Best time to visit Izu: Higashiizu seasons

Monthly weather

Inatori has cool winters and warm summers, with rain in every month. December and January have the lowest average rainfall. Autumn cools gradually: October’s mean temperature is 18.7 °C, but its rainfall total remains above November’s. For walking on the open uplands, November combines cooler air with less average rain than October; a sea-view bath is a comfortable end to the day.

These are Japan Meteorological Agency 1991–2020 normals for Inatori station 0457, at 130 meters elevation. High and low columns show the mean daily maximum and minimum in °C; rainfall is the average monthly total in millimeters. Fahrenheit means are converted from the Celsius values. Individual beach days and the higher grassland can feel different from the station averages.

Winter and Kawazu blossom

In December and January, the coast is cool enough for a bath-focused stay, with the driest monthly averages of the year. February remains cool even when Kawazu-zakura is flowering. The blossoms are pale pink and arrive well ahead of Japan’s later spring cherry season; leaves open after the flowers. About 850 trees follow the Kawazu River, within a much larger scattering of trees around town.

Flowering usually begins in early February and can continue for about a month, with the exact timing changing each year. During the festival, stalls line the riverside and some trees are illuminated after dark. For a blossom trip, allow some flexibility within February instead of relying on a particular weekend.

Summer coast and rain

June and July are the wettest months in Inatori’s normals. August is hotter and has a lower monthly rainfall total than July, though rain rises again in September. Atagawa’s shore is sandy, with the onsen hotels behind it; Imaihama in neighboring Kawazu has a broader beach, about 900 meters long and two minutes from Imaihama-Kaigan station.

At Iso SeaGarden Ikejiri in Inatori, marine life lives among the rocks of a natural sea pool; an adjacent swimming pool also uses seawater. Waves and tides affect the rocky bathing area. Summer facilities include supervised swimming, showers and changing rooms in season. Atagawa and Imaihama have broader sand for a coastal walk.

Atagawa Prince’s exposed rooftop can close during strong wind or heavy rain, while its indoor communal baths are sheltered. The Prince day baths include both settings when the rooftop is open.

Autumn grassland and hanging dolls

On Hosono Highlands, susuki plumes emerge in October and ripple silver through October and November. Later in November and into December, the drying grass turns straw-colored and looks gold in sunlight. The broad slopes face the sea and the Izu islands. The 2026 autumn event runs from October 30 to November 29, 10:00–16:00. Entry for middle-school ages and older is ¥1,000 (about US$6.30), including a ¥400 (about US$2.50) Higashiizu shopping voucher; younger children enter free.

For a car-free grassland day, the event bus from Izu-Inatori runs only on weekends and public holidays. Weekdays need a taxi or car. The last event bus leaves the highlands at 16:00. The short circuit begins at Highlands Square; longer walks need more of the open afternoon.

Down in Inatori, Hina no Yakata in Bunka Park displays strings of small sewn animals, flowers and other lucky motifs beside Hina dolls. Families began making the decorations as wishes for girls’ health and happiness. The autumn exhibition runs September 19–November 30, 2026, 09:00–16:00, with last entry at 15:40. Adult admission is ¥500 (about US$3.20); elementary-school children and younger enter free. Thursdays are the usual closure outside festival periods. The hanging decorations are an indoor town visit for a different day from the uplands.