Walk Japan's latest tour into the unknown delivers a fascinating experience.

The scenic Izu Geo Trail explores the history, culture, and ecology of the spectacular IZU Peninsula. With spectacular contrasts, the tour offers in-depth discovery of a unique corner of Japan as the trail winds across a mezmerizing topography that is considered to be one of the most unique geological areas on Earth. Located only 150 kilometers from the giant metropolis of Tokyo, Izu---with its distinctly different landscape and a climate akin to a sub-tropical island---is a world away from the Capitol. The trail weaves its way South, along the peninsula's East Coast and mountainous central spine to reach the southernmost tip at Cape Inozaki before returning along the West Coast to Shuzenji, a charming and atmospheric onsen thermal hot spring resort town. The cobalt-blue Pacific Ocean almost completely surrounds Izu and provides the backdrop for a rugged and intricately carved coastline of bays and soaring precipices. For an optimum culinary experience, the Izu peninsula offers a fish lovers paradise and guests enjoy some of the freshest seafood available. Depending on the season, meals include spider crab, squid, lobster, sea bream and many more varieties. All accommodations, most of which sit beside the ocean, feature onsen thermal hot spring baths. As with all Walk Japan tours, the Izu Geo Trail tells a tale of its own---the Izu Peninsula was immortalized in Yasunari Kawabata's short story....The Izu Dancer. Kawabata, who was awarded Japan's first Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968, fictionalized his own juvenile experience of falling in love with a young itinerant dancing girl while travelling through Izu. From time to time, the walking journey coincides with Kawabata's route. Izu is also renowned for the momentous events that unfolded at Shimoda, on the southern end of the peninsula. In 1854, American Navy Admiral, Mathew Perry, arrived here with his fleet of "black ships," forcing Japan to open its ports to foreign trade. This shock set in motion the fall of the Shogun in 1868 and launched Japan on its rapid path of modernization and industrialization. The Izu Geo Trail visits Shimoda, which is today a quiet backwater town with a hand-built streetscape that belies the turmoil that was once unleashed there. A trek on the Izu Geo Trail takes 7 days and 6 nights on a walking adventure with private tours available for groups of family and friends.

This article appeared in Luxury Lifestyle Magazine.