Atami

What to know

Atami (熱海) sits at the northeastern foot of the Izu Peninsula, less than an hour west of Tokyo by shinkansen. Thanks to its proximity to the capital, Atami has long been a popular seaside resort town, offering abundant hot springs, traditional ryokan, museums, and other cultural attractions.

During the extravagant bubble economy of the late 1980s, Atami was a top choice for business retreats, leading to massive development including large ryokan and apartment blocks along the coast. When the bubble burst in the early 1990s, many of these large establishments and the city as a whole suffered a decline. In recent years, however, Atami has successfully reinvented itself as a popular destination for individual travelers and families.

Atami is connected to Tokyo by the JR Tokaido Shinkansen (40–50 minutes, about 4000 yen one way, 1–3 trains per hour) and the JR Tokaido Line (100–120 minutes, 2090 yen one way, about 3 trains per hour). The shinkansen ride is covered by the Japan Rail Pass, but not by the Tokyo Wide Pass or JR East Pass, while the JR Tokaido Line is covered by all the above-mentioned passes.

Atami is built on a steep mountain slope, and its attractions are spread across a relatively wide area, making it not very walkable. It is more conveniently explored by bus or taxi.

The Yuyu Sightseeing Loop Bus (currently out of service!) is a tourist bus that serves most of the city's sightseeing spots (with the notable exception of the MOA Museum of Art) every 20–60 minutes. The bus costs 300 yen per ride and is covered by the Atami 1-Day Pass, which costs 800 yen and also covers other Tokai Bus lines around Atami, while providing discounts on admission to selected sights. It can be purchased at the Tokai Bus ticket counter at Atami Station or inside the Yuyu buses.

How to get to and around the Izu Peninsula