Among Shizuoka Prefecture, Hamamatsu, possessing Lake Hamana which combines the blessings of the sea and rivers, is a sightseeing spot with rarely-seen distinct characteristics. Featuring famous castles like Hamamatsu Castle, hot springs around Lake Hamana, and Lake Hamana’s famous “eel,” here is an introduction to a recommended sightseeing route around Lake Hamana.

Recommended Hotel: Okura Act City Hotel Hamamatsu

When traveling with someone special, stay at a wonderful hotel and enjoy a wonderful time together.

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Here are the best hotels in Hamamatsu City!

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Okura Act City Hotel Hamamatsu

Hamamatsu and Lake Hamana Recommended Sightseeing Route

1. Rent a Car at Hamamatsu Station

2. Stroll Around Hamamatsu Castle

3. Lake Hamana Unagi Restaurant

4. Ropeway

5. Relaxing at Kanzanji Onsen

6. Unagi Pie Factory

For the Hamamatsu and Lake Hamana recommended sightseeing route, renting a car at the station and traveling by car is recommended.

Renting a Car at Hamamatsu Station

For the Hamamatsu and Lake Hamana route, traveling by car is recommended. Getting off at Hamamatsu Station, renting a car and touring around is recommended.

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Strolling Through Hamamatsu Castle

At the beginning of the sightseeing route, “Hamamatsu Castle” located within Hamamatsu City is recommended. Gazing over the cityscape of Hamamatsu from the castle tower of Hamamatsu Castle, then having tea at the atmosphere-rich Starbucks next to the Hamamatsu Castle parking lot makes a wonderful start to a day.

From Hamamatsu Station to Hamamatsu Castle takes about minutes by car; first, build up excitement at a sightseeing spot you can go to right after renting a car.

Route from Hamamatsu Station to Hamamatsu Castle

Detailed sightseeing guidance for Hamamatsu Castle is here.

Recommended

Highlights & How to Enjoy Hamamatsu Castle in Shizuoka

Among the sightseeing spots in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka, “Hamamatsu Castle” is an easily accessible and impressive attraction highly recommended for visitors. This article introduces the charms and key highlights of Hamamatsu Castle, as well as a wonderful Starbucks store located within the castle grounds.

＼ Features a Recommended Starbucks Spot ／

Click here for the article: Highlights & How to Enjoy Hamamatsu Castle in Shizuoka

The view of downtown Hamamatsu from the castle tower is captivating!

Head Straight to an “Eel” Restaurant at Lake Hamana

After Hamamatsu Castle, head straight by driving the car to the eel restaurant “Hamanoki” on the shore of Lake Hamana. Inside “Hamanoki” is spacious with many tables, but during high season it gets crowded, so advance reservation by phone or the like is recommended.

Plump eel eaten while gazing at the stunning view of Lake Hamana is truly exquisite.

Route from Hamamatsu Castle to Hamanoki

From Hamamatsu Castle to Hamanoki takes about 25 minutes by car, making a just-right drive; also, after going up and down Hamamatsu Castle since morning, it comes at a good timing when you just get hungry.

Ropeway and Music Box Museum

The recommendation to overlook Lake Hamana is “Kanzanji Ropeway.” It is rare as the only ropeway in Japan that crosses over a lake. Ascending via the ropeway while overlooking Lake Hamana, an observation deck and a music box museum are waiting.

It is a ropeway trip of about 5 minutes. The view of Lake Hamana is beautiful.

Route from Hamanoki to Kanzanji Ropeway

From Hamanoki to the Kanzanji Ropeway station is 2 minutes by car. Extremely close.

Observation Deck

Speaking of observation decks, they are a lovers’ sanctuary; the collaboration between the bell at the observation deck and the stunning view of Lake Hamana is photo-worthy.

Music Box Museum

After the observation deck, you can enter the Music Box Museum as is. You can listen to live music box performances while listening to explanations by staff, and you can also appreciate displays of music boxes from all times and places.

Many wonderful souvenir music boxes are also sold, so shopping for souvenirs or a music box for yourself is also fun.

