Hachijo-jima

Hachijo-jima is two volcanoes joined by a strip of flat land, and the airport sits on that strip. To the northwest, Hachijo-Fuji rises to 854 m, the highest point in the Tokyo islands. From the trailhead, 1,280 steps climb through cattle pasture to the rim of a crater about 400 m across, and a path goes all the way round it, with sea on every side. The steps do not let up and the top is exposed, so bring proper shoes and a layer against the wind. The southeastern half is Miharayama, older and much greener, and that is where the island's hot springs are. The town runs several baths, each closed on a different weekday, and a 600-yen one-day pass covers one visit to each town bath except Danran. Pay in cash. On the west coast, Nambara Senjojiki is a lava shelf about 500 m long and 100 m wide, left when a Hachijo-Fuji flow ran into the sea. Then there is kusaya: fish soaked in a fermented brine that islanders have kept going for more than 300 years, then dried. The smell is strong enough that you will know when someone nearby is grilling it.