Itō sits on the eastern side of the Izu Peninsula, a city of about seventy thousand strung along a coast of black lava and quiet coves. It is a place of hot springs, fishing boats and gentle roads, and it has an unexpected piece of history. In the early 1600s the English sailor William Adams, who became a samurai advisor named Miura Anjin, supervised the building of Japan's first Western-style ships here, and a small monument by the river recalls it. It is a small but real moment: the beginning of Japan's contact with European shipbuilding.
The coast around Itō is a geological curiosity. Nearby, the Jogasaki Coast is a ragged shoreline of lava, left by the eruption of Mount Omuro, a symmetrical cinder cone just inland that is easy to spot, and a suspension bridge crosses a cove between sea cliffs. The sea here is deep blue, the sunlight is sharp, and in spring the camellias and the cherry trees along the river bloom early. Fishing boats unload squid, sea bream and horse mackerel at the port, and the restaurants close to the harbour serve what has just come in.
The riding is relaxed. The coastal road north toward Atami and south toward Shimoda has plenty of gentle bends and wide views of the water, with islands on the horizon on a clear day. It is also busy at weekends, with traffic backing up through the small towns, so the secret is an early start or a weekday. In summer the beaches fill and the sea breeze is a relief. In winter, the air is clear and the low sun makes the water glitter.
Fuel in Itō is easy, with stations along the main roads, and there is plenty of food and coffee near the station and the river. Take a break at the seaside and watch the boats, and if you are tired, public baths near the centre are an inexpensive way to restore yourself before the ride onward. Rain can make the road surface slick, particularly under the trees.