It feels like the suffocating humidity barely lifts from Tokyo before the biting winter chills start. In a city where the true autumn weather lasts days rather than months, the quick move from hot to cold is jarring. As I dust off my kotatsu table, I find myself wishing for just a few more days of summer, a few more weekends on the beach, a few more hours in the sun. I know I’m not going to find those things on these crowded streets, so I’m taking matters into my own hands. I’m heading south for the winter.

The Ogasawara island chain (also known as the Bonin Islands) lies about 1,000 km south of Tokyo. While technically within the city limits, Ogasawara could not be farther from the nonstop neon carnival of Japan’s capital, both in distance and mood. White sandy beaches, not jam-packed sidewalks, ring the main island of Chichijima. Vegetation-choked cliffs, not skyscrapers, droop into the sea. Locals take the time to stop and chat. The pace is slow, the tinny songs of steel drums fill the air, and, most importantly, it’s warm. Tokyo and this little Island of Eden are in two different universes.

Ogasawara is a nature lover’s wonderland, and my options were plentiful: scuba diving, spear fishing, mountain trekking, cycling, and swimming with dolphins. Before committing to an organized tour, I decided to rent a scooter and set out to discover what Chichijima village — Ogasawara’s bustling metropolis (of 2,000 people) — had in store.

A short drive outside of town brought me to Sakai Ura Beach, a sparkling little strip of cliched island paradise. It boasted white sand, bright blue water, teeming coral, and a little something different: the rusted metal remains of a World War II warship. I donned my snorkel and flopped into the ocean. I soon arrived at the sunken Hinko Maru. When the boat took its fatal blow, the captain rammed it into the reef for easy escape — and no one ever bothered to move it.

As I ventured closer, rusted chunks of the hull peeked out of the water. Brave fish flitted around me, weaving in and out of the wreckage. The part of the Hinko Maru that lay below the surface had been reclaimed by the sea. Coral, barnacles and algae covered every surface. Abandoned cabins became caves. The felled crow’s nest housed a variety of gilled creatures. I floated above and through this piece of history, feeling a bit like a soggy archeologist.

After drying off, I continued on my journey, scooting up Mt Chuo in the island’s center. A short hike brought me to the mountain’s apex, where I enjoyed knockdown 360-degree views. It was a clear day, and I could see the outlines of surrounding islands Aniijima and Ototojima. “And there,” local resident Alan Hyde pointed out, “is where George Bush Senior’s plane went down in World War II.” I peered closer into the rolling waves, pondering the history that lay beneath them.

This year marks 40 years since America ended its occupation and returned control of Ogasawara to Japan. Although evidence of the war is everywhere, it’s treated not with regret or hostility, but with indifference. “Most people here see the war as being a part of this place, an interesting part,” Hyde said. “But it isn’t really a part of who they are. They are Ogasawara islanders. They stopped the whole ‘us’ and ‘them’ thing a while ago.”

I ended my day by heading up to the weather station on the island’s west side to watch the sunset. I peered out across the sea, thinking how far away from everything I truly was. In order to reach Ogasawara in the first place, I had to want it. While the journey felt at times less like a cruise and more like a sea-bound Greyhound bus, one hour spent on the island made it all worthwhile.

The boat returned to Tokyo proper three days after it arrived, and the remainder of my time on the island was much like the first day. Tour operators lined the main street near Futami Port, eager to send me on dolphin swims, hiking expeditions and scuba trips. When I felt like nurturing my inner sloth, there was always an empty spot on the beach with my name on it. I noshed on some of the freshest sushi imaginable and sipped pina coladas at the driftwood shack bar Yankeetown. And I slowed down. By the time I was on my way back to Tokyo, I had a dark tan and a head full of waterlogged memories, and I had stored up enough sunlight to face winter head-on.

Because of Ogasawara’s fragile ecosystem and the effect that mass tourism would have on it, residents have long resisted the building of an airport. The only way to reach Chichijima is by ferry. A boat leaves Tokyo’s Takeshiba Port once a week, and spends the next 25 hours chugging south. On arrival, Chichijima Taxi Service offers scooter rentals for 2,000 yen per day. Limited bus service is also available.

For detailed information on hotels and restaurants, download the English-language guidebook provided by the local tourism board (www.ogasawaramura.com/englishpage.htm). The Ogasawara Marine Center, where you can feed and play with sea turtles, is open weekdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m.-noon; admission is free. The island’s climate is similar to that of Okinawa: average winter temperatures hover around 20°C.

This story originally appeared in Metropolis magazine (www.metropolis.co.jp)

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7 Comments

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  YangYong at 08:32 PM JST - 22nd November

  There are PLENTY of hours in the sun in Kanto in Winter, I LOVE wimters in the Kanto region. The summer? You can put that in a box and send it by ship mail to somewhere else.

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  elbudamexicano at 09:40 PM JST - 22nd November

  Cold, dry winters in Tokyo are perfect for taking a dip in your local ONSEN! Tokyo has great hot springs and after a long cold day, a nice soothing hot spring always makes me feel great! By the way, I would also like to see these islands someday too.

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  ilcub76 at 12:17 AM JST - 24th November

  Cold, dry winters? Come to Kyushu!! It's cold and wet.... the cold goes all the way to the bone. At least with dry winters, it doesn't feel that cold... with 70% humidity, it feels at leat 5 degrees colder than what it is. I only wish they had a direct flight from Fukuoka to Ogasawara!

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  zaichik at 09:47 AM JST - 24th November

  Sounds like a nice place to escape to for a week in winter - wish I'd given it a try during the long Niigata winters....

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  cleo at 10:51 AM JST - 24th November

  Please, please don't encourage people to go to Ogasawara! It's a paradise.....too many tourists traipsing about all trying to get away from it all (and bringing a lot of it with them) would be a disaster.

  One of the best holidays of my life was a week on Chichijima. I'll be going again.

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  Richard_the_First at 04:02 PM JST - 24th November

  Yes, Kanto winters provide an abundance of rays. The best season if you like blue skies.

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  zzonkerr at 08:17 PM JST - 24th November

  Great article, but how much is the ferry/seaborne Greyhound?

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