Airport conquest series. The Izu Islands south of Tokyo have five airports: Ōshima, Niijima, Kōzushima, Miyakejima, and Hachijōjima. Hachijōjima is served by ANA from Haneda; the other four by New Central Airservice from Chofu Airfield. Inter-island travel is by Tokai Kisen ferry or Toho Air helicopter (Tokyo Ailand Shuttle).
A paper plan to cover all five efficiently. Actual trip reports are in separate articles.
The full series index is here.
Route Design
With 5 airports (an odd number), at least one island requires a simple round trip. Hachijōjima operates from Haneda on a different system from the other four, so it becomes the round trip. The remaining four are covered in two day trips.
- Day 1: Chofu → Kōzushima → (ferry) → Niijima → Chofu
- Day 2: Chofu → Miyakejima → (helicopter) → Ōshima → Chofu
- Day 3: Haneda → Hachijōjima → Haneda (or Takeshiba → ferry → Hachijōjima → Haneda)
Day 1: Kōzushima and Niijima
Kōzushima Airport is on a hilltop — walking to the port isn’t realistic. A taxi is needed, but availability is limited, so advance booking is essential. Sea conditions may cause the ferry to depart from a different port; check the day’s operation status.
Trip report for this route is here.
Day 2: Miyakejima and Ōshima
Helicopter from Miyakejima to Ōshima takes about 20 minutes. The Tokyo Ailand Shuttle has limited seats; book early.
Day 3: Hachijōjima
Taking the overnight ferry from Takeshiba means arriving at Hachijōjima in the morning, spending the day on the island, and flying back on the last flight. Flying both ways is also possible but shortens time on the island.
Trip report for Hachijōjima is here.
Islands Not Covered
Toshima and Aogashima don’t have airports but do have helipads accessible via the Tokyo Ailand Shuttle.
