Discover Ito: Culture, River and Views

Discover Ito through its cultural history, the river running through the centre and its varied views. The Matsukawa has a riverside path for walks and cherry blossoms in spring; museums showcase the history of Itō’s hot springs and offer insights into the life of Kinoshita Mokutarō. This gives you specific themes to choose from when planning your holiday: a walk by the water, exhibitions and architecture, or views of the island, harbour and bay.

Walk along the Matsukawa and experience Itō Onsen Takeakari

The Matsukawa flows through the centre of Itō. A promenade runs along its banks and is used for walking. You can include this route as a walk in your travel plans. Cherry trees bloom along the riverside promenade in spring. If you visit Ito at this time of year, you’ll find a seasonal highlight alongside the river. A walk and cherry blossoms offer a different way to experience the town than the museum exhibitions or views from the hills.

At Itō Onsen Takeakari, around 500 bamboo lanterns are permanently installed along the Matsukawa promenade, at Otonashi Shrine and on the forecourt of JR Itō Station. The experience also includes a creative element: at the grounds of Otonashi Shrine, visitors can make an original heart-shaped ema plaque and hang it there as part of Itō Onsen Takeakari. The experience thus combines the bamboo lanterns with an activity at the shrine.

Views from Monomizuka Park and Arai Shrine

Monomizuka Park is on a low hill next to the Itō City Hall. From there, the view extends from the urban area of Itō to Hatsushima Island. Arai Shrine is also on a hill; from there, you can enjoy views over Itō Harbour and Sagami Bay. The two viewpoints offer different sights: the park looks out over the urban area and the island, while the shrine overlooks the harbour and bay. If you’d like to include these perspectives in your travel plans, you can visit each as a destination in its own right.

Cultural history at Tokaikan and the Kinoshita Mokutarō Memorial Museum

Tokaikan features exhibitions on the building’s history, the history of Itō’s hot springs, and writers and literary figures associated with Itō’s hot springs. Here, architectural history, hot springs and literature come together. Those interested in Itō’s cultural history will find several ways to explore these themes in one place.

The Kinoshita Mokutarō Memorial Museum is dedicated to the life and milieu of Kinoshita Mokutarō. On display are his books, paintings, personal mementos and photographs, as well as letters and works by literary figures with whom he was in contact. The collection also includes personal belongings of the Ōta family from Mokutarō’s childhood home and items from everyday life at the time. It offers insights into one person’s life alongside literary connections and objects from daily life.

The building itself is also part of the museum’s cultural character: it is registered as a tangible cultural property at the national level and preserves the architecture of a merchant’s house. The museum also offers an original video about Kinoshita Mokutarō’s life, around 12 minutes long. Its approximate duration gives you a specific idea of how long this part of the museum visit takes, without setting a time for viewing the other exhibits.

These places offer different themes to consider when planning your trip, without requiring you to limit yourself to just one way of exploring.

More destinations

For further trip planning, you can also explore Yaizu, Kannami, Midaka, Higashiizu, Izunokuni, Fuji, Nishiizu and Kawazu.

For the broader travel overview: Shizuoka Prefecture.