7 days in Shimoda (popular weekend trip from Tokyo!)

In this Japan Vlog, we’re exploring the best things to do in Shimoda, Shizuoka, a cute Japanese countryside town known for its history and natural beauty! This is the final vlog from our Izu Peninsula trip! 🙂

We’re Brandi & Alan, full-time travelers and creators since 2018. We post fun vlogs and informative guides to both document our travels and help you on your own journey.
✨ Don’t forget to subscribe! ☞ https://www.youtube.com/@IfWeGoTo ✨

• • • • • • • • • • •

Work With Us:
📩 Business Inquiries: contact@ifwegoto.com

Connect with Us:
Our Website & Blog: 🌐 https://ifwegoto.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ifwegoto/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ifwegoto/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ifwegoto

Support Us:
👍 The BEST way you can help us: Like, comment and subscribe! Thank you! 🙂

For Fellow Creators:
🎵 Where we get our music: https://share.epidemicsound.com/0wp4n0 & https://www.musicbed.com/invite/qOgIq

————————————————
CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro & Travel to Shimoda
1:48 Arrival in Shimoda
3:28 Shimoda restaurant
4:45 We’re learning Japanese!
5:32 Shimoda’s temple & shrine street
8:23 checking into the Onsen Hotel
11:30 Cape Tsumeki & Harris’ Path
17:10 Jonathan’s
19:17 Shimoda Ropeway
22:14 Royal House Cafe
24:50 Hotel Emergency?
26:37 Perry Road
28:28 Ryosenji Temple (cool Japan history)
30:00 Museum of Black Ship
30:50 Shimoda Park
31:37 Shimoda Floating Aquarium (dolphins!)|
34:00 The small islands & hydrangea trail
35:05 Thanks for watching! Subscribe for more adventures! 😀

