Gentle Atami: Nostalgic Moments on the Izu Peninsula

By TRAVELER Luxe Traveler

 

If there’s one tranquil day when you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, head to Atami. This hot spring mountain town on the Izu Peninsula can be reached just 13 minutes from Haneda Airport to Shinagawa Station, then just 55 minutes by Shinkansen, and you’ll arrive at this hot spring resort beloved by Tokugawa Ieyasu. As you step out of Atami Station, you’ll find a foot bath where you can immediately experience the town’s thermal waters. Wander into the shopping street in front of the station to try steam-baked hot spring manju, and check out the dried fish hanging on racks—the most iconic local specialty. This mountain town, made famous by Japan’s novel “The Golden Demon,” awaits your visit.

As dusk falls over the coast, gently veiling the sea in a thin veil, we arrive in the evening at Hotel New Akao, perched on a cliff. Walking along the corridor into the lobby, floor-to-ceiling windows frame the ocean view, while an elaborately carved interior style sees crystal chandeliers casting light down onto a crimson floral carpet. A server hands you an ice-cold drink, taking the edge off the summer heat, as the sound of a guzheng ushers you into the glamorous 1960s.

Step into the elevator, and as it descends from above, with the shifting sunlight, we gradually get to know this 250-room Hotel New Akao. Transformed from a small inn fifty years ago, the hotel is built along the mountainside, with its lobby located on the top floor, the 17th. Upon first visit, you might pause for a moment upon entering the elevator before pressing the correct floor. Arriving at your tatami room for the night, Atami lies right at your feet. Though the windows are closed, you can still faintly hear the gentle lapping of waves, whispering softly.

Dinner is held in the banquet hall, within a circular theater featuring a dedicated stage. Long tables are set, but the most eye-catching feature is the floor-to-ceiling window that reveals a cliff rising straight out of the sea. Bathed in the amber glow of twilight and warm lighting, it shimmers faintly. We enjoy a kaiseki dinner under the night sky, with fresh seasonal ingredients that require only simple preparation to shine. Western oldies play on the stage, turning back the clock, while the cheerful laughter of the band’s singers kicks off the night at Hotel New Akao.

 

The most anticipated part of the experience begins with the open-air hot springs. The men’s and women’s baths each offer distinct views—one presents an unobstructed seascape of sea and sky, while the other is backed by rugged rock walls. With mist swirling and a gentle sea breeze blowing, your body relaxes completely, as if floating. Outside the baths, the night is lively. The tavern stalls of “Akao Yokocho,” along with balloon-dart games and nostalgic snacks, kick off a small summer festival. After a tipsy, contented evening, drift off to sleep.

On a clear day, the cliff scenery seen last night transforms in daylight into a landscape painting. And the family-friendly hotel offers more than just that. Take a bus for less than five minutes to reach the “Akao Herb & Rose Garden.” Winding up the mountain road to the garden’s highest point, you’re greeted by blooming flora on both sides. It’s a land overtaken by greenery—a vast 200,000-square-meter space that can’t be taken in all at once. In addition to greenhouses and herb workshops, the Mille Fiore Restaurant isn’t just the “largest bonsai museum in the world,” it also features Japan’s largest pine bonsai exhibit. Centered around the theme of “bonsai,” it displays not only massive specimens but also smaller ones. Looking out from the garden paths, the sea is always nearby, making you feel as though you’re “living by the ocean.”