Tokyo's Secret Island Paradise | AOGASHIMA ★ ONLY in JAPAN

Jurassic Park may be the first thing that comes to mind when you see Aogashima Island from the air - but yes, THIS IS TOKYO!
It's famous for having a volcano inside a volcano surrounded by dense jungle. It's also considered the smallest town in Japan and the hardest place in Japan to get to. There is no direct transportation to Aogashima. These facts are what make Aogashima the best kept secret in Tokyo!

★ The Ogasawara video is out!
Travel 1000km further for Tokyo's distant island paradise!

The island is unspoiled.
The pristine jungles and beautiful ocean views are like scenes from the movies.

HOW TO GET TO AOGASHIMA
Air
▶︎ Haneda Airport (Tokyo) to Hachijojima / 50 minutes
▶︎ Helicopter to Aogashima - 20 minutes / 11,530 Yen
Note: You have to take the first flight to catch the helicopter or spend the night. Only 1 helicopter flight per day.
Sea (Ferry)
▶︎ Takeshiba Pier (Tokyo) to Hachijojima 11-12 hours / Tokai Kisen Line /
▶︎ Hachijojima to Aogashima / 3 hours / Izu Shoto Kaihatsu Line
Note: The ferry to Aogashima is often canceled so don't rely on this if you need to be back to Tokyo for a flight etc. It can be delayed for as long as 1 week depending on weather!

WHY IS THIS THE HARDEST PLACE TO GET TO?
The town is located 200 meters up off the sea. There is no airport and this island is only accessible by helicopter and ferry. The port is one of the most challenging to dock at in the world so when the sea is rough or the wind is too strong, ferries are often canceled. Visitors may be stranded here for a week or more if the weather turns bad.

MUST SEE PLACES on AOGASHIMA
★ Ao-Chu Shochu distillery
★ Aogashima heliport
★ The volcanic island steamer (for lunch)
★ The island sauna
★ Oyamatenbo Park (Observation Area) for the view over the crater and the sky at night
★ Aogashima Port
★ Maruyama & Shrine

FOOD TO TRY
★ Torinabe (Chicken Soup Pot)
★ Ashitaba (an island leaf / herb that's used in cooking)
★ Island fish in season
Note: you can ask your inn about trying these at scheduled meals

THINGS TO NOTE ABOUT VISITING AOGASHIMA
1) You must have a reservation to stay somewhere before arriving. Lodging is limited. Call ahead, even for camping.
2) There is an ATM at the post office but come with cash just in case
3) Helicopters are often sold out a month in advance. Ferry tickets are easy to get but your departure date may not be convenient.
4) Walking is possible everywhere but many tourists rent a car. Other tourists may pick you up if you hitchhike. It takes 80 minutes to walk from the heliport to Aogashima pier.

URL:
(Hotel / Inn) Onyado Tomotame / 御宿為朝 telephone: [phone] owner: Kyoko-san (Japanese only)
▶︎ Aogashimamura Camping Ground telephone: [phone]　

Special thank you to Akira-san, Yoshino-san, Kyoko-san and Moemi-san and all the kind residents of Aogashima who made me feel a part of the island family!

I stayed on the island from July 23 to July 30.
Drone scenes shot with the DJI MAVIC PRO

Music Credits:
Jungle - a Royal Feast / Bedtime Story Adventures - Piano/Background

This show has been created and produced by John Daub ジョン・ドーブ #johndaub He's been living and working in Japan for over 19 years and regularly reports on TV for Japan's International Channel.

[bluefermata]

I'm Japanese and surprised at this video. Even Japanese people scarcely know Aogashima. Even if they knew it, they'd never go there only once in their lives, because it's too inconvenient to visit it. I'm glad to watch this video and to know about Aogashima.

[kevinc]

I have been there!!

I visited while on a foreign exchange program to Japan. Two other exchange students and I decided to visit when the three of us all discovered the island at roughly the same time from different sources. We went at the end of March, so it was still relatively cool and wet, but it made the sauna/spa at the end of a long day of hiking quite relaxing!