Relaxing at Kanzanji Onsen

Getting off the ropeway, open-air baths and a pool with stunning views overlooking Lake Hamana at “Lake Hamana Kanzanji Onsen Kanzanji Sago Royal Hotel” are recommended.

The rooftop open-air bath overlooking Lake Hamana is a hexagonal bath (temperature is somewhat hot), built like an observation deck; looking over Lake Hamana unclothed with both arms spread out feels extremely good. For families or dates with lovers, enjoying at the pool is also wonderful.

You can enter the baths on a day trip, but for those who want to enjoy Lake Hamana’s open-air baths at sunset or open-air baths with beautiful night lights, staying overnight to relax is also recommended.

Route from Kanzanji Ropeway to Kanzanji Sago Royal Hotel

This is also about 2 minutes by car, close to the point of not getting lost.

Unagi Pie Factory

At the Unagi Pie Factory, you can tour the factory for “Unagi Pie.” This is unexpectedly fun! It is a spot you should definitely visit.

The small exhibitions at the Unagi Pie Factory are also heart-warming. Of course, you can also buy “Unagi Pie,” making a just-right souvenir for the trip.

Route from Kanzanji Sago Royal Hotel to Unagi Pie Factory

About 17 minutes by car, situated in a just-right location as you can drop by on the way back from Lake Hamana.

If Enjoying Hamamatsu Cuisine for a Late-Night Meal: “Gozarou”

If you want to enjoy delicious cuisine in Hamamatsu, “Gozarou” is a recommended shop. Located in the station’s entertainment district, the inside of the shop is calm, comfortable with adult-oriented interior décor. Staff hospitality is high, and both food and alcohol are delicious.

Elaborate dishes can be enjoyed one by one. Hamamatsu, while having seafood unique to the seaside, also has a unique fishing ground called Lake Hamana where fish unique to brackish lakes can be enjoyed, making it an irresistible city for gourmets; please enjoy the many delicious dishes.

location

Located between Hamamatsu Castle and Hamamatsu Station, stopping by on the way back to eat delicious food is nice. It is a popular shop, so reservation is recommended.

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Make a reservation for “Gozarou” on Tabelog here.

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Summary: Hamamatsu and Lake Hamana Recommended Sightseeing Route Guidance and Model Course

The Hamamatsu and Lake Hamana area is a sightseeing destination condensed with diverse charms, ranging from historical spots associated with Tokugawa Ieyasu to stunning views over the lake, and “eel” known nationwide. By using a car, you can enjoy these scattered famous spots efficiently and freely.

1. Rent a Car at Hamamatsu Station

2. Stroll Around Hamamatsu Castle

3. Lake Hamana Unagi Restaurant

4. Ropeway

5. Relaxing at Kanzanji Onsen

6. Unagi Pie Factory

Hamamatsu, where sea, mountains, lakes, and historic streetscapes coexist. It is an optimal area for dates with precious people, family trips, or touring around freely by yourself. Please try finding your own favorite spots and thoroughly enjoy the rich charms of Lake Hamana.

For a Wonderful Hotel in Hamamatsu City: “Okura Act City Hotel Hamamatsu”

Hamamatsu City is actually a recommended sightseeing destination where you can enjoy not only Hamamatsu Castle, but also hot spring tours at Lake Hamana, gourmet food like eel, and water sports unique to Lake Hamana. It is fun whether going as a couple, with family, or among friends.

Since you are making a special trip, you want to carefully select the hotel you stay at and stay at a wonderful hotel.

Recommended Hotel: Okura Act City Hotel Hamamatsu

When traveling with someone special, stay at a wonderful hotel and enjoy a wonderful time together.

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Here are the best hotels in Hamamatsu City!

Click here for hotel details and reservations on Agoda.

Worried about availability? Book early!

Okura Act City Hotel Hamamatsu

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A recommended tourist spot in Shizuoka’s Hamamatsu City that is located within Hamamatsu City, easy to access, and grand as a tourist attraction is “Hamamatsu Castle.”

When coming to Hamamatsu, I hear that ‘Hamamatsu Castle’ is wonderful, but how is it actually?

Hamamatsu Castle is located within Hamamatsu City, so its good location makes it easy to go to. The size of the castle is sufficiently spacious and well worth seeing, making it one of the tourist spots representing Hamamatsu City.

