Why Choose Atami? Discover One of the Best Onsen Destinations Near Tokyo

What if you could leave Tokyo after breakfast and be wriggling your toes in a natural hot spring before lunch? Just 45 minutes from Tokyo by shinkansen, Atami is one of Japan’s most accessible onsen getaways, located in Shizuoka Prefecture on the coast of Sagami Bay. And despite its convenience, the historic seaside town feels worlds away from the capital, with quaint covered shopping streets, and curving roads running between the bustling station area, and the sandy beaches down at sea level.

Atami is a shinkansen high-speed rail destination that has managed to maintain a touch of old-world charm, with retro Japanese cafes, beloved street food sellers, and traditional ryokan inns like Yuyado Ichibanchi maintaining centuries of hot spring culture, all looking out over the ocean below. And this seaside escape is surprisingly close to the big city, so all of us on the Japankuru team can vouch for Atami as one of Tokyoites’ favorite weekend destinations.

Some international travelers try to squeeze Atami into a day trip, but an overnight stay is the way to discover this charming town’s true character. From sunset baths to decadent kaiseki dinners, and sometimes even spectacular fireworks over Sagami Bay… for travelers hoping to experience an authentic Japanese hot spring town, Atami may be the most rewarding hidden gem in the Tokyo area.

2 Days in Atami: Seaside Delicacies, Steaming Hot Springs, & Showa-Era Nostalgia

Atami has long been one of Japan’s most celebrated hot spring destinations, and historical records show that even Tokugawa Ieyasu (one of the three famed “Great Unifiers” of Japan) was a big fan of Atami’s thermal waters. Later, during the Meiji and Taisho eras (1868~1926), writers, artists, and wealthy Tokyo residents began to build villas in this picturesque coastal community, turning it into an elegant seaside retreat.

Walking through Atami in this day and age, however, what really hits you is the Showa-era (1926-1989) atmosphere that still permeates the area. Retro shop signs, family-run businesses, and old-fashioned storefronts create a sense of stepping back into mid-20th-century Japan—an experience far removed from the concrete and steel of downtown Tokyo. For a breath of fresh air, laced with the salty ocean breeze and the tang of hot spring minerals, you can’t do better than a night at an Atami Onsen ryokan. Check out our easy itinerary to start planning your own trip!

2-Day Atami Onsen Travel Plan
Day 1	Day 2
Tokyo → Atami (45 minutes)	Breakfast
Street Food	Kinomiya Shrine
Check into Yuyado Ichibanchi	Atami Castle
Onsen Bath	Return to Tokyo
Kaiseki Dinner, Featuring Atami-ni
Fireworks Viewing (with good timing!)

How to Get to Atami From Tokyo

Hop on the Tokaido Shinkansen, and Atami is just 45 minutes direct from Tokyo Station. If you get on the shinkansen at Shinagawa Station, it’s literally less than 30 minutes, which is significantly less time than it takes to get from one side of Tokyo to the other! The trip couldn’t be simpler, but if you’d prefer the scenic route, you can take the local Tokaido Line instead of the shinkansen—it’s the same direct route, but about half the price, and the journey is about an hour longer.

Take a nap on the train, or watch the Japanese countryside speed past the window as the shinkansen quickly whisks you through Kanagawa and Shizuoka. You’ll be in Atami before you know it! And once you arrive, you can treat yourself to a little dip in Atami’s famous natural hot springs. Just outside Atami Station, the “Ieyasu no Yu” is a free footbath named after the famous shogun. Slip off your shoes to immerse yourself (and your feet) in Atami’s onsen culture as soon as you arrive!

Start With an Atami Street Food Tour

One of Atami’s greatest strengths is how easily it can be explored on foot, beginning with the perfect walk from the station. Just past the station gates, two lively covered shopping arcades stretch out before you: Heiwa-dori Shopping Street and Nakamise Shopping Street. Each is lined with little shops selling snacks and souvenirs, including beloved traditional cuisine, and some trendy recent additions as well. Together, these two streets have become a beloved street food destination, and the perfect place for a light lunch food tour! (Or a nice place to buy some snacks to enjoy at the hotel later.)

Head down Heiwa-dori and start with something savory and filling at Maruten, a shop specializing in fried seafood snacks, many of which come conveniently on a stick. The top-seller is their giant octopus stick, a succulent fish cake studded with satisfying chunks of octopus, but the potato and butter fish cake is another fan favorite. Stand with the rest of the street food crowd and eat in front of the shop, or head up to their little seating area to take a picture with their wall octopus.

Isoage Maruten Atami (磯揚げ まる天 熱海店)
6-3 Tawarahoncho, Atami, Shizuoka

Next, take the side street down to Nakamise to visit Atami Butter An and try their signature “Butter-An Bread,” a soft bun stuffed full of traditional Japanese sweet red bean paste and a lightly salted butter cream. The unique flavor combination is a Japanese classic, hailing from a 150-year-old confectionery, and with all the rich beans and butter, it’s a surprisingly filling snack.

Atami Butter An (又一庵謹製熱海ばたーあん)
5-11 Tawarahoncho, Atami, Shizuoka

Finally, don’t miss Atami’s most Instagram-famous dessert! Atami Pudding really does have the flavor to back up its reputation, as well as a silky custard texture that’s worth the hype, with half-a-dozen special flavors available alongside the classic caramel. Inspired by the bathhouses of Atami, the pudding is sold in containers shaped just like Japan’s retro milk bottles (a post-bath favorite in Japan), decorated with their cute hippo mascot. (The Atami Pudding merch is pretty popular too!)

Atami Pudding (熱海プリン)
3-14 Tawarahoncho, Atami, Shizuoka

The best part about this particular street food tour is that, by the time you’ve sampled some local Atami specialties and wandered through the bustling streets, you’ll find yourself standing directly in front of your onsen ryokan—all set for a relaxing afternoon!

Check In at the Best-Located Ryokan Near Atami Station: Yuyado Ichibanchi

For this trip to Atami, the Japankuru team wanted to stay in the most convenient ryokan in Atami, which made Yuyado Ichibanchi the obvious choice. This spacious onsen ryokan is located just three minutes on foot from Atami Station, right at the end of Nakamise Shopping Street—a rare advantage in a town known for steep hills and winding roads. For international travelers arriving with large suitcases, we know that kind of convenience can be a deciding factor. Instead of trying to navigate steep slopes and busy buses, you can simply stroll through the shopping streets and arrive at the hotel entrance within minutes.

Atami Onsen Yuyado Ichibanchi (熱海温泉 湯宿一番地)
1-2 Kasugacho, Atami, Shizuoka
Phone: 0557-81-36514
Directions: 3 min on foot from Atami Station (JR Tokaido Shinkansen)
Official Website (en)

Despite the location, the atmosphere beyond Yuyado Ichibanchi’s traditional noren curtains is calm and relaxing. The energy of the busy station and the crowded shopping arcades fades away, replaced by tatami mat rooms, tranquil views of the mountains along the coast, warm hospitality, and a distinctly Japanese atmosphere.

Locals will tell you—there’s no better way to spend an afternoon in Japan than relaxing at a traditional ryokan onsen.

Yuyado Ichibanchi is a classic Japanese onsen ryokan, but one unique feature is the inn’s multiple private natural hot spring sources, which supply the ryokan with an abundance of fresh thermal water, and give guests ample opportunity to immerse themselves in the authentic Atami hot spring experience. The mineral-rich waters are silky and gentle on the skin, which is perhaps why local lore tells us that Tokugawa Ieyasu would transport this bath water over 100 km to enjoy it at Edo Castle, in present-day Tokyo.

Yuyado Ichibanchi has two spacious shared baths, decorated with intricate mosaics and retro wall art, and each of those baths has both indoor and open-air areas. Sit up tall, and you can even gaze out at the ocean while you soak! There are also private baths, which have their own small relaxation rooms and local refreshments. Reserve a time slot, and you can enjoy a soak in the onsen entirely on your own, or share the bath with a partner or family.

After a soak, there are few better ways to unwind than slipping into a yukata to lounge in your room, or one of the inn’s comfortable seating areas. If you want, you can even rent a colorful yukata for outdoor use, and take a little walk in the cool evening air.

In Japan, a memorable ryokan stay includes an unforgettable dinner—it’s tradition! And Yuyado Ichibanchi offers guests a truly one-of-a-kind kaiseki-style meal. When the Japankuru team visited in early summer, we were delighted to see a series of dishes arriving at the table heavy with fresh fish straight from the Sagami Bay, colorful summer vegetables, richly marbled wagyu beef, fresh grilled abalone (a fancy add-on), and the ryokan’s signature dish, “Atami-ni.”

Atami-ni is a local specialty, kinmedai (golden eye snapper) simmered in a sweet soy-based sauce, and prepared with a unique twist: simmered umeboshi, Japan’s famous pickled plums. The tartness of the plum adds a bright note to the richly sweet-and-savory sauce, turning each tender bite of fish into an explosion of flavor. It went perfectly with the small sake flight we ordered to go with the meal! Full of local flavors and rare delicacies, this kaiseki dinner is exactly the kind of local Japanese culture that travelers rarely discover without staying overnight.

If you time your trip right, there’s one more surprise to enjoy before bed! Atami is famous for its Atami Marine Fireworks Festival, a unique fireworks event spread throughout the year. Fireworks are launched over the water multiple times each month, and while many visitors gather along the waterfront to watch, guests staying at Yuyado Ichibanchi can skip the crowds and enjoy a far more luxurious viewing experience. Perched above the coast, the ryokan offers views of both the illuminated coastline and the fireworks exploding over Sagami Bay, and many guest rooms basically offer front-row seats—it’s like watching your own private fireworks festival!

Of course, even on dates without any fireworks, the view is nothing to scoff at. We loved looking out at the waterfront, the green hills, and even Atami Castle off in the distance!

Discover Shizuoka With a Day of Atami Sightseeing

If you want to start your day in Atami like a local Japanese visitor, then you’ll take an early-morning dip in the hot springs, before settling in for another decadent ryokan meal. Yuyado Ichibanchi’s breakfast includes “himono” fish, dried and then grilled for a richer flavor, as well as freshly made tofu, a cauldron of miso soup, and a variety of flavorful side dishes to go with steaming white rice. It’s the kind of breakfast that will leave you satisfied and ready to explore the town before heading back to Tokyo!

If you want to keep floating along in a state of true relaxation, we recommend heading next to Kinomiya Shrine, which is just one stop away from Atami on the local train line. The shrine is home to a legendary camphor tree estimated to be over 2,000 years old, and the wooded grounds feel like a peaceful oasis. Despite the ancient atmosphere, however, the shrine is surprisingly modern—you’ll find comfortable seating areas scattered throughout the space, and multiple counters sell drinks and light snacks, so you can enjoy a fun cafe break and really soak up the unique ambience.

Kinomiya Shrine (來宮神社)
43-1 Nishiyamacho, Atami, Shizuoka

An iconic landmark visible from the windows at Yuyado Ichibanchi, Atami Castle is a funny spot with some amazing views. Despite its very historical look, it’s actually modern in construction—inspired by vague plans made by real samurai in the Sengoku period (15th~16th centuries). Still, the castle is one of the best vantage points in the region, offering spectacular panoramic views across Sagami Bay! It’s a great place to get an eyeful of Atami before heading back to Tokyo.

Atami Castle (熱海城)
1993 Atami, Shizuoka

Add the Perfect Overnight Trip From Tokyo to Your Itinerary

Whether you’re interested in trying new Japanese food, immersing yourself in Japanese culture, luxuriating in hot springs, or just taking in some gorgeous ocean scenery, Atami delivers an impressive variety of experiences within a compact, walkable destination—largely thanks to the convenience and facilities of Yuyado Ichibanchi. So eat your way through the retro shopping streets, soak in hot springs fed by two private natural sources, sample kinmedai flavored with umeboshi, look out over the bay, and consider sharing your appreciation of Atami with the Shinto gods at Kinomiya Shrine. If you want to experience Atami at its fullest, an overnight stay at Yuyado Ichibanchi is the perfect place to begin!

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