Mount Omuro, an extinct volcano, offers a 360 degree panoramic view of the town, coast, sea and sky on the Izu Peninsula. It is located in Ito City in Shizuoka Prefecture, less than three hours from Tokyo by local train.
I’m used to climbing up mountains because I love to see the sights from the highlands. However, I found Mount Omuro, or Omuroyama in Japanese, something of a short mountain at around 570 meters tall.
Visitors don’t even need to hike up this mountain, which is shaped like an inverted rice bowl. A round trip on a ropeway chair to the top costs only 500 yen. I suggest not visiting on the weekend because because of the long lines to ride the chair.
Mount Omuro has a crater in the middle, at around 300 meters, and nowadays it is a popular place for archery. It was cold and windy when I visited, so I decided to take a sightseeing course around the pathways and enjoy the 360 degree panoramic view of the city and the lovely blue sky.
I saw many families enjoying their holiday there as well as couples on dates. In addition to the scenic views near Mount Omuro, if you are lucky and visit on a clear day, you can also see Mount Fuji well off in the distance.
To reach Mount Omuro, take a local train from Tokyo and stop at Ito Station. There is information on bus service on the left side of the station’s only exit. Ito City offers daily passes, starting from 800 yen, depending on the time and which area visitors want to enjoy. Tokai buses operates there but are a bit rare compared to buses in Tokyo. They run once or twice per hour, so be careful with your timing unless you want to spend the night in the Ito area.
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