Atami: Sun, sand, sea, sex and gardens in a day

With the cooler temperatures of a Tokyo fall in sight, the sun lovers are trying to squeeze in one more day at the beach before nature flips the switch and onsen season hits us.

Fortunately, no matter which camp you belong to, nearby Atami in Shizuoka Prefecture has got the options covered.

Hot water

Built on the slopes of a volcanic caldera, Atami literally means “hot sea,” a reference to the hot springs that abound there. Even as far back as the 8th century, the area was known for the quality and quantity of its onsen.

The shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu was said to have been so impressed by the properties of the water that he had barrels of it hauled at great expense to his Tokyo base.

Atami's big boom began in 1950, when it was declared an International Tourism and Culture City by the Japanese government.

Unlike many Japanese beaches, Atami is rarely uncomfortably crowded.

Its popularity only grew when it became a stop on the Tokaido Shinkansen, and during the bubble years it was packed to the gills every weekend with corporate retreats and vacationing families.

After the economic troubles of the 1990s, its popularity declined somewhat, leaving it today with a faded charm, as well as cheaper prices and fewer crowds.

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It's easy to find hot springs open for day visitors all around town, but Chikurin-an-mizuno offers lovely views of the bay, private baths that can be reserved for couples and 1.6 hectares of forested grounds to explore.

Also worth considering is Atami Seaside Spa and Resort, which is centrally located and very English-friendly.

Even a walk around town can be onsen-oriented. There are seven small monuments to the original seven springs of Atami, known as Atami Nanayu.

Tourist information at the station has maps with the monuments marked and children can collect a different stamp at each one in the great Japanese stamp-rally tradition.

Hit the beach

The seaside of Atami curves around a crescent of sand known as Sun Beach. It was artificially created in the 1960s and ringed by rows of palm trees, giving it a more tropical and resort-like feel than other beaches around Tokyo.

During the day, bathers of every age sprawl under umbrellas and splash in the waves, but by night, Sun Beach is the haunt of young couples out for a romantic stroll.

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One of Atami's most obvious landmarks is found along the beach, a statue depicting a scene from Koyo Ozaki's classic novel, “The Gold Demon,” which was set in Atami.

The Western-style foliage at Akao Herb and Rose Garden will have you forgetting what continent you're on.

The young man Kanichi is shown kicking his lover Omiya, who had just left him for a banker's son, and shouting at her, "You have been blinded by a diamond!" Next to it stands the sprawling pine tree under which the scene is supposed to have taken place.

The beach also hosts fireworks displays year round, with 5,000 rockets sent up over the waters of the bay each time.

Art, love and afters ...

If you've thoroughly relaxed the body at the beach or onsen, you may want to give your mind some love as well. Atami is home to the MOA Museum of Art, whose collection is packed with thousands of pieces of Oriental artwork and crafts, including three National Treasures and 65 designated as important cultural properties.

The museum also hosts activities such as flower arranging and tea ceremony demonstrations.

The botanically inclined will want to visit the Akao Herb and Rose Garden, a terraced garden that sits atop the hills south of town.

There are 14 different areas, each with its own theme, including a Japanese-style rock garden with a 600-year-old bonsai tree said to be the largest in the country.

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More than 1,500 different species can be seen in the park, including hundreds of varieties of roses. There is also a craft center where visitors can try their hands at flower-themed projects.

And for anyone thinking of matrimony, they have an aptly named Proposal Garden where besotted lovers can pop the question.

Perhaps a logical progression, there’s also the highly popular Hinoukan adults-only sex museum. 

You haven't lived until you've seen, among other frisky displays, erotic woodblock prints, giant reproductions of whale genitals and holographic porn.

Getting stuffed

Being on the ocean, the seafood in Atami is top-notch, with many of the onsen resorts offering combined bathing and lunch set plans.

Oranges are plentiful in the area as well and you can buy bags of them at the souvenir shops, along with orange-flavored sweets of all shapes and sizes.

Mmm, split open and dried red fish, anyone?

Another local specialty is deep-fried fish paste that can be eaten hot or cold.

If you've got the time, the brewery and original tap room of popular micro-brewer Baird Beer are located in nearby Numazu, about 20 minutes away on the JR Tokaido Line.

Let them know ahead of time (055 963 2628) if you’re going to stop in for a pint and you may be able to tour their brew house too. Sounds like a perfect way to end the day before heading back to Tokyo.