Island Paradise Near Tokyo, Japan

If you are interested in taking a boat ride from Tokyo, I recommend going to Niijima island, one of the Izu islands. Niijima is only 2 hours on a hydrofoil from Takeshiba boat terminal in Hamamatsucho and is very easy to get to. Tickets can be purchased online, at convenience stores, or at the terminal. The best part of Niijima is that although its beaches are comparable to ones in Hawaii or Okinawa, the island has few tourists, making it the perfect hideaway spot. The only reason I visited was because my friend runs a minshuku on the island. I fell in love as soon as I arrived. If you want to visit Tokyo but also swim at some nice beaches, definitely consider a jaunt ti Niijima island!