Welcome to Jimmy's Izu Blog
Hello! Thanks for visiting. I’m Jimmy, an American expat living in the city of Ito, on Japan’s Izu Peninsula.
This blog is here to help you learn about Izu, a very popular vacation spot for Japanese folks. These posts also include lots of general information about Japan so you can apply what you learn to your encounters with other parts of Japan.
Your comments and questions are always welcome. There is a comments section at the bottom of each post, and a separate contact page as well. I hope you find something interesting and come back again.
If you ever have a chance to visit Izu and would like to join a great tour, please visit Jimmy’s Izu Tours.
Topics
Everything about Japanese culture can be traced back to its rural villages. Japanese language, behavior, rituals, and diet can be traced back to a small village tucked away in a remote mountain valley.
How...
Itō has been inhabited since the Jōmon period - roughly 13,000-300 B.C. This era coincides with the Stone Age. The hunter-gatherer Jōmon people are believed to have entered Japan via the Japan Sea and...
Soga Monogatari (The Soga Story) is one of Kabuki theater's three most famous plays. The play is an interpretation of events that began here in Izu during the 12th century.
Today is Setsubun in Japan. It is one of several very old traditions imported from Chinese culture and based on the lunar calendar.
In the West, spring is associated with the vernal equinox (March 21),...
The Red Cow of Ike: The tale of a shape shifting murderous dragon lord.
Ike is a small, quiet community with two Shinto shrines and a single Buddhist temple. Ryukeiin was built 500 years ago, when it...