosphere – there is so much to like about China.  There’s the work ethic and family-oriented nature of the people…and the challenge that goes with breaking through your own cultural barriers and starting something new.There are lots of reasons to discover China for yourself, and no matter where you are now this eBook is the perfect point of departure.