From the park, there is a wonderful hiking path around the island, which you can do in a few hours, including time to stop along the way to take in the view.

Johan and I were, of course, on our bikes….so if you happened to be one of the hikers, enjoying the sites and the walk, that we passed on our rickety old bikes, I apologize! Anyone who knows Johan, will understand it when I say, the guy has his own way and his own ideas…its always a small adventure to follow him!

We trailed around the lovely coast line, stopping to walk out on the “beaches” and admire the rock formations.

It’s a bit weird.

Johan and I are no strangers to taking time out for just the two of us. We have always been really good at switching off for a few hours or days and reconnecting with each other. Fun and crazy trips to Ibiza, long weekends back to NYC, if you could you name it – we were definitely up for it!

But, since we have lived in Tokyo, it seems that we’ve stopped exploring just the two of us, together.

We have had so few days out in the past eighteen months and zero nights or weekends away. I suppose there are many reasons for this slow down, this super unusual rhythm we’ve found ourselves in.

I suspect that the (very real and kind of scary) possibility of a natural disaster, the fact that we have no family close by to “cover” for us or that we tend to move as a family unit of five, have all unconsciously affected us.

But, after a heavy evaluation of our time in Asia and making the most of it, we are back on track! We have made a real decision to see as much as we can as a family – and to spend some real, quality time with just the two of us too!

So, this week, we put the kiddos on the school bus and legged it to a wonderfully tranquil place in the world – just a short hour away from central Tokyo.

Misaki Town and Jogashima Island are a quick train ride from Shinagawa station. Located in the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa, it is a great day trip from Tokyo - one that you return from feeling like you’ve had a little holiday.

Misaki is tranquil, has some of the best tuna we’ve ever eaten and gentle for those times when you want an un-adventurous adventure.

When we arrived at Misakiguchi train station, we jumped in a taxi to the port and spent an hour wandering around the markets. You can buy deliciously fresh fish and local produce, displayed upstairs with separate tables farm by farm. I loved the way each farm had decorated their table with seasonal props and recipes. So sweet!

I suppose we were on a bit of a mission after we browsed all the yummy offerings at the markets…we headed immediately to our first sashimi of the day, enjoyed port-side and washed down in the sunshine with a beer - of course!

There are so many restaurants to choose from in this little town!

Johan is always looking for small adventures in his life and this trip was no different.

He found rental bikes for us to explore the rest of town and to nip over to Jogashima Island on. I can highly recommend this method to getting around. It is a relatively small area and the traffic is easily navigated.

Over the bridge we went to our first stop, Jogashima Park. With its steep cliffs and beautiful gardens, it is a place to take in the nature surrounding you, have a wander, enjoy a picnic… on a clear day you can enjoy views from Chiba to Fuji.

I admit that I could have stayed here for the entire afternoon, laying on a blanket, staring out to see.

Our last stop on Jogashima Island was the lighthouse. We poked around the stalls in the shopping street and mingled with the locals. Johan was even offered to try some grilled fish that one shop keeper was preparing for his own lunch!

It was incredibly endearing how warmly the local people greeted us.

We eventually rode our bikes back to the station from Jogashima island, with a quick pitstop at Miura Beach.

After loads of biking in the sun, we treated ourselves to a refreshing dip in the sea.

Misaki and Jogashima island are two very unique places in the world.

With as many wonderful treats for the eye as well as the belly, you begin the day feeling tired and slightly disconnected, but leave with a sense of wholeness and satisfaction.

getting there

Take the Keikyu Line from Shinagawa Station and pull in to Misakiguchi Station in just over and hour. From the station, grab any bus towards town or take a taxi. From Misaki Town, either rent a bike at the port or hop on bus number 9 to Jogashima.

Our sneaky day trip to Misaki