Tokyo's island paradise
Ogasawara is technically part of Tokyo, but these remote islands are a subtropical paradise unlike anywhere else you've seen. Just a hop, skip and a 24-hour ferry ride from mainland Tokyo, you’ll find the exotic Bonin islands, better known as Ogasawara. Despite transport to the 30-island archipelago being discouragingly expensive and tedious, it’s impossible to oversell this little subtropical paradise.
The wildlife on the islands is the main draw – it’s rife with endemic species, many of which have undergone a unique evolution, earning the archipelago the nickname ‘the Galápagos of the Orient’. Since the islands are subtropical rather than tropical, don’t expect year-round balmy temperatures. The best time to go is early summer (June/July), just before the tourist season kicks in and when the weather is superb. But even if you make it out as early as late-March it should be warm enough to swim in the sea and relax on the beach.
The wildlife on the islands is the main draw – it’s rife with endemic species, many of which have undergone a unique evolution, earning the archipelago the nickname ‘the Galápagos of the Orient’. Since the islands are subtropical rather than tropical, don’t expect year-round balmy temperatures. The best time to go is early summer (June/July), just before the tourist season kicks in and when the weather is superb. But even if you make it out as early as late-March it should be warm enough to swim in the sea and relax on the beach.
