Atami

Located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Atami makes for a great day trip destination. Around two hours away from Tokyo by the JR train lines, Atami serves as a popular travel destination for more that 6 million Japanese tourists every year. Atami's hot spring fame is a reference to its name, which means "hot ocean". Being located on a steep hill, viewing the city from one of it's beaches gives Atami more to it's charm and grandiose.

Winter Sakura

The sakura in Atami are among the earliest cherry blossoms to bloom in Japan. While in Japan cherry blossom season starts in March, in Atami you can enjoy the fully bloomed sakura in early February.

The street along the small Itogawa River is about a 10-minute walk down from Atami Station. You can see the sakura planted on either side along the street, making for a lovely short walk. There are several small bridges along the river that serve as great areas to take some nice pictures.

Atami Castle

Atami Castle was built as a tourist attraction on a mountaintop overlooking Atami. Atami actually never had such a castle.

The touristy concrete complex houses an exhibition about the different castles of Japan. It server as one of the best sightseeing spots in Atami and it offers a scenic view of the city and the bay area.

Atami Sun Beach

At Atami Sun Beach you can find beautiful white sand and the blue sea. Because Atami is a built on a hill the beach serves as a great place to observe the city scenery.

Tips for when visiting Atami

1. Be prepared for the near two hour train trip.
2. Expect to have a lot of walking if not using the city tour buses.
3. If planning to walk on the beach bring some older shoes because you might get them dirty from the sand.
4. If visiting in February dress up nicely for the weather, snow is also an expected occurrence.
5. Have fun and enjoy your trip 😀.