Atami is celebrated as one of the finest hot spring resorts in Japan. It is said that not only did Tokugawa Ieyasu visit Atami Onsen for a hot-spring cure, but he also had the restoratively gentle spa water transported to Edo Castle. Conveniently located only 40 minutes from Tokyo by bullet train, the area comes alive with visitors on weekends. Held not only in summer, but more than 10 times annually throughout the entire year, the famous "Atami Fireworks Festival" is an event not to be missed during a visit to Atami.

Atami Onsen has an abundance of thermal spring water, and at seven spots in town, known as the "Seven Hot Springs of Atami," you can see the hot spring water gushing out. There are many facilities in town where visitors can enjoy day-trip bathing, including baths that retain the atmosphere of the Meiji Era and those that have preserved fully tiled bathrooms, allowing visitors to experience bathing in a public bathhouse with a retro atmosphere.
Although there are many eateries in the city, there are very few chain restaurants, and locally established businesses compete to offer the best flavors and service daily. Eating Atami delicacies while gazing at the ocean is an experience that can only be found here.

The Atami Heiwadori Shopping Street is one of the places you should definitely visit on a trip to Atami. Located right next to Atami Station on the JR Tokaido Line, it is a dynamic shopping area. There are many and various stores, including souvenir shops selling Atami, Izu, and Shizuoka specialties such as hot spring buns, as well as restaurants where visitors can taste local foods. The arcade is often showcased in Japanese TV programs and magazines and attracts many visitors to Atami. Walking along the shopping street, one can bask in the atmosphere of a Japanese hot spring town. When you visit the shopping arcade, please take a moment to touch the "Fukufuku-no-yu" fountain, which was created by locals out of a desire to evoke the warmth of the Atami hot springs in visitors’ memories.

In Atami, visitors appreciate nature throughout the four seasons. Around January, visitors can enjoy not only Japan's earliest plum blossoms but also Atami cherry trees, which share with Okinawa's scarlet sakura the title of earliest blooming cherry blossoms in the Japanese archipelago; in May come romantic azaleas and roses; and from June, bougainvillea and jacaranda flower in an explosion of color. From November to December, you can behold late fall changing leaves and enjoy the sight of vividly colored trees along the seashore, by the river, and tucked away in alleys throughout the city. During the same period, visitors can also see the rare "Himalayan Cherry Blossoms" with their beautiful pale pink flowers.