Welcome to #TravelTuesdays! This will feature my travel updates every Tuesday of the week. This is to give my Explorer soul an opportunity to not only share places of interests, but also my travel diaries. Enjoy fresh travel scoops weekly! For now, #TravelTuesdays will feature my Japan Travel Series. I hope you enjoy my Japan travel diaries weekly!
If you want to spend a worthwhile day in Atami City in Shizuoka, this article is for you.
Atami City is one of the darlings of Shizuoka. It might not have a closer view of Mt. Fuji, but it sure does have a lot of things that people would definitely need to try and visit. This article is for those who wants to learn about the must-goto places of Atami, specifically those would are asking what locations would be perfect for a Day Trip to this popular beach city. If you are dying to know all of those, then read ahead!
Dropping by Atami City for a day is a part of my 3-day trip in the upper Izu Peninsula, where I visited Atami City, Itou City, and Izu City. I originally wanted to go to Shimoda and surf since it was the end of September– the last chance to go to the beach before Autumn starts. However, it rained during those 3 days so I instead of heading to the beach, I just worked my way around those 3 beautiful aforementioned cities.
Atami City has a lot to offer. It is primarily popular because of its beaches and its Onsen (hotspring) but aside from those two, Atami still has a lot of places that people should check out. They have places where you can feast on Seafoods. They have shrines, a castle, and many gardens! A glimpse of that is what I am going to show you later. But first, just a disclaimer; if your plan is to go beachin’ in Atami, this itinerary is not for you. I believe, if one wants to go beaching in Atami, you would need to spend a day for that alone. Therefore, if you’d like to go to the beach as well as try these things I will be listing below, you should spend 2 days in Atami for that.
Let’s start with our trip!
10AM: Shop and have Brunch at Heiwa Street
I arrived at Atami Station from Numazu City at around 9am. The trip took me around 30 minutes via JR Ordinary Train for ¥510. When I arrived there, the very first thing that caught my attention was the Foot Spa right outside the train station.
“This really is Atami.” Was the first words that came to my mouth. Atami is madly known for its Onsens after all.
I wanted to try the Foot Spa but my tummy was already growling because I only had coffee for breakfast. So I right then walked to Heiwa Street to find breakfast! Heiwa Street is a Shopping District located right outside Atami Station.
Just like all the other Shopping Districts in Japan, you can find anything in Heiwa Street. Although it is not as big as the Doutonbori of Osaka, it still has its own charm. You can find a lot of shops and products there, including sweets, Ramen, Soba, and many more. However, if there is one thing that Heiwa Street has a lot of, that would be Seafoods. Many stores sell dried fishes. There are even restaurants inside Heiwa Street that will allow you to choose live fishes and cook them in front of you. I had my breakfast there. So should you! Immerse in the culture!
Right after you drop the things you shopped from Heiwa to your bags in the lockers, it’s time for your next destination.
12PM: Watch Atami City on Top of Atami Castle
Right after having breakfast, I actually went first to Akao Herbs and Rose Garden, but as what I said in my blog about Akao, it is better to visit Atami Castle first because it is only along the way to Akao. So I’m listing this item first in this itinerary because this time, we know better.
Entrance Fee
Yes, I got you covered!
Judging from the trees around the castle, I think it would be best to visit Atami Castle during Spring because there were many Cherry Blossom trees around.
Unlike all the other castles that I’ve been to before, Atami Castle doesn’t really have a huge gallery. It only houses many miniatures and paintings of castles all around Japan, some traditional artifacts, and some old paintings of ancient Japan’s porn. laughs However, those are not the things you would like to experience in Atami Castle. What you definitely want to see in Atami Castle is the view of Atami City from the high vantage point.
Yes, that’s beautiful Atami from the viewpoint of Atami Castle. You definitely can’t miss that!
1PM: Stroll around Akao Herbs and Rose Garden
From Atami Castle, there is a bus to Akao Herbs and Rose Garden. I didn’t ride it because I only walked to those two locations. However, I highly suggest that you ride the bus. I kinda regretted that I chose walking because the path is definitely scary. There were no people around the pathway and you’ll be greeted by huge forest at the side of the road. So choose safety. Just take the time and ride the bus.
Akao is a whole new level of paradise. Read my whole adventure in Akao Herbs and Rose Garden here: Dropping by Akao Herbs and Rose Garden.
I suggest you take your time and enjoy Akao Herbs and Rose Garden. It is such a great place to relax and be with nature. Three (3) hours there is definitely worth it. So go ahead and enjoy your picnic and take a lot of pictures.
Right after Akao, I rode the bus back to Atami Station for ¥290.
4PM: Relieve your stress at Nikkou-Tei Oo-Yu Hotspring (日航亭大湯温泉)
Atami Onsen is very famous all around Japan. In order to make sure you spent your trip right, you definitely should soak into one of the Atami Onsens.
One of the must-try Onsens in Atami is the Nikkou-Tei Oo-Yu. Why? Because this Onsen is historical! The famous Tokugawa Ieyasu is said to have bathed into this very Onsen. This is the main reason why I chose to visit this Onsen above all the others.
Tokugawa Ieyasu (德川家康) was the founder and first shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three “Great Unifiers” of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_Ieyasu
It is said that bathing in Nikkou-Tei Oo-Yu will bring success to the person. According to NAVITIME Japan Travel; “The 10-meters stone-lined outdoor bath is surrounded by a verdant bamboo grove, comfortably able to accommodate large numbers of guests. There are also family baths that can be reserved for 40-minute periods.”
Tip: Make sure to rent both the huge towel for your body and the small white towel for you to use on your head during the bath.
What I love about Nikkou-Tei Oo-Yu is its traditional and serene surroundings. It’s such an old place. It has been modernized but I really appreciate that they try to maintain an ancient vibe in the area.
After the bath, you can take your time and rest at the lounge as long as you like. You can even bring food and talk with friends in there, all while enjoying the serenity of the place.
6PM: Eat Ramen for Dinner
After having my 40-minute Onsen bath, I stayed in the lounge for an hour to chill. After that I set off to walk back to Atami Station. Yes, the distance from Nikkou-Tei Oo-Yu to Atami Station is walkable. Since I love walking and saving up money, I decided to just walk on my way back to the station. While walking, I passed by a Ramen store at the side of the road. Unfortunately, I forgot the Ramen store but I know that if you’ll just follow Google Maps as you walk, you’ll definitely pass by it so just keep the faith. laughs
I forgot the actual price of that Ramen but I’m sure that is well below ¥900. Very affordable and yummy! If you are a tourist in Japan, you definitely should try all kinds of Ramen! There might be specific qualities that are alike in each Ramen but the taste of each Ramen differs per store. That’s why I really love trying all sorts of Ramen stores around Japan. Ramen is just something that you just can’t stop exploring and eating. Definitely a must-try!
7:30PM: Back to Atami Station and on to the Next Adventure!
Right after arriving to Atami Station, I took my suitcase from the locker and straightaway road another JR Train to Itou City! Watch out for that next adventure right here in my blog! Follow my blog to keep yourself updated. Until then!
Expenses (¥5310)
- Breakfast: ¥1000
- Bus to Atami Castle: ¥250
- Atami Castle: ¥1000
- Bus to Akao: ¥170
- Bus back to Atami Station: ¥290
- Nikkou-Tei Oo-Yu: Onsen (¥1000) + Towels (¥200 Face Towel, ¥400 Bath Towel)
- Dinner: ¥1000
All love,
