Tokyo → Izu Peninsula → Kumano/Nachi → Kushimoto (southern tip) → Mount Kōya (optional) → Osaka/Wakayama edge → Tokyo

Tokyo → Izu East Coast (Itō & Lake views) Distance: ~140 km Driving time: ~3 h Skirt the bay past Enoshima and Kamakura (optional stops) then hook south along the Izu coast: coves, sea arches, and small fishing harbours. Itō makes a straightforward first base with on-site bathing. Overnight stop (legal): • Michi-no-Eki Itō Marine Town — seaside complex with baths and restaurants Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJZVnoEoSZGWARSsGB4wiOxlI Facilities: 24-hour toilets, restaurants, shops, Wi-Fi, large public bathhouse with showers on site Nearby onsen: on site (search: Ito Marine Town Spa) → https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Ito+Marine+Town+Spa What to see: Jogasaki Coast suspension bridge, Mount Omuro crater chairlift, Izu Shaboten animal park, fishing-port lunches in Itō. ⸻ Izu Interior → Amagi Highlands → West Coast Distance: ~60–80 km Driving time: 2–3 h Climb forest roads into the Amagi-Kōgen highlands (cedar and cypress), then descend towards the quieter west coast for sunsets over Suruga Bay. Overnight stop (legal): • Michi-no-Eki Amagi-Kōgen — cool, wooded highland stop Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Michi-no-Eki+Amagi+Kogen,+Shizuoka Facilities: 24-hour toilets, local restaurant/produce; no on-site showers Nearby onsen (≤ ~15 km): Yugashima Onsen → https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Yugashima+Onsen What to see: Kawazu Seven Waterfalls, Shuzenji temple town, coastal lava cliffs and sea caves near Dogashima. ⸻ Transit Day: Izu → Kii Peninsula (Kumano/Nachi area) Distance: ~420–460 km Driving time: 6–7 h A longer but simple expressway day via the Tōmei/Meihan/Kisei routes. Aim to base near Kumano Nachi Taisha for trails and waterfalls. Overnight stop (legal): • Michi-no-Eki Nachi — perfect for Nachi Falls & Kumano Kodo access Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Michi-no-Eki+Nachi,+Wakayama Facilities: 24-hour toilets, local produce/café; no on-site showers Nearby onsen (≤ ~15 km): Katsuura Onsen → https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Katsuura+Onsen What to see: Nachi waterfall & Seiganto-ji pagoda, Daimonzaka cobbled slope (Kumano Kodo), tuna markets and seafood bowls in Nachikatsuura. ⸻ Kumano Coast → Kushimoto (Hashigui-iwa sea stacks) Distance: ~60–90 km Driving time: 1.5–2.5 h Hug the coast through tiny harbours and pines. Kushimoto is the southern tip of Honshū with striking Hashigui-iwa rock stacks — superb at sunrise. Overnight stop (legal): • Michi-no-Eki Kushimoto Hashigui-iwa — beside the sea-stack viewpoint Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Michi-no-Eki+Kushimoto+Hashigui-iwa Facilities: 24-hour toilets, café/shop, sea views; no on-site showers Nearby onsen (≤ ~15 km): Kushimoto Onsen Sachi-no-Yu → https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Kushimoto+Onsen+Sachi-no-Yu What to see: Cape Shionomisaki lighthouse (Japan’s southernmost point on Honshū), tidal pools, quiet beaches. ⸻ Kushimoto → Mount Kōya (optional) / Wakayama edge Distance: ~140–180 km Driving time: 3.5–4.5 h Turn inland through cedar valleys to Kōya-san, centre of Shingon Buddhism. Park below the temple district and explore on foot; night temple stays are memorable (book ahead). Overnight stop (legal): • Michi-no-Eki Kōya-Ryūjin — mountain gateway between Kōya and Ryūjin Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Michi-no-Eki+Koya+Ryujin,+Wakayama Facilities: 24-hour toilets, restaurant/produce; no on-site showers Nearby onsen (≤ ~15 km): Ryūjin Onsen → https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Ryujin+Onsen What to see: Okunoin cemetery path at dusk, temple halls and gardens, Ryūjin river gorge. ⸻ Return: Wakayama/Osaka edge → Tokyo Distance: ~520–560 km Driving time: 6.5–7.5 h Join the expressways across Kansai, then the Tōmei back to Tokyo. If you prefer to split the drive, pause around Lake Biwa or Nagoya. Optional splitter (legal): • Michi-no-Eki Kusatsu (Shiga) Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJx9l1eZ2JAWARcF0bHCS1z9k Facilities: 24-hour toilets, restaurant, shop; no showers Nearby onsen: Ogoto Onsen → https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Ogoto+Onsen

Tokyo → Izu East Coast (Itō & Lake views) Approx. 140 km · ~3 hours Izu Interior → Amagi Highlands → West Coast Approx. 60–80 km · 2–3 hours Izu → Kii Peninsula (Kumano/Nachi area) Approx. 420–460 km · 6–7 hours Kumano Coast → Kushimoto Approx. 60–90 km · 1½–2½ hours Kushimoto → Mount Kōya / Wakayama edge Approx. 140–180 km · 3½–4½ hours Wakayama/Osaka edge → Tokyo Approx. 520–560 km · 6½–7½ hours