In this article, we introduce the charms and recommended points of “Hamamatsu Castle,” as well as the “recommended Starbucks” on the grounds of Hamamatsu Castle.

Charms of “Hamamatsu Castle”

Hamamatsu Cityscape Seen from the Castle Tower

The castle tower of Hamamatsu Castle is a castle reconstructed in the Showa era (1958), but the upper floor is an observation deck, allowing an expansive view of the Hamamatsu cityscape. Truly because it is a castle, the castle tower is built at a height akin to a high hill; viewing from above offers a panorama from quite a height, making it suited for a full view of the cityscape.

Telescopes are also installed, but even without a telescope, the height and closeness are sufficient to thoroughly enjoy the scenery and cityscape. The sea visible in the distance and the bridges appearing over the sea are also wonderful, so you should definitely climb up and take a look. Thinking that the whole area visible from here used to be a castle town in the past brings a strange feeling again.

Exhibits Inside the Castle Tower Are Also Deeply Quaint

Exhibits inside the castle tower also include deeply quaint displays. Looking around carefully seems like it would take about 30 minutes to 1 hour. As expected of Hamamatsu, there is an impression of many exhibits associated with Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu.

There were stairs leading to the basement, and since no one was going down, I went down to see, and it was a well. I see, this in itself might be a little scary. Many coins were fallen inside the well. Everyone threw in small change with their wishes. Whether it is okay to throw them in, I do not know.

The Path Heading to the Castle Tower is Truly Castle-Climbing and Quaint

Castles from the Warring States period are, after all, castles for defense, giving a feel where the castle tower comes on top of a mountain, making it a mountain climb at a light hiking level. Among that, because you climb while looking at the castle’s stone walls and turrets, you will not get bored. There are times when it is a bit tough physically, so when climbing in the summer heat, please hydrate well.

Since the castle tower of Hamamatsu Castle is quite far up on the top, let’s approach it expecting “there are many uphill paths”! If you get exhausted along the way, the mindset of climbing while taking breaks is also important. Looking at stone walls, structures, torii gates, and the like, you will not get bored and even feel beauty, so climbing while enjoying yourself is recommended.

Hamamatsu Castle Where a Japanese Garden Spreads Out

For the return route from the Hamamatsu Castle tower, strolling through the Japanese garden is recommended. It is unexpectedly spacious, with a size allowing a stroll of about 20 to 30 minutes by walking. There is a pond, and although small, there is also a waterfall. It is a Japanese garden well worth seeing.

Relaxing at Starbucks

At the place entering the grounds from the Hamamatsu Castle parking lot, there is a big, prominent Starbucks. Buildings with designs that do not break the atmosphere of Hamamatsu Castle are also delightful.

The inside of the Starbucks has an open feel with good sunlight; even in the hot summer, the inside is well air-conditioned and cool, making it just right for resting while drinking a delicious latte at the end of sightseeing at Hamamatsu Castle. However, it gets quite crowded on Saturdays and Sundays.

Also, because there are quite a few people who bring laptops and do nomad work, there might be a short waiting time to wait for a table to open. Since there are also many tourists, customer turnover is relatively fast (except for people doing nomad work…).

Location and Access of Hamamatsu Castle

Hamamatsu Castle is located within Hamamatsu City, so its location is good; you can go by car, bus, or depending on the location, even on foot, making it a very easy-to-visit tourist spot.

Location

From Hamamatsu Station to Hamamatsu Castle is about 10 minutes by car and about 30 minutes on foot; walking feels a bit far as expected, so it is a distance where taking a taxi is fine. Even in the case of cars, there is a rather large parking lot, providing peace of mind.

Bonus: If Enjoying Hamamatsu Cuisine, “Gozarou”

If you want to enjoy delicious cuisine in Hamamatsu, “Gozarou” is a recommended shop. Located in the station’s entertainment district, the inside of the shop is calm, comfortable with adult-oriented interior décor. Staff hospitality is high, and both food and alcohol are delicious.

