The model plan
Day 1 Tokyo → Atami by Shinkansen (about 45 min) → Ito by local line (about 25 min) → taxi to Kawana Hotel (15 min). Afternoon soak in the hotel's own onsen, dinner at the hotel.
Day 2 Morning tee time on the Fuji Course (tee times are limited, roughly 08:00–10:13, walking with a caddie). Lunch, a last soak, and back to Tokyo by early evening.
| Item | Indicative cost |
|---|---|
| Kawana Hotel, twin for two, room only | from ¥28,000–35,000 |
| Kawana Hotel, with dinner + breakfast for two | ≈ ¥55,000–66,000 |
| Fuji Course, weekday, hotel guests (per person) | ¥47,800 |
| Twosome surcharge on Fuji (per person) | + ¥5,115 |
| Oshima Course, weekday, visitors (per person) | from ¥12,300 |
The courses
Fuji Course — guests only, and worth planning around
Designed by C.H. Alison in 1936, ranked No. 61 in GOLF Magazine's 2025–26 World Top 100, and nicknamed the “Pebble Beach of Japan / the East.” Deep Alison bunkers, big elevation changes, the Pacific below, and Mt. Fuji behind the 12th on a clear day. The rules that shape your plan: hotel guests only, walking only with a mandatory caddie, and a ¥5,115 per-person surcharge for a 2-player group — this site's namesake problem, at Japan's most famous address. Good news for couples, from visitor reviews: the club does not pair groups up, so your twosome plays alone. Book the room, then the tee time through the hotel (email or phone); one golf blog that booked direct through the hotel's English site called it clean and straightforward, and advised skipping concierge mark-ups for this course.
Oshima Course — the open door
The older sibling (1928) on the same cliffs, open to non-staying visitors: from ¥12,300 on weekdays, self-play with riding carts and GPS. If Kawana Hotel is full, or the Fuji fee makes you blink, this is the honest alternative — same coastline, roughly a quarter of the price.
Club and shoe rentals are available at Kawana (official site), but rental prices are not published in English — confirm when you book the tee time.
Staying over: Kawana, Shuzenji, or Atami
Kawana Hotel is the plan if you want the Fuji Course — a 1936 classic where Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio honeymooned in 1954, with its own onsen facility and sea views. For a second night with a different flavour, Shuzenji — Izu's oldest onsen town, a quiet river valley of bamboo groves about 45–60 minutes inland — runs roughly ¥30,000–90,000 for two at a classic ryokan with both meals. Atami, on the Shinkansen line, is the easy-logistics option: big resort hotels and classic ryokan (Furuya Ryokan from ¥76,400 for two with meals).
Access
- Tokyo → Kawana: about 1 h 40 min–2 h (Shinkansen to Atami + Ito Line + taxi), or the direct Odoriko limited express Tokyo → Ito in about 1 h 40 min. The hotel runs a shuttle from Ito Station — book it ahead.
- Haneda → Ito: about 2 hours via Shinagawa and the Shinkansen.
What visitors say
Summarised from English-language sources (TripAdvisor, Wanderlog/Google reviews, GolfClubAtlas trip reports) — not our own experience. We found no substantive Reddit threads on Kawana.
Loved: the setting and design are called world-class again and again — “Golfing was superb!!” (TripAdvisor, Oct 2025) and “Course is stunning.” (TripAdvisor, May 2016). Recent reviews repeat that the Fuji Course is in great condition, caddies are helpful (ask ahead for an English-speaking one), and the 1936 hotel's early-golf-era atmosphere is an attraction in itself.
Not loved: the bill. Green fee, surcharge, extras and a mandatory hotel night stack up — one reviewer tallied about US$350 in golf fees and US$700 for a busy-week hotel night. The hotel itself draws renovation and food critiques (“But hotel need to be renovated.” — same 2016 review), the walking round is a genuinely tough climb, and summer can bring slower greens and temporary sub-greens.
FAQ
Can anyone play the Fuji Course?
No — Kawana Hotel guests only. ¥47,800 per person on weekdays, +¥5,115 twosome surcharge (checked November 2026).
Can visitors play at Kawana without staying?
Yes, the Oshima Course: from ¥12,300 per person on weekdays, with carts.
Why is Kawana famous?
A 1936 C.H. Alison design, World Top 100 (No. 61, 2025–26), on ocean cliffs — the “Pebble Beach of Japan.”
How do we get there from Tokyo?
About 1 h 40 min–2 h: Shinkansen to Atami, Ito Line to Ito, 15-minute taxi.
Sources checked 7 November 2026: Prince Hotels (Kawana golf and hotel), JNTO fee listings via The Head Pro and Trip to Japan, IKYU hotel rates, Ito City access guide, GOLF Magazine World Top 100 reporting, and visitor reviews on TripAdvisor, Wanderlog and GolfClubAtlas. Fees vary by season and plan — confirm at booking.