Venturing out from Mishima

Shigehiro Kuraku

2 hours ago

6 min read

English version of the post "Mishima kara ashi wo nobashite" (30 June 2024), with transport times, fares and facility details updated to November 2026.

This is a short guide for visitors to our institute (the National Institute of Genetics, NIG) in Mishima. Getting around this area is not always straightforward if you do not know the local transport in advance, so here are a few places you can reach easily — I hope a little information helps.

1. Yo-sui, the Juvenile Fish Aquarium — a shopping-centre trip with a difference

In Shimizu Town, just west of Mishima, the Suntomoon Kakita-gawa shopping centre houses Yo-sui, the Juvenile Fish Aquarium — a one-of-a-kind facility, billed as the world's first aquarium devoted entirely to juvenile fish. It opened on 7 July 2022. Fish that grow up "graduate" and move on to other aquariums, so the exhibits change with the seasons.

Open: 10:00–18:00 (last admission 17:00), open almost every day
Admission: Adults ¥1,400 / senior- and junior-high students ¥1,200 / elementary-school children ¥700 / pre-school children ¥500 / age 3 and under free
Please note: admission is cash only, there is no re-entry, and labels and the website are in Japanese only — a phone translation app is very useful here.

Getting there: a free shuttle bus still runs on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays (and 1–3 January), but since July 2025 it no longer leaves from the station bus platforms. It boards at Rakujūen Seimon-mae — in front of the main gate of Rakujūen Park, about a 5-minute walk from Mishima Station South Exit. Departures for Suntomoon: 10:15, 11:15, 12:15, 14:15, 15:15, 16:15 (return buses run until 17:00). The ride takes about 20 minutes, non-stop, and boarding is first-come. On weekdays, take a local Tokai Bus from Mishima Station South Exit (about 15 minutes, ¥280–320). See the Suntomoon access page for the current timetable.

2. Lake Ashi and Hakone — by bus from near the institute

From the Atagocho (Kokudo) bus stop, within walking distance of the institute, a Tokai Bus (route N65 for Moto-Hakone-ko) will take you to Moto-Hakone Port on Lake Ashi, the lakeside gateway to Hakone Shrine and the sightseeing boats.

Journey time: about 45 minutes (43 minutes scheduled; longer when the Hakone road is busy).
Buses run roughly hourly during the day. Check that the destination display reads "Moto-Hakone-ko", as some buses on the same road stop short.
Two stops share the name "Atagocho". You need the Kokudo (National Route) side stop. The Shido (city-road) side stop is served by a different route that does not go to Lake Ashi.
The fare from Mishima Station is ¥1,470 (fares as of November 2026); from Atagocho it is slightly less. IC cards are accepted, and this route is covered by the Hakone Freepass (see the box at the end). Times and fares: Tokai Bus route & fare search.

3. Shuzenji — hot springs at the end of a local line

From Mishima-Futsukamachi Station on the Izuhakone Railway Sunzu Line, also within walking distance of the institute, Shuzenji is about 30 minutes away (28–31 minutes; fare ¥490). From Mishima Station itself it is 35 minutes (¥550). Shuzenji is one of the Izu Peninsula's oldest hot-spring towns, with a temple, a bamboo grove and riverside foot baths within a short walk of the station.

Important for visitors from abroad: the Sunzu Line is a private railway. Japan Rail Passes are not valid, and Japanese transport IC cards (Suica, TOICA, PASMO…) are not accepted at all. Buy a paper ticket, or — since December 2024 — tap a contactless credit/debit card (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex and others) on the reader when you enter and when you leave.

4. Atami — fifteen minutes to a seaside hot-spring resort

From Mishima Station, a local train on the JR Tokaido Line reaches Atami Station in about 15 minutes (¥330). Atami is only the second station from Mishima — there is just one stop in between, Kannami.

