Back in September 2024, my wife and I got the opportunity to visit Japan, which has been on our bucket list for a long time. We visited many places on Honshu (the largest of the Japanese islands), but the Izu Peninsula was definitely among our favorites. We scuba dived there and saw a lot of bizarre sea creatures, but the landscape itself was breathtaking.

The Jogasaki Coast is on the eastern side of the Izu Peninsula, just south of Ito, and it boasts seaside waterfalls, hiking trails, and suspension bridges. We wanted to see these sights for ourselves, so we took a cab to the trailhead of the waterfall (because Izu is not as pedestrian friendly as the rest of Japan) and began our journey.

Entering the lush green forest, we followed gentle stream that flowed towards the sea. Eventually, the stream turned into a waterfall that cascaded over the coastal cliffs and emptied into the ocean. The sounds of the rushing waters mixed with the sounds of the crashing waves. In the golden hour light, everything looked so fantastical that I kept ranting to my wife in disbelief. This place was as close to heaven as I could imagine.

After spending some time decompressing at the waterfalls, we hiked a little further until we reached a suspension bridge. This bridge is known as Hashidate suspension bridge, and it had some incredible views of the basalt cliffs and the azure ocean waters.

Moments like these cannot be bought or bottled up and put on a shelf. To see such beautiful nature (and share that experience with my wife) is a blessing and a privilege. I am thankful to God for giving us another opportunity to witness His majesty.

I made a short video with footage of some of the scenery we witnessed, but nothing beats seeing everything in person. Here’s the video: