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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Atami
熱海
Go for one night: a hot-spring hotel, the MOA art museum and the castle, 50 min from Tokyo by Kodama shinkansen (about ¥3,740 unreserved).
Atami is a hot-spring resort town on the east coast of the Izu Peninsula, about 50 minutes from Tokyo by shinkansen. It has been a spa town since the 8th century and is counted among Japan's three great hot springs. The seafront is built up with large hotels, but the beach, the hillside museums and the onsen are the draw. One night is enough for most trips; two if you want to slow down or dive.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 熱海
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Golden Week, New Year
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥7,000–11,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥11,000–18,000 excl. bed · High ¥18,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English) 050-3816-2787
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or a drink at a café | ¥400–700 |
| Sushi or seafood bowl near the fish shops | ¥1,500–3,000 |
| Onsen day-use bath | ¥500–1,360 |
| MOA Museum of Art entry | ¥1,600 |
| Atami Castle entry | ¥1,200 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | ¥1,500–2,200 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥2,000–4,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HND · Haneda
- Keikyu to Shinagawa (about ¥300), then Kodama or Hikari shinkansen; about 1 h 15 min total
- NRT · Narita
- Narita Express to Shinagawa, then shinkansen; about 2 h total
Typical fares
- Tokyo → Atami, Kodama shinkansen unreserved
- about ¥3,740, 50 min
- Haneda → Atami via Shinagawa
- about ¥4,040 total, 1 h 15 min
- YuYu tourist bus, one day
- about ¥800
Get around
The centre is compact and walkable, but the town climbs a steep hillside. Buses link the station to the MOA Museum of Art and other sights; the YuYu tourist bus loops the main attractions including Atami Castle (¥800). Taxis wait at the station. Two car-rental offices sit across from the station.
See and do
Known for
- Hot springs (onsen)
- MOA Museum of Art
- Atami Castle
- Atami Sun Beach
- Ume blossoms in March
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ito | JR Ito Line from Atami, about 25 min | About 40 min |
| Izunokuni | JR to Izu-Nagaoka, about 40 min, then bus | About 1 h |
| Mishima | Kodama shinkansen, about 15 min | About 30 min |
| Kawazu | JR Ito Line to Kawazu, about 50 min | About 1 h |
| Shimoda | JR Ito Line to Ito, then Izu Kyuko to Shimoda, about 1 h 40 min total | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Atami Station area
- Steps from the shinkansen, the free foot bath and the bus stops; best for one night with bags.
- Sun Beach and seafront
- Hotels facing the water, 10–15 min walk downhill from the station; the tourist association office is here.
- Hillside above the station
- Quieter spa hotels and the road up to the MOA museum; buses run from the station.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| This one, please | これをくださいkore o kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- The town map marks hot-spring sources, not baths: check before you set out for a soak.
- Public onsen are few; most bathing is inside hotels, so book a hotel with a bath or check day-use options.
- The hillside is steep and buses are infrequent; allow extra time or take a taxi.
- Summer weekends and Golden Week fill the beach hotels: book ahead.
Atami is a safe, small resort town. The real risks are the steep hillside, summer heat on the beach and hotel touts: book your own room and keep to lit streets after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Atami yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Hot springs (onsen)
- MOA Museum of Art
- Atami Castle
- Atami Sun Beach
- Ume blossoms in March
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Atami City Tourist Association (Japanese, with translation): www.ataminews.gr.jp/
- Atami Castle: atamijyo.com/
- Wikivoyage: Atami, revision 5278606 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5278606
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Atami熱海
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787
No embassies in Atami; most are in Tokyo. The US embassy is in Tokyo (check the address).
The station foot bath is free and open until the evening; a vending machine nearby sells towels.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/atami). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.