In 1600, after English sailor John Blackthorne washed ashore, his ship wrecked on a mysterious coast, he awoke in a remote village on Japan’s Izu Peninsula. This tale is fictional: it’s the opening to Shōgun, an epic 1970s novel by James Clavell. The beauty of Izu captured in its pages, however, is 100% real. Fast forward to 2018 and the Izu Peninsula is a UNESCO Global Geopark, recognised for its landscape, biodiversity and sustainable tourism ethos. Arriving in Izu, there’s an immediate sense of Japan as a volcanic island country. It’s an area of breathtaking beauty; of dramatic landforms, ancient Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, and tiny towns serving up fresh local seafood.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Cape Dogashima; kayaking in Minamiizu; Ryugu Sea Cave
A LANDSCAPE SHAPED BY FIRE