Shuzenji is an onsen town in the middle of the Izu Peninsula, laid out along the Katsura river in a narrow valley of cedar and bamboo, and it is one of the oldest hot-spring settlements in Japan. Legend credits the monk Kobo Daishi with starting it: he is said to have struck a rock in the river with a ritual implement, and the hot water that gushed out became the town's famous open-air bath, which still sits right at the riverside. A temple founded here has given the town its name.
History has also left darker marks. The second Kamakura shogun, Minamoto no Yoriie, was confined at Shuzenji by his Hojo in-laws and killed in 1204, a family story that fed into centuries of drama and theatre. Later, in 1910, the novelist Natsume Soseki came here to recover from a serious stomach illness and nearly died, an episode he wrote about afterwards. These details give the town the feel of a place where people come to recover, and perhaps to be forgotten for a while.
Walking is the main activity: a path through a bamboo grove runs beside the river, lanterns light the bridges in the evening, and the inns serve multi-course dinners of local fish and mountain vegetables. Wasabi grows in clear streams in these hills, and you will find it fresh-grated in the restaurants. For a rider, the town is a place to slow down. The streets are narrow and often busy with walkers in yukata, so park the bike and explore on foot.
The road toward Shuzenji from the surrounding ridges is a pleasure, a series of moderate bends and climbs through forest, with changing views of the valley. The surface is generally good, though leaf litter and damp patches can be slippery in autumn and the rainy season. Itō, about fourteen kilometres away, and Numazu are the larger towns for fuel and supplies, though the town itself has services. In autumn the maples colour the river banks, and in the cooler months a long soak is the best possible ending to a ride.