The heat and humidity of the Japanese summer leaves many people looking for a bit of elevation to catch whatever cooling breeze might be available.

For people in the Kanto region, one such pleasant respite can be found in a few hours spent at Izu Panorama Park. The park sits atop Mt. Katsuragi at the top end of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture (okay, technically not part of Kanto, but close enough).

One of the fun aspects of the park is that it is accessed via a gondola ride on a 1.8 km. long ropeway.

During the gondola ride, visitors can enjoying the expansive and ever-changing views of the distant scenery–mountains and sea. Or they can look down on the area below the cables on which the gondola rides, to scenes which vary between suburbia, small farms, and woodland.

The area at the top truly is a park. As soon as stepping out of the gondola station to an inviting wooden deck, visitors are greeted by views of Suruga Bay, the city of Numazu just below, and–depending on conditions–, Mt. Fuji in the distance. Around the corner is a plaza with a long reflecting pool that doubles the pleasure of the Fuji views.

Dubbed “Ao Terrace”, this little plaza area also features a couple of outlets to acquire refreshments and generally seems to invite visitors to linger. Below the terrace and the arrival deck is a series of private gazebos where couples and small groups can have their refreshments in a more relaxed atmosphere.

At the opposite end of the reflecting pool, as the park slopes away, is an obstacle course especially popular with children. Lots of challenges for kids, big and small.

Just above the plaza sits a small Inari shrine, two red Torii gates on either end of a footbridge over a small pond of carp entices visitors to enter and pay their respects.

The park continues behind the shrine with trails around the hilltop and leading across a boardwalk and up a series of stone steps to a further lookout. It’s an easy walk of just a few minutes.

From the lookout, keep an eye out for para-gliders. This part of Izu, with its thermals and other breezes generating off the mountains, is especially popular for enthusiasts of the sport.

After returning across the boardwalk to the main park, bear to the left to explore the other side the hill. Among the curiosities to be found there is a tower of Jizo statues. Jizo are boddhisatva who are dedicated to helping others and are often regarded as the guardians of children and travelers. There presence here is a comforting mystery.

On a clearing at the top of the hill above the Jizo is another viewing platform providing 360 degree uninterrupted views.

The entire park is not so large as to render visitors footsore, but a stop at the footbath is, nevertheless, another popular activity here. It is especially soothing to dip one’s feet into the hot water while overlooking Suruga Bay and the scenery beyond.

Finally refreshed by the cool, clear air of the mountaintop and a little soak in the footbath, it is time to return to the bottom. Another quick gondola ride delivers visitors back to the lower visitor center, which also has a pleasant Italian trattoria and a souvenir center. The shopping area just rolled out a re-design earlier this month (another incentive to visit). Predictably, souvenirs center on products of Izu, such as wasabi and the local plonk.

Wasabi is so much a product of Izu that there is even wasabi-flavored soft ice cream and wasabi beer on offer!

Izu Panorama Park is open from 9:00 to 17:30 during the summer months and 9:00 to 17:00 from mid-October to mid-February. The last gondola to the top departs 30 minutes before closing time. Park admission (including a round-trip gondola ride) is JPY2,500.

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