I visited Hachijojima as part of my island-hopping and airport conquest. It’s about one hour from Haneda by ANA. Taking the first flight out and the early afternoon flight back gives a half-day on the island.
Hachijojima is also accessible by overnight ferry from Takeshiba in Tokyo. The ferry departs in the evening and arrives the next morning, returning to Takeshiba in the evening. For maximum time on the island, taking the ferry outbound (night departure → morning arrival) and flying back is the most practical combination. This time, I flew both ways due to schedule constraints.
Itinerary
Hachijojima Airport
ANA operates three daily flights from Haneda. The first flight arrives at 8:25. The airport is small but has an ANA counter and connections to Aogashima and Mikurajima by helicopter (Toho Air).
Walking the Island
Arriving early in the morning, most shops were still closed, so I walked around the airport area. Heading east along the Hachijo Airport Road leads to the Hachijo Loop Road. The island’s east side has Sokodo Port, used by the large overnight ferries from Tokyo.
Municipal buses also run on the island.
I walked to the area near the town hall.
Along the way, I passed Hachijojima Botanical Park. The vegetation is tropical, reflecting a climate warmer than mainland Japan.
Shima-zushi (Island Sushi)
For lunch, I ate shima-zushi at “Ginpachi.” Shima-zushi is a Hachijojima specialty — white fish marinated in a sweet-savory sauce, served as sushi.
Return
I took the second flight at 13:40 back to Haneda.
