Izu Oshima Beckons

Above, Izu Oshima Island can be seen from Atami's harbor.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The end of Return of Godzilla (1984) (also known as Godzilla and Godzilla 1985) has Godzilla lured to Mt. Mihara on Oshima Island and toppling into the volcano, seemingly to his doom.

However, Godzilla escapes the confines of Mt. Mihara in Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) to wreak havoc in Japan.

The formal name for Oshima Island is Izu Oshima.  According to Wikipedia:

Izu Ōshima (伊豆大島, Izu-ōshima^?) is a volcanic island in the Izu Islands.^[1] The island is administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan government, Japan, lies about 100 km south of Tokyo, 22 km east of the Izu Peninsula and 36 km southwest of Bōsō Peninsula. Ōshima Town (大島町, Ōshima-machi^?) serves as the local government of the island.

 On Mt. Mihara itself, Wikipedia says:

Izu Ōshima is most famous for Mt. Mihara (764 meters), which last erupted in 1990. Izu Ōshima is also a popular site for tourists from both Tokyo and Shizuoka due to its close proximity to the mainland. 

There are a number of ferries which leave from Takeshiba Sanbashi Pier, near Hamamatsuchō, Tokyo. Ferries also leave from Atami in Shizuoka.

Back in November 2001, I took a bullet train (shinkansen) from Tokyo to Atami.  Izu Oshima can be seen from Atami's harbor area on clear days.  Fortunately for me, the day I went to Atami was a relatively clear day and I was able to see Izu Oshima.

What prompted me to post this was an article in Japan Today, "10 Travel Ideas Slightly Off The Beaten Track."  One of the ten ideas was Izu Oshima.

They wrote:

Izu Oshima – This volcanic island, technically part of Tokyo, is a 2-hour hydrofoil trip from Tokyo Takeshiba pier (three daily departures between 7 and 8 a.m.) or take an overnight ferry departing at 11 p.m. The island is just over 26 kilometers in circumference; rented bicycle is a great way to explore the whole island. Geology—the volcano, the beaches, the rocks — and botany — farms and camellia groves — and a chance to just slow down and relax. This is a nice little overnight getaway.

To see the other nine ideas in the article, go here.

Also on the island, there is a stone Godzilla statue at the Hamano Hot Spring Resort.  [Izu Oshima and Atami are covered on page 35 of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.]

Perhaps the next time I visit Japan, an excursion to Izu Oshima may be taken.  A ride on a hydrofoil sounds like fun!