Izu Kogen

Great fun making my own Piske and Usagi soft toys! Not much instructions were given in English but most could be understood by gestures. You can use as much cotton as you want (this is the one thing I couldn’t understand and had to ask). Took me 1.5hrs total and I had to rush through the last parts to make my train back to Tokyo. Best to give yourself 1:45-2hrs to make it a leisurely experience. The museum is not big but there were quite some Piske and Usagi stuff as well as My Neighbour Totoro stuff to see. I spent around 1hr seeing the museum but I barely looked at the teddy bears. So maybe 1.5hrs to see everything properly. I also ran out of time to see the shop and cafe, so maybe budget another 30mins for them. There were taxis outside Izu-kogen Station. On my way back, the staff at the museum shop arranged a taxi for me which arrived within 5mins. The taxi ride was about 3mins.

He was very consistent with showing up whenever we needed him to and brought us to the exact places we were looking for during our trip! He was also very kind and understanding throughout the 2 days we had him. He let us have drinks and snacks in the car also which was very considerate. Lastly, he had to adjust to a sudden schedule change because we wanted to go to a location that wasn’t planned, but he took us there with no trouble! Overall, I couldn’t ask for a better driver, Sun made our two day trip go really smoothly!

Since there aren't many buses, you need to carefully research the bus schedule in advance and plan accordingly. However, by making full use of the bus, I was able to visit Komuroyama Ridge Walk and Jogasaki Coast, which saved me money compared to renting a car! Also, none of the buses were particularly crowded, and I was always able to get a seat, making for a comfortable bus trip. Thank you very much.

The park is large, and the zoo has many animals, but the weather in July is too hot, so the animals are less active. There are many kinds of cacti, which is well worth seeing. It's quite unique to be able to see two different themes at the same time.