Our Activism Story
Travel around the mountains and the sea.
Izu Peninsula, where the mountains kiss the sea. We aim to renew the town of Nishiizu through activities that make use of its natural resources, giving you the chance to appreciate them first hand.
It all started with the restoration of ancient out-of-use mountain paths that lay dormant.
Once used for charcoal and as daily through roads, a society-wide shift not only to gas and electricity but also to the use of cars for transportation had led them into disuse, all-but-forgotten.
Through the restoration of ancient unused paths into sightseeing trails for mountain biking and hiking, we were able to add mountain activies to the Izu area, previously known primarily as an ocean destination.
Protecting Nature, Practicing Sustainable Tourism
We worked not only to restore the ancient paths, but also to revive the forest that had remained long unmaintained. Our efforts might seem small and weak when compared with large-scale forestry enterprise, and yet by providing activities simultaneously with the implementation of forest maintenance we become a force for deepening and sharpening the understanding of the mountains and forests we are involved with.
Trees cut down in the process of forest maintenance have been transformed into wood used both for the renovation of Lodge Mondo, where guests may come and stay, and as firewood in making a Nishiizu specialty—smoked bonito flakes.
Rain that falls on the forest makes its way into rivers that find their destination at the sea. This river water flowing in the mountains of Izu, with its numerous broad-leaved trees, is high in nutrients and attracts a multitude of fish to the Izu Peninsula coast.
Paddle out on Suruga Bay in kayaks you fully power yourself, for an almost pre-civilized experience. It is our ambition to make our sea Kayak fishing tours a sustainable activity that provides a first-hand understanding of the link between the mountains and the sea.
Awards
- Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism “Bicycle Utilization Promotion Merit Award”
- Mori Sato Kawa Umi Award, Ministry of the Environment Good Life Awards
- Shizuoka Prefecture SDGs Award
- Shizuoka Prefecture Forest Development Grand Prize, Forest Lovers Category
- Shizugin Entrepreneur Grand Prize, Shizuoka Bank