Shizuoka, Chubu
Ryokans in Izu & Atami
The nearest coast to Tokyo with real hot spring water, where the bath faces the sea and dinner comes off the boats. Close enough that a single night makes sense.
The peninsula splits into six areas, and the east and west coasts are nothing alike.
Image placeholder: Izu coast photography to be added
Izu & Atami at a glance
- From Tokyo
- Under an hour to Atami by shinkansen; around two and a half hours to Shimoda
- What it is
- A warm coastal peninsula of small towns, not one resort
- At dinner
- Seafood, and a lot of it, since the boats land within sight of the inns
- Getting around
- Trains along the east coast; a car for the west
Inns in Izu & Atami
We are still verifying inns in this region, and we would rather show you nothing than something we have not checked. Kyoto is finished, and this page is next.
Where to stay in Izu & Atami
The east coast is a train ride, the west coast is a drive, and the middle is neither. Decide that first and the rest follows.
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Atami
The closest onsen town to Tokyo and the busiest. Steep streets above a bay, and the easiest place to spend a single night.
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Ito
A working town with a long bathing history and more reasonable rates than Atami, half an hour further down the coast.
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Izu-Kogen and Jogasaki
Cliffs, pine woods and coastal walking paths, with small inns scattered along the plateau rather than clustered in a town.
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Shimoda and Shirahama
The southern tip, with white sand beaches and the warmest winters. The furthest to reach and the most like a holiday.
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Shuzenji and central Izu
Inland bamboo and river gorge, reached by a branch line from Mishima. The classic choice if you want a town you can walk.
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West coast
Fishing villages facing Suruga Bay, where the sunset goes down behind Mount Fuji on clear evenings. A car helps considerably.
Getting there and getting around
Atami is the gateway and is remarkably close: the shinkansen from Tokyo takes well under an hour. From there the Izukyu line runs down the east coast to Ito, the plateau and Shimoda, and some direct limited express services from Tokyo run all the way through. For Shuzenji and central Izu, change at Mishima instead.
The east coast works fine by train. The west coast does not, because the railway does not go there. Buses run, but a hire car turns a difficult day into an easy one, and the coastal road is the reason people go.
What to check before you book
- Whether the inn meets you at the station, since coastal properties can be a long climb
- Whether the bath faces the sea, which is what you are paying the premium for
- How dinner handles shellfish and raw fish, if that matters to anyone in your party
- Weekend and holiday rates, which move more here than in most regions
Our booking guide covers what these terms mean on Japanese reservation pages.
When to visit
| Season | What it is like | Booking |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Blossom early, and the peninsula greens up before the rest of the region | Busy over the early-May holidays |
| Summer | Beach season, warm sea, and crowds from Tokyo at weekends | The hardest weekends of the year; midweek is fine |
| Autumn | Settled weather, clear air and the best sea views | Comfortable, outside the November weekends |
| Winter | Mild by Japanese standards, with plum and early cherry blossom | Quiet and good value, apart from New Year |
Not set on Izu & Atami?
Compare it with the other regions we cover, or see every inn currently featured on the site.