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Atami packs museums, shrines, a hilltop castle and a working beach into a compact bay-side town reachable in about 40 minutes from Tokyo Station. Most sights sit within a 15-minute bus or taxi ride of JR Atami Station, and this list pairs each stop with its hours and admission so you can plan a one or two day visit. See our where to stay in Atami guide to turn a day trip into an onsen weekend, or start with the Atami travel guide overview of the whole town.
Things to Do in Atami: Museums and the Castle
MOA Museum of Art
This clifftop museum holds a collection of about 3,500 works built around the Okada Mokichi collection, including National Treasures and East Asian painting and lacquerware. Entry is 2,000 yen for adults and 1,400 yen for students, open 9:30 to 16:30 with last entry at 16:00 and closed Thursdays unless it is a national holiday. Take the bus from stop 8 outside JR Atami Station for about 8 minutes.
Atami Castle
Atami Castle is a 1959 hilltop tower rather than a feudal keep, and its draw is a 360-degree panorama over Sagami Bay and the town. It is open 9:00 to 17:00 with no closing days, admission 1,200 yen for adults and 650 yen for children. Ride the Atami Ropeway up for 900 yen round trip, or walk. A foot bath on the lower floor is free with admission. The clearest bay views come in the dry winter months, as our best time to visit Atami guide explains.
Things to Do in Atami: Shrines and Gardens
Kinomiya Shrine and the Great Camphor Tree
The 2,000-year-old camphor tree at Kinomiya Shrine has a trunk circumference of about 24m and is a designated national Natural Monument. The shrine grounds are open 24 hours, the worship office runs 9:00 to 17:00, and admission is free. Walk 15 minutes from Atami Station or take the JR Ito Line one stop to Kinomiya Station and walk 3 minutes. Kinomiya is also the quiet neighborhood covered in our Atami neighborhoods guide.
Atami Plum Garden
Opened in 1886, the Atami Plum Garden holds 472 plum trees of 59 varieties and is known as Japan’s earliest-blooming plum garden. It is free outside festival season and 300 yen during the plum festival from January to early March, 100 yen if you are staying at an Atami hotel. Take an Izu Hakone bus from JR Atami Station for about 15 minutes to the Umezono stop. The garden blooms earlier than anywhere else in Japan, a result of the mild winter documented in our Atami weather by month guide.
Izusan Shrine
Izusan Shrine, on the hillside south of town, is tied to the legend of the hot spring that gave Atami its name. The grounds are free and the approach is a short bus ride from the station, with views back over the bay. Combine it with a stop at the Akao Herb and Rose Garden, which has 12 themed gardens on the slope below.
Things to Do in Atami: Beach, Onsen and the Bay
Atami Sun Beach
Sun Beach is the town’s main swimming beach, a 15-minute walk from the station, with lifeguards and swimming from mid-July through August. Entry is free. The palm-lined promenade links it to Atami Port and is the main viewing spot for the free sea fireworks shows in our events and festivals in Atami calendar. Evening beach stalls sell festival food from around 15:00 on fireworks nights.
Atami Onsen Foot Baths
Atami has public foot baths scattered through the town centre, including the Ieyasu no Yu outside the station, and most are free. If you want a full soak without an overnight stay, day-use onsen plans at local ryokans typically cost 800 to 1,500 yen. Check our Atami travel tips page for onsen etiquette before you go.