One thing to be aware of: Atami is the boundary station between JR Central and JR East. In practice:

With a Japan Rail Pass, nothing changes — the pass is valid on both companies, and some trains run through Atami towards Tokyo without a change (others terminate at Atami, so check the destination board).
With an IC card, do not make one continuous trip across Atami (for example, tapping in at Tokyo and out at Mishima). The two IC card areas meet at Atami and the exit gate will reject the card. For a local-train journey that crosses Atami, buy a paper ticket for the whole trip in advance, or tap out and back in at Atami. Trips that stay on one side — including Mishima ⇄ Atami — are fine by IC card.

5. Numazu Port — fish market, seafood restaurants and a deep-sea aquarium

The Numazu Port area, south of JR Numazu Station, has a fish market, a lively street of seafood restaurants, and the Numazu Deep Sea Aquarium. It is especially busy at weekends.

Getting there: from Mishima, Numazu is one stop west by JR Tokaido Line (5–7 minutes, ¥190). From Numazu Station South Exit, bus stand No. 1, local buses run to "Numazu Port" in about 10–15 minutes (¥230); it is also a flat walk of about 25 minutes.

Numazu Fish Market "INO": if you are an early riser, you can watch the fish auction free of charge from the 2nd-floor gallery (about 05:45–07:00). Note that the market is closed on Saturdays and on two or three other days a month — check the calendar before an early start.
Numazu Deep Sea Aquarium (with the Coelacanth Museum): drawing on Suruga Bay, Japan's deepest bay, it keeps more than 100 deep-sea species, and displays real coelacanths — two frozen specimens and three preserved ones. Open 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30); adults ¥2,200 / elementary- and junior-high ¥1,200 / age 4 and over ¥600. Cards and PayPay are accepted. Allow about an hour.

6. Izu Mito Sea Paradise — dolphins and Suruga Bay marine life

Also within a single bus ride — this time from Numazu Station — is the aquarium Izu Mito Sea Paradise, affectionately known as "Mito Sea".

From Numazu Station, bus platform 3, take a Tokai Bus bound for Kifu or Enashi (routes N21, N22, N24, N25) and get off at "Izu Mito Sea Paradise", right in front of the aquarium: about 35 minutes, ¥900.
Open: 9:00–17:00 (last admission 16:00). Admission: adults (junior-high age and above) ¥2,600 at the gate, ¥2,400 for a web ticket; children (age 4 to elementary) ¥1,300 / ¥1,200 online. Cards and transport IC cards are accepted for payment, and same-day re-entry is allowed. Allow 1½–2½ hours: there are dolphin and sea-lion shows as well as Suruga Bay and deep-sea tanks.
When the original post was written (June 2024), a blue shark was on display. Exhibits change, and there is no current listing for it — please check the aquarium's news page before visiting if the sharks are your main aim.
Mito Sea Paradise and the National Institute of Genetics have a comprehensive partnership agreement covering research and science education, and our laboratory is also indebted to them in our work.

Good to know before you go

IC cards: Suica, TOICA, PASMO and the other nationwide cards work on JR trains and on Tokai Bus and Izuhakone Bus services around Mishima — but not on the Izuhakone Railway Sunzu Line (Section 3) and not across the Atami boundary in a single trip (Section 4). Always carry some cash as a back-up; at least one aquarium above is cash-only.
Local buses (Tokai Bus): board at the front door. With an IC card, tap when you get on and when you get off — the fare is taken at the second tap. Paying cash, take a numbered ticket when you board and pay the fare shown on the display at the front when you get off; have small change or a ¥1,000 note ready.
Timetables: Google Maps works well for trains here and usually shows local buses too, but some bus stops have only a few departures a day. Check the return (last) bus when you arrive, or look up times in advance on the Tokai Bus route-and-fare search.
Hakone Freepass: valid on the Mishima ⇄ Moto-Hakone bus (Section 2) and on most transport in the Hakone area, but it is sold only as a 2-day (¥6,000 from Odawara/Hakone) or 3-day pass — worth it for a longer Hakone stay rather than a single short hop.
Language: Mishima, Numazu and Atami stations have bilingual signs and English announcements. Local buses, the Sunzu Line and the smaller aquariums are mostly Japanese — having your destination written in Japanese, or pinned on a map, helps a lot.