Elaborate dishes can be enjoyed one by one. Hamamatsu, while having seafood unique to the seaside, also has a unique fishing ground called Lake Hamana where fish unique to brackish lakes can be enjoyed, making it an irresistible city for gourmets; please enjoy the many delicious dishes.

location

Located between Hamamatsu Castle and Hamamatsu Station, stopping by on the way back to eat delicious food is nice. It is a popular shop, so reservation is recommended.

Wonderful Hotels in Hamamatsu City

Hamamatsu City is actually a recommended sightseeing destination where you can enjoy not only Hamamatsu Castle, but also hot spring tours at Lake Hamana, gourmet food like eel, and water sports unique to Lake Hamana. It is fun whether going as a couple, with family, or among friends.

Since you are making a special trip, you want to carefully select the hotel you stay at and stay at a wonderful hotel.

Recommended Hotel: Okura Act City Hotel Hamamatsu

When traveling with someone special, stay at a wonderful hotel and enjoy a wonderful time together.

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Here are the best hotels in Hamamatsu City!

Click here for hotel details and reservations on Agoda.

Worried about availability? Book early!

Okura Act City Hotel Hamamatsu

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Author: Boon

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Using a laptop under the blue sky at the immensely popular “Fumotoppara Campground” for nomad work feels super awesome. This is an experience report of the generous (Fumotoppara) campground. The Pork-Deer Burger is also delicious.

Click here for the Fumotoppara introduction on Instagram

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Fumotoppara Campground Introduction

Camping While Viewing Mt. Fuji from Fumotoppara Campground

Fumotoppara Campground is a campground at the foot (fumoto)! Huh? Because it is a campground at the “foot” of Mt. Fuji, it’s nomad working while looking at Mt. Fuji! A few clouds are covering it, but it’s Mt. Fuji.

While intending to do nomad work, I unexpectedly get captivated by Mt. Fuji. Campsite decided!

Its name is Fumotoppara Campground (Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture).

Setting Up the Tent at Fumotoppara Campground

Within the vast grounds, tent setup location is free (spots close to the restroom are super popular). Although somewhat far from the restroom (could this lead to a crazy situation later…? ), at the best position with a clear view of Mt. Fuji,

Best position secured! (My friend secured it for me)

Tent set up! (My friend… set it up for me)! It’s my castle! (My friend… set it up for me)

It’s our castle! (My friend… set up everything for me)

Own Meals (Gohan) at Fumotoppara Campground

For food, it’s onions, of course! No no no no…

They were selling gibier (venison), so I tried eating it! Delicious! Delicious!

Breakfast is, of course, Howl’s Moving Castle-style fried eggs! Delicious! Delicious! (My friend… made everything for me)

Pitch-Black Night at Fumotoppara Campground…

At night, it’s pitch-black. Thinking there’s no problem since I’ll just sleep in the tent, 1 hour passes and I want to go to the restroom. (Drank too much beer). However, outside is pitch-black; even walking with a flashlight, it’s hard to tell where the restroom that I could walk straight to during the day is located. Even if I miraculously manage to go to the restroom, this time I can’t return to the tent!

I got a bit lost, but I managed to return to the tent. Looking at the place where I got lost the next morning, I was heading toward the exit! (No, rather, heading toward the trash station)

Σ(ﾟωﾟﾉ)ﾉ

In the end, I give thanks for being able to return to the tent. To my own intuition… (lol)

Shop at Fumotoppara Campground

At Fumotoppara Campground, although small, a shop is fully equipped. Firewood is sold.

Firewood is sold.

A weird guy is sold…

Things to use at the campground are fully provided.

Restaurant at Fumotoppara Campground

At Fumotoppara Campground, a simple restaurant is also attached, and a mountain bike is placed in the restaurant. I wanna ride it!

The restaurant has an open feel, and the inside of the restaurant is spacious.

At the restaurant, there are curry rice and yakisoba, but the recommendation is the Pork-Deer Pork-Deer (Buka-Buka) Burger, which mixes pork and venison. Delicious! Delicious!

Nomad Working at Fumotoppara Campground

For nomad working at Fumotoppara Campground, nomad working under the blue sky feels super awesome. The wind is a bit strong, and I end up drinking beer under the blue sky, thinking “work is enough already” and immediately slacking off, but nomad working under the blue sky feels super awesome! That’s camp nomad working.

