Introduction

Japan is not especially famous for its diving possibilities. Even Okinawa, a tropical paradise with great dive sites, is not popular among foreigners. This is perhaps due to the remoteness of Okinawa, as well as to the fact that diving is expensive in Japan. On the other hand, the Izu peninsula - a National Park located at less that 200 km from Tokyo - offers attractive sub-tropical diving in breathtaking surroundings. However, this has a cost (and we do not only speak of the high price of the dive itself): road are very crowded (up to 5 hours from Tokyo) and thousands of Japanese visit those dive sites during week-ends and holidays. A short stay in Izu, with a night at a traditional ryokan and a visit to the spas (onsen) will be an unforgettable taste of the country...

The East Coast of Izu is easily accessible. The shinkansen (bullet train) links Tokyo to Atami, and from there, you can take a train down to Shimoda. The most famous diving sites are close to the stations on that line. There is a famous wreck in Atami, good diving around Ito (Itoh) and a fantastic spot at Mikomoto.

Travel facts

Diving type

Destination

easily accessible

bargain destination

Diving level & type

for beginners

for advanced divers

shore diving

liveaboard

Diving Characteristics

pelagics

lots of fish

lots of corals

interesting underwater scenery

Other activities

attractive natural spots

gastronomy

night life

beach

snorkeling

Diving Sites

• 

  Izu Ocean Park
  
     [Izu kaiyo koen (IOP)] 
  
     (伊豆海洋公園)

  rating : 3.0

  depth : 35 m

  visibility : changing
  description :
  
  The Izu Ocean Park is a large area for divers, with a big diving center, a swimming pool, a deep pool for training and lots of place to host hundreds of divers and their families. Access to the ocean is possible about a hundred meters from the dive shop. There, tanks are waiting to be picked-up, and a wide area in front of the sea is reserved for the preparation of the material. A concrete slope serves as entry point. Everything is organized the Japanese way, which means very efficiently, which is really important when many divers are entering the water at the same time. Should there be some wind, the presence of rocks can make the entry a little bumpy.
  There is only one diving site in IOP, but at least it is appealing for both beginners and advanced divers. Starting toward the left side, there is a gentle slope reaching a sandy bottom at 18 meters. Seasonal fish are seen, with the usual angelfish and sometimes lionfish.
  Toward the right side, divers have to pass first a promontory, then descend to 30-35 meters. While the water is usually colder down there, an interesting variety of soft corals and anemones await the divers.