As far as getting there, though, we were told that it was more reliable to go by boat than by helicopter. So we took a passenger/cargo ship called the Tachibana Maru from Tokyo Harbor overnight to Hachijojima, and transferred to the Aogashima Maru (the same ship in the time lapse video at the harbor) for the final leg to Aogashima. Though we only stayed on the island for 2 days, we were able to see and experience a lot of the things shown in the video.

We had always wondered about the ridges around Maruyama as well. It seemed too regular of a pattern to be naturally occurring, but when we hiked around the rim, those ridges were actually much less visible, and just looked like places were low shrubs were growing instead of trees.

The hospitality and friendliness of everyone we met there was awesome. One thing I remember was hiking back to the inn at the end of the day. We were on the far side of the island from the inn, and the weather was starting to go from bad to worse. We were offered a ride to the hotel by a local just as it began raining cats and dogs. We were hesitant because we were all covered in sweat and mud from trekking through the jungle, and we did not want to get the inside of his car so dirty, but the driver didn't mind at all.

Thanks for bringing back those memories. I want to go back there someday!

[MyHnestReaction]

this is where taki and mitsuha
meet each other in the mountain
scene in the anime movie called
Your Name ❤😭😭

[Kurokoshou]

鉄人か超人みたいじゃなくて、
普通の、日本語が流暢な外国人として色々紹介してくれる。

私は台湾住まいの日本人ですが、とても親近感が持てました。

[readygosyd]

John, I personally believe this is the best video you've made. The editing and even musical scores really set a great pace for the whole video. It's done the residents of Aogashima justice and more. The food is deliciously rustic and real, very island in appearance and I can only imagine the taste would be fantastic. Thanks so much and great work. I'm sure if the residents of Aogashima saw this video they'd be very proud.

[AhmadFauzi-mwgq]

I am impressed how Japan manage and take care this remote island with proper infrastrusture..mind blowing!!!

[monka]

Wow. I have been to this island in 79 or 80. We were probably the first ones wanting to camp there and the first German-Japanese Happas for sure! When we finally arrived there on a tiny boat that taxied us from the bigger ship to the port we were taken straight to the mayor. They were really worried and had us stay at someone's house before they decided to let us camp inside the crater for a couple of days... the locals would check on us every night and it was great fun: Singing Japanese and German songs under a pitch-black sky. The crater is so humid, not one bit of moonshine or stars. and we had to build some flooring under our tents so we would not be grilled by the next morning! Good times.

[ouel]

I lived in Japan for 17 years and have never heard of this beautiful place. Now I wanna go visit!

[rabiex]

Somewhere on this island is at least one teenager thinking: "One day I'm gonna leave this place and never come back!"

[afroid]

I am Japanese, but I did not know about Aogashima well. This video was made very well and it was fun to see. Thank you very much

[fomorians]

Thank you for filming this! You sound like you were in pain a lot of the time, but you were so happy as well. Now I know what to expect when I go there one day :D

[bmerise]

Thank you for sharing the charm of Japan that many Japanese do not know.

[jenipearlsv]

Your videos made me fall in love with Japan even more. :) Thank you for sharing your Japan adventures with us! Looking forward to new videos.

[maxque]

John, you have opened my eyes to a world that I would otherwise not be exposed to. Not just in this video, but all of your videos. I cannot express how thankful I am that you are making content like this. It gives us all a taste of what life is like on the other side of the Pacific, which I find utterly fascinating. Seriously, thank you.

[FoxyfloofJumps]

This is really great. I love how you've shown the highlights, but also really shown the truth: small island, small community of friends.

[GTM-]

It’s super video!! This island is a real unexplored island. Most of the people in Japan don’t know about this island. It’s precious experience.

[SkytheKorok]

This island is so beautiful, the people here are so sweet! Definitely in my bucket list. This video was breathtaking!

[rosswiseman]

Something about that island life is so alluring. It's such a beautiful and charming little community. You did a great job capturing that atmosphere!

[SeraphimKnight]

I'm always torn between wanting to be away from everything in the middle of nature and requiring high speed internet...

[strappernick]

I've been watching a lot of your videos and this is one of my favorites so far. Very unique, had no idea Tokyo had islands so far out under their jurisdiction. Well done!