[Music] [Music] we’ve just packed up our beautiful house in Futo. loved it like the old traditional Japanese style house and now we’re about to go catch a train out to shimoda which I’m pretty excited to see yeah me too and shimoda sounds like something Michael Jackson would say [here we go] when he was like [prepping for it] scatting in a song you know like shimoda! *laughing* anyways the train leaves in like 10 minutes okay we got to go oh my God shimoda! [the rural trains are kind of expensive] I just recharged it too we made it! how long was that? about an hour? 45 minutes not bad yeah easy yeah an easy travel day "easy peninsula" I feel like I’m back in a small City again there’s actually like restaurants here and stores it smells like uh the Japanese sweet potato in the air right now I’m excited! [checking in to our hotel, the Shimoda Itoen Hotel Hanamisaki] so we just got checked into our hotel but the check-in time isn’t actually until uh 3:00 p.m. so we left our bags I think we’re going to go try to go get some lunch we’re pretty hungry what are you thinking? konbini? if you want konbini I was thinking like let’s go to a restaurant let’s do something because I have a really heavy bag on it has all our valuables in it so I don’t usually leave that at hotels yeah let’s find something what are you feeling? you feeling konbini? I’m feeling broke that’s why that’s why I want konbini it was that 1500 Yen onen tax, wasn’t it? yeah it’s an expensive hotel we stayed at this time it’s not that expensive it’s totally within our budget we like to do it on the cheap, but it’s totally within our budget you are being so cheap right now! [we decided to get tonkatsu from Tonkatsu Hajime] [the staff were all so friendly] [the best miso soup I have ever had] [tempura shrimp plate with crab croquettes] [Japanese curry] [karaage plate] [telling the chef that it is delicious!] super delicious so good it was like the most hole in the wall locals only no english- spoken we were totally fish out water you know but it was great it was so good. I really liked it. and the owner was so nice he is extremely out growing which is unusual for Japan he was very loud but he was super friendly and I just love that whole like Vibe of that place and i totally recommend it if you’re out here yeah definitely one of the best meals we’ve had like in all our months of traveling in Japan yeah definitely one of the best meals we’ve had here so would recommend it and uh we might even be going back but we have some more to see before our check-in time because we have another, what? two or 3 hours to go? that’s right yeah so we are going to go wander around shimoda yeah let’s see what it’s all about! so this is I think under that’s rice field so I guess together "under the rice field" that’s middle and this means to like study or school and these two together mean like exam so it’s like study exam so like middle study exam so middle junior high school and shimoda means under Rice? under Rice Field, yeah. I mean I know when you combine them it’s different when you combine them it means something different but that’s what those two mean, to me, as I know them can you believe Alan just learned all these kanji this morning? like a 100 literally 100 I did the whole Elementary on the train and got a perfect score once I memorized them you’re so good at this oh you’re a nice kitty! oh you’re little chonky you’re a chonky kitty! oh! thank you! thank you! oh that was so nice of him! after we ran into that first temple we’ve now found four back to back to back we keep leaving. we’re like oh we’re getting distracted we got to go and then there’s another one and another one and another one this one’s actually a shrine and it has this little koi pond out front and this really nice guy just handed Alan some bread to feed the fish I thought that was really sweet of him it was nice I really like koi fish yeah oh I like it so far shimoda’s so pretty mhm very small time Vibes small town small town small town it’s less Countryside Vibes but more like small Seaside Town yeah which is what people said like if you wanted to get a feel for what it’s like the shrines are always so cool the ground towns are always so peaceful like Japan can be like hectic even in like the small towns and this is just like an oasis of green it’s beautiful and I don’t know if it’s the weather warming up or the spring but the light’s getting so golden on all the leaves now and it’s so pretty yeah the shrines definitely have like a like a magical or ethereal feeling if you will yeah they definitely transport you somewhere totally far away well it’s about time to head back to the hotel for the day mhm oh my did we get upgraded? did we? I think we got one the suites what? okay so we booked like what was probably the last room on expedia and that’s not a plug for expedia okay they just happened to be the cheapest but we got a suite so we have our own bathroom oh what with our own well it’s not a great bathtub but it’ll do I thought we were going to be in like a dinkier little room I know and now let’s see and a fridge with some more shelving for food love it I don’t know if that opens or if it’s just decorative but you can put stuff on top oh what! this is so Japan! oh what! it’s so beautiful oh and do we have a view we have a view of the mountains out there yeah it’s not the seaside but like I’m not complaining with this this is awesome I thought we were going to be in like a teeny little hotel room I know this is normally how it is I think like it’s normally like this this is lovely yeah wow and we’re on the end so it is probably going to be quiet I know I hope and and and we have a bidet folks the best oh this it’s so hard it’s not comfortable I’m glad there’s extra futons yeah I’m a little… I don’t know actually no I could sleep on it it is harder though you’re laying on the comforter yeah I always wonder how like older folks in Japan handle the beds here cuz sometimes they are so thin they just take it they just take it okay we’re all settled in now the hotel is so nice I’m so happy we got upgraded that was so awesome it’s beautiful it’s dated but but it’s beautiful yeah I I’m stoked on that but we’re super excited to continue exploring shimoda it’s really beautiful and the people are so different too yeah everything’s so different here it almost feels like another country like we’ve been I would say like mainly on the tourist route but to a lot of cities in Japan now and this one’s just so different like people were dressed different people are acting different like he was saying it just has a very different vibe even a lot of the like architecture and stuff has a different like look to it for sure yeah and the seaside like Town Vibe is really interesting as well yeah but let’s get to bed so we can see it tomorrow you’re so cute you smell like fried shrimp today we’re going to go out to Cape Tsumeki which has got a cool Lighthouse and big fields filled with wild flowers because it’s spring time still um yeah yeah we were looking at pictures of it