Prepare thoroughly and have a fun camp! Enjoy a nice time in Fumotoppara !

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November 2022, a travelogue of a free-spirited solo male trip! Fully enjoying Atami Onsen on a 1-night 2-day trip, that I eagerly went to eat simmered alfonsino at an eatery in front of the station but it was super crowded, and trying to eat Atami’s snacks at my second choice “sushi shop,” I accidentally ate scallops from Hokkaido is an eternal secret.

In this article, we convey the charm of a solo male trip to Atami.

Click here for the Instagram Atami introduction

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“Atami 1-Night 2-Day Hot Spring Travelogue (November 2022)”

“Charm of Solo Male Travel”

A solo trip enjoyed casually, the destination is free, whatever you do is free, (being late and oversleeping are also free), taking a bath at your favorite time, eating meals at your favorite time, and doing the sightseeing you like—solo travel, regardless of gender, is an easy trip that will become one of the standards for travel styles going forward.

In November 2022, I traveled solo to Atami for one night and two days, so I will introduce a solo male travelogue (the real thrill).

At night, toward the neon lights… (I won’t go, lol)

“Atami Sightseeing Solo Male Travel” Moving to Atami

Thinking I wanted to enjoy alcohol while eating “simmered alfonsino” or “sushi” at a famous Atami eatery, since the 12:00 PM block would be crowded, I took the Shinkansen arriving in Atami in the 1:00 PM block, whereupon I fully enjoyed Okinawa!

Why…

I am in the faction that rides in the last car of the Shinkansen! This time too, arriving in Atami in Car 16 (non-reserved seats), the exit was way far ahead! Seriously regretted it…

“Atami Sightseeing Solo Male Travel” Fully Enjoying Footbaths at Atami Station

At Atami Station, there is a footbath plaza in front of the station. Want to enter the footbath…, want to enter the footbath…, want to enter the footbath… But I don’t have a towel… If I enter the footbath on impulse, I can’t wipe my wet feet when I get out.

Extremely disappointed, I went around behind the footbath, and there it was! A towel vending machine! At 100 JPY, super cheap; this towel, after wiping my feet, is a souvenir to take home! Who would say they want a towel that wiped my feet…

Sexy shot! The moment I thought I wanted hair removal…

“Atami Sightseeing Solo Male Travel” Savoring Sushi for Lunch

Eateries in front of Atami Station were heavily congested; even though it was a weekday, every shop had a long queue, making me unintentionally…

Seriously considered McDonald’s. No no no no, a McDonald’s with a colossal “M” that can be eaten anywhere nationwide in Japan, abbreviated as a Do-M McDonald’s! I think that’s wrong…

Avoiding the crowded area in front of Atami Station, heading to a sushi shop in Atami City: from the left, engawa (flounder fin) pickled-something nigiri; the middle is engawa pickled-something nigiri; the right end is engawa salt-sauce nigiri—I’m eating nothing but engawa.

Super delicious!

Trying to eat something else, the scallop I ordered was thick-fleshed and delicious, Hokkaido-produced scallop. Coming to Atami and yet Hokkaido…

Savoring the sushi shop in Atami funly and deliciously with turban shell in the shell and delicious alcohol.

Although it’s the Sendai Main Shop, “Umai Sushikan” is a delicious sushi shop even in Atami.

To go eat the Atami Enjoyment Set, an Atami shop original menu item, won’t someone go together with me? As expected, I can’t finish eating it alone… Gathering at the sushi shop, disbanding at the sushi shop is also OK. No no no no…

“Atami Sightseeing Solo Male Travel” Omiya and Kanichi

Speaking of Atami, it’s the sea, but the tourist spot along the coast, the statue of Omiya and Kanichi, is rusted. Now and in the past, you must not kick women! No, seriously!

“Atami Sightseeing Solo Male Travel” Labyrinth

Speaking of Atami, it’s the sea, but the sea has a boat dock. To go to Atami’s boat dock, there are stairs like a labyrinth. Beautiful, but in the way, right?

