At noon on October 14, 2024, after finishing the morning itinerary in Shimoda City, we drove for about an hour and arrived at Nishi-Izu.

For those who haven't read the previous two blog posts, it's recommended to check them out first:

A Day Full of Trials — Laid-Back Camp Pilgrimage to Izu Kogen Mount Omuro and Izu Shaboten Zoo

Enjoying Izu's Beautiful Seascapes — Laid-Back Camp Pilgrimage to Shimoda City Madogahama Kaiyu Park, Tsumekizaki, and Ryugu Sea Cave

In the afternoon, we planned to visit Dogashima and Koganezaki Park in Nishi-Izu.

Dogashima Park

Initially, we planned to have lunch at Dogashima Shokudo, but as expected of a pilgrimage site's restaurant, there was a super long line!

So I asked the driver to queue for me while I took a look around Dogashima Shokudo. Thank you, driver!

Arriving at Dogashima Park, there's a sign telling us this is a pilgrimage site!

Next to it, there was an Itasha parked.

I saw this Itasha in a video from last year, still parked here. Is it a long-term commercial promotion?

Regardless, it has become part of the scenery of Dogashima.

The nearby tourism association had a standee of Rin Shima, suddenly nostalgic for the old art style.

Dogashima Park.

By the way, I noticed that vending machines in Izu all support Alipay and WeChat, which is not the case in Tokyo 😅.

The real scene is indeed more spectacular.

Tenshodo Cave, this is the view looking down from the ground. Later, we'll pass by here on a boat.

Dogashima Shokudo

The driver queued for about an hour, and finally, it was almost our turn.

As expected of a pilgrimage site restaurant, there were many Laid-Back Camp decorations both inside and outside.

You could even buy related merchandise inside the restaurant.

Judging from the various autographs, it's not only popular in the Laid-Back Camp community but also well-known in other industries! No wonder the line was so long 😅.

I ordered the Kaisendon that appeared in the anime.

Looking at the photos later, I wondered if the owner forgot to give us a side dish 😅?

It tasted very fresh. I recommend it to those who like seafood.

Customers who order the set meal at the restaurant can get a free... what is this called? Feel free to add in the comments.

The sauce used is a rare vinegar soy sauce in Japan.

Speaking of vinegar soy sauce, it's actually a common seasoning in my hometown, and it tasted incredibly nostalgic.

Dogashima Marine

After eating and drinking our fill, we prepared to take the sightseeing boat.

The Dogashima sightseeing boat has three routes.

Since we only wanted to see Tenshodo Cave, we took the shortest Blue Cave Cruise.

This route runs every 15-20 minutes, and the tour takes about 20 minutes.

The fare is 1,500 yen for adults (about 71 RMB).

The seascapes and caves along the way were beautiful, but...

Only a small part of the boat's deck can carry passengers, so there are very few spots to see the full view. Most people can only watch the scenery through the top and side windows inside the boat.

This means most of the view is obstructed, which I found quite disappointing.

Image sourced from official promotional material.

Dogashima Tombolo

It looks close to Dogashima Park on the map, but it's actually a bit of a walk.

The pilgrimage sign at the entrance.

As one of the main visuals for Season 2, unfortunately, today's low tide was in the morning.

To experience the scene from the anime, you need to check the tide times in advance on a website, and the tide height must be below 30 cm.

Check the website: https://dogashimamarine.jp/dougashima/tide/

Panoramic view.

So this is also a Lover's Sanctuary.

So many pinecones!

Koganezaki Park

After finishing the pilgrimage in the Dogashima area, the next stop was the final destination of this anime pilgrimage—Koganezaki Park.

Some scenes from the anime.

A wonder—Horse Rock.

It really looks like a horse.

The observation deck was filled with Laid-Back Camp ema.

Only later did I notice the content of the last ema on the right... I hope everyone can travel responsibly.

After seeing the horse, I went to the Mt. Fuji View Point across the way.

Looking back at the previous spot from the Mt. Fuji View Point.

The hazy Mt. Fuji today, paired with the sea view, was truly beautiful.

Returning to the parking lot, I found a love-themed "Encounter" here too.

Finally, I visited the rest area—Koganest.

It was also full of Laid-Back Camp elements!

By the way, the signboards here mix old and new art styles, which feels a bit odd.

Return Trip

After visiting Koganezaki Park, it was almost time to head back.

For the return trip, I asked the driver to take me to Atami Station, and then took the train from Atami Station back to Tokyo.

After all, it was the last day of a three-day weekend, so many people would be driving back to Tokyo; taking the train should be faster.

Moreover, if there was a serious traffic jam on the road, the overtime fee wouldn't be so pleasant 😅.

And thus, the two-day Izu trip came to an end.

Looking back now, it was a wonderful journey.

Of course, the Izu scenes appearing in Laid-Back Camp are not limited to these.

A deep Laid-Back Camp anime pilgrimage would probably require three days and two nights.

Well then, see you at the next anime pilgrimage!