last night and it looked really beautiful and we were like oh I really want to go see that we were going to rent bikes from our hotel but the rental doesn’t open till 7:00 a.m. and it’s 5:30 right now so we’re going to be walking which unfortunately takes much longer and it’s kind of on a busy-ish road but we’ll see we’ll see how it is and let you guys know yeah but you can get there on foot in about an hour and a half or it’s 10 minutes in a car yeah too bad we don’t have a car I even got an international driver’s permit and my name my married name doesn’t match my credit card name we just made it out to Cape Tsumeki the walk wasn’t that bad most of it had a dedicated like path or like walkway for pedestrians and there was one small section at the very end that didn’t but it really wasn’t busy and the speed limit is about 25 mph, 40 km per hour so it was pretty slow felt pretty comfortable doing that yeah you can definitely walk out here yeah I’m excited to see what’s out here it looks so beautiful we were walking by like right as we were getting into the park and there was this really cool dramatic beach with these Sea Cliffs and we just made it here and there’s this other dramatic like set of sea cliffs with a lighthouse on top it’s really pretty I’m enjoying it so far let’s go let’s go really quick I just want to point out that fish trash can because it’s awesome don’t you think so? it’s so funny! It is so pretty out here! I wish we had more time because there are trails going all over this little area but we only have time to see like maybe one or two things cuz we have to walk all the way back as well I love places like this I know these videos probably aren’t the most interesting but we love doing this stuff hiking and seeing all the Little Critters and the flowers and the plants I just love it are we going to go check out that other Trail or do we have to start heading back um I don’t know let me check the time let’s just wander around Bae 8:04 so we have a couple hours yeah we got to be headed back by 11 probably okay okay maybe sooner cuz I’m so hungry so hungry so hungry guys I’m so hungry so hungry *hungry noises* sure is beautiful and look it’s one of those islands you can go walk out to I didn’t hear what you said I’m sorry it’s one of those islands you can go walk out to ah the color of that water the water here is surprisingly blue it is okay so we just got off the… is it eating a bird? [take 2] we just got off the trail and it was very beautiful a little more challenging like just some up and downs but very beautiful nonetheless yep and it came out at a fishing Village that feels incredibly local yeah it’s very quaint I feel, uh out of place here and I’m hoping that they have a grocery store open cuz I am starving we are so hungry we definitely need to go get some food and our goal is to walk all the way back it’s a kitty robot is it playing music yeah so you know where it is I know you guys say we don’t eat enough Japanese food so today we’re going to Jonathan’s which is a Japanese chain okay so sorry we’re not eating more Japanese food on this trip [also keep in mind we don’t film every meal] we were just getting some hate for not eating enough Japanese food in Japan [alan also dislikes seafood so it is tricky] but Japan has so much good other food too so but Brandi, this is Japanese food it’s a Japanese chain yeah this is pizza this is Italian food but it’s Japanese style pizza that’s true but somebody will still complain about it the lunch special is teriyaki chicken with cabbage I didn’t say there was no Japanese food okay lunch is so much more fun when a cute kitty cat robot delivers it cat food! it’s actually really good it’s like perfectly cooked and tender and they put it in some sort of like garlic soy sauce that’s nice oh yeah you get in there brandi. how is it? like a frozen pizza or what? yeah but it’s a little better than I thought it was going to be It has a nice lemony flavor to it but you know it’s kind of like it’s a chain restaurant nice it’s it’s not bad. it’s not great. okay we just got back Alan had us walk 10 miles today and uh 31 floors so I’m pretty tired and we’re going to go to bed [day three…] so for our next adventure in shimoda we are going up to the shimoda ropeway which is like a gondola or a cable car up into the hills but first we needed breakfast so we stopped by the local grocery store to pick up some I don’t know I don’t know if this considered Bento or… shitake rice balls yeah and grilled chicken breasts they look good too are they fish? wow look at that that actually looks really good it smells fantastic smells like teriyaki good we walked to the shimoda ropway round trip tickets are 1500 yen per adult the cable cars leave every 15 minutes I love the koi with the cherry blossom petals on the top of the pond so I didn’t realize that there was also like a whole walking path and Gardens and a really beautiful Shrine to check out up here so I guess that kind of makes the ticket price really worth it there’s just like a lot to see and it’s gorgeous beautiful overlooks of the ocean just uh, I don’t know if it’s the weather change or what but it’s just like so warm and all the colors are so bright right now and all of the trees are so green it was like winter for so long and then all a sudden it’s spring and I’m just loving it and all the cherry blossom petals are falling everywhere so pretty you know what else is so pretty? what? you! awww! that walk in the garden was so beautiful seeing all the Cherry Blossom petals fall and everything love it it’s such a special time of year to be here but we went to the Royal house which is the little cafe they have up top and we paid 850 Yen for this amazing looking vanilla and strawberry cake it’s expensive it is expensive for cake but it does look very fancy and the view you like literally cannot beat it is so pretty up here I don’t even want to cut into it it’s so pretty okay ready yeah wow look at that it just cut so perfectly that’s so tasty they didn’t add too much sugar to the strawberry so they really have that like strong tartness still and the texture is excellent It’s really good it is almost a shame to eat this for 850 Yen this is the most expensive slice of cake we’ve ever had in Japan mhm oh yeah you’re right about the texture though I can just feel already it’s like cutting into it is like oddly satisfying that’s nice it’s like a vanilla whipped cream on a strawberry almost like… Jam? but it’s not Jam it’s really good compote? yeah it’s really good I like this a lot it was worth 850 Yen especially with the view this whole experience has been like despite the expense associated with it very worth it yeah and we’ll have to like show you the inside of the restaurant too it’s almost a shame they made it so nice inside because the view obviously is like way better but like inside it’s all handcrafted workmanship and like really really like lives up to the name the Royal House Ialmost wanted to eat inside but you’re right you just you can’t with a view like that mhm it’s