“Atami Sightseeing Solo Male Travel” Relaxing Hot Spring, Meals, and Sleeping at the Inn

For the inn, I reserved a slightly older hotel/ryokan with an ocean view along the Atami coast; as for the bath, it’s an open-air, small bath where you can see the sea, but as expected I can’t take photos, so introducing room photos!

This is it!

Darn it! I reserved a Western-style room… While the atmosphere of a Japanese-style room typical of Atami Onsen is also good, a Western-style bed for solo travel is actually easy to sleep in, but sleeping alone in a twin room feels awkward; it’s a bed for going back to sleep in the morning…

The ocean view seen from the room is also good, but the coast of Atami seen in one view from the stair landing was quite worth seeing.

The hotel/ryokan dinner enjoyed to the fullest even on a solo trip was “Abalone, Sashimi, and Tempura Set”; I thought the number of dishes was a bit lacking, but drinking beer and eating it, it was just right.

Since it’s a hotel where bringing in items to your room is OK, to drink alone slowly in the room at night while looking at the sea, the beers bought at a nearby convenience store were blue, yellow, and red.

It’s a traffic light!

That I chose these 3 cans to take this photo goes without saying…

“Atami Sightseeing Solo Male Travel” Found a Good Souvenir!

The recommended souvenir of Atami is a towel. 100 JPY apiece, properly brand new, let’s hand them out.

Bonus: “Atami Sightseeing Solo Male Travel” Travel Expenses

Here are the expenses for this Atami Onsen trip.

The price for a solo male 1-night 2-day trip to Atami Onsen was 25,980 JPY! As an amount for enjoying one night and two days to your heart’s content, I think it turned out to be a trip with good cost performance. Price-wise, I am also satisfied.

Click here for the introduction to Traveling Atami: “Easy to Access, Relaxing, and Great Hot Springs! Atami Sightseeing”

あわせて読みたい

Atami Travel Guide: Easy Access, Relaxing Hot Springs & Things to Do Atami is a charming seaside resort town that is easy to reach by train or car, especially from Tokyo. With beautiful ocean views, fresh seafood, local mountain cuisine, hot springs, and historic attractions, Atami offers a perfect blend of relaxation and sightseeing. After experiencing a revival in recent years, Atami has become a popular destination once again. In this article, we introduce the highlights of this rejuvenated hot spring town and the best ways to enjoy your visit.

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May 2021, a travelogue of a free-spirited solo male trip! Since I went sightseeing in Odawara after Atami Onsen on a 1-night 2-day trip, I will introduce a solo male travelogue (the real thrill).

That there was a huge amount of manga placed in the post-bath relaxation area of the hot spring, and I accidentally started reading manga and almost ended up spending the night doing so, is an eternal secret.

“Atami and Odawara 1-Night 2-Day Hot Spring Travelogue (May 2021)”

Journey 1. Moving to Atami

Since I was scheming to eat “seafood” or “simmered alfonsino” for lunch at an eatery in Atami, I planned to take the Shinkansen departing Tokyo Station at 11:00 to arrive in Atami around 12:00 PM, but I was suddenly late by over an hour!

That nobody gets mad at you even if you are late is a good thing about solo travel, but I get mad at myself!

I unintentionally almost bought an ekiben on the Shinkansen platform, but through painful endurance I managed not to buy one. If I ate here, I wouldn’t be able to eat lunch in Atami! Arrival ended up being past 1:00 PM.

With my stomach completely empty, I arrived at Atami Station, and the McDonald’s right in front of me unintentionally looked very delicious, but luckily the cars were congested so I couldn’t go. Solo travel is full of traps! Eating at McDonald’s would be fine, but the meaning of coming to Atami would be halved.

Right now with this completely empty stomach, even these guys look like food! …No they don’t

Journey 2. Lunch is Alfonsino at a Famous Restaurant

Walking along the Atami station-front shopping street, a famous eatery introduced on Atami guide sites comes into view.

Since I am completely empty-handed stomach-wise (because I overslept), when I entered the shop without inspecting it inside and out anyway (because I was late), they said the course menu was recommended, so I chose a course where I could eat “simmered alfonsino.” While ordering beer and waiting about 10 minutes for the “simmered alfonsino” to appