ATAMI熱海市
A familiar resort for Tokyoites, Atami is a seaside location on Shizuoka Prefecture’s Izu Peninsula. Long-known as a venue for enjoying a hot spring soak by the sea, and a notable retreat for artists and writers, Atami boomed during the post-war bubble years thanks to its proximity to Tokyo, aided by the establishment of a bullet train stop there.
Although those halcyon days are long over, Atami still attracts a large number of visitors, and its buildings and shops retain a certain Showa-era charm. The coastline is pretty, and ascending to the hills above the town, either by car, ropeway or on foot, affords rewarding views of the town, its hilly backdrop, the sea, as well as the tiny island of Hatsushima and the larger Oshima to the southeast.
One of the 100 hidden towns in Japan chosen for this publication.