gorgeous well let’s get down on this cake and then get down off this mountain yeah we do have some more stuff to do in shimoda like laundry after the shimoda ropeway we actually did go back to the hotel and do laundry and then went to bed and the following morning the entire Hotel got quite the wakeup call there was some sort of emergency siren going off on their PA system and it was all in Japanese and there just been a pretty bad earthquake the night before so I’m a little spooked cuz that hotel is right on the ocean and I’m thinking we’re going to have a tsunami I don’t know what’s going on there’s people running around the hotel and I’m like oh my God what’s going to happen we’re going to die but uh I don’t know what happened like they were just like it’s okay but didn’t speak English so I actually don’t know what the like alarm was saying or anything yeah maybe you can tell us in the comments yeah maybe you can I did catch a little video clip of it I don’t know how good the audio is but I tried I was kind of panicking [we did not know if we were supposed to be evacuating or running for higher ground] and then it was pouring rain that day as well so we decided to stay inside I practiced my art a little bit nothing too crazy it was relaxing we did lose a whole day in Shimoda but we did leave an extra day just in case and that’s what we’re going to be using it’s beautiful out and we’re going to go see some of the last things we wanted to see here in the city uh-huh luckily it’s small so I think you can do it in a day if you got a day yeah if you have an entire day or two so sort of the headliner thing to do in shimoda is go check out an area called Parry road which is named after Commodore Perry the American naval officer that came to shimoda in the late 1800s and opened up Japan to the West after 200 years of isolation and this road is sort of the old town from like that period you know it’s like the late 1800s and it’s got some tourist shops and a few restaurants but overall it still feels like veryauthentic like most of the buildings are still like occupied by people that live here and it’s not overly touristic but it’s still very cool yeah it is it is a very beautiful setting as well there’s lots of really like green. Lush plants everywhere. and I don’t know you can kind of get a feel for it right now yeah it’s pretty small peaceful yeah it’s worth like walking around for 20 minutes and taking the sights in mhm and that’s what we’re going to do and show you guys scaring those poor little fish with your Shadow it’s actually really fun it’s like the poor man’s teamLabs experience so at the dead end of Perry road is Ryosenji Temple which is where they signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the Tokugawa shogunate and the US back in 1858 so this is where it all started like where you know Americans got access to the first port in Japan and Japan opened to The wider world all from right there in that building it’s kind of cool right mhm we’re here right now because of what they did there in 1858 crazy yeah I wonder what this is all about there’s several what do you call these pots pots filled with marbles and floating glass orbs yeah and a little koi fish it is interesting I’ve never seen that before if you know let us know because we’re quite curious you enjoying those views? yeah it’s so peaceful here I just want to take a nap me too honestly and there’s these huge Japanese maples in the Hills oh my gosh this must be amazing in the fall so if you’re interested there’s the Museum of black ship they call it that because Commodore Perry that came from America to open Japan up in 1854 or whatever it was had a black ship looks like this one in the painting so this is the museum about that like set of events um we’re going to skip it today because we’re kind of short on time and I want to see the nature part of shimoda more than anything but it’s here but it’s here it’s right next to the temple literally right on the ground right there so if you’re interested you’re like a history museum person here it is yeah I would do it if we had time for sure hey Randy what you know what else is here? what? an entrance to the extensive hiking trail network of shimoda Park I am excited to see Shimoda park that is a that is one of the top spots we wanted to see yeah so let’s get out a along to this back corner of the park we made it to the aquarium it’s actually a very short walk from where we just were turns out but it’s cool this is like a big artificial Lagoon they created or perhaps it was a real natural Lagoon they just enclosed it but there’s a dolphin in here that we saw Alan look a dolphin a free dolphin show?! whoa she’s going to get in of course they always swim with the dolphins can’t say I’ve seen that before so uh I wasn’t expecting to get a free dolphin show just like walking by the aquarium we just happened to be walking by the moment they were doing one of their like shows and it was cool to see cuz they don’t do that in the US anymore like at all it’s like kind of a no no there but here we went so you didn’t have to I mean there’s more inside the aquarium they have a big tank with like Manta rays and stuff and they have like emperor penguins yeah I looked it up we just don’t have time to go so it was nice to be able to get like a little slice of the aquarium yeah from the outside wow if you just like walk up out in front they have these two massive sea turtles they are actual tanks [their tank was so small it was kind of sad :(] oh makes me want to do some like free Willie Style… just like Jack a Sea Turtle set it free wasn’t there a Hey Arnold episode about this? there is literally this "Punch it, Granma" I love that Japan makes a nature so accessible here they have a suspension bridge that takes you out to a small island with a shrine on it and that one over there I think you’re not actually supposed to go on but you could theoretically walk all the way out to the end to that Island as well on that Jetty but we’re going to go to this one cuz you can go to it for sure I wish we’d come in June the entire Hillside is covered in hydrangeas and we’re just a little bit early too cuz there’s a bunch of azaelas too they’re they’re just starting to bloom but there’s like lots and lots of them but everything is hydrangeas like basically like that one that one that one that one I guess this place is really famous for their hydrangea bloom in June yeah they have a whole hydrangea Trail you can take too which, oh I wish we were here for it’d be so pretty I think we’re going to have to come back to Japan in the summer sometime there’s a lot to see here shimoda has been such a gem of a place it’s so pretty it’s so much fun I I’ve just loved it yeah and it’s definitely worth checking out definitely worth a day or two yeah maybe even a week like we did but our trip to shimoda is coming to an end and unfortunately Japan but we’re going somewhere exciting and brand new for us so we hope you stick with us even though it’s not Japan thanks for watching bye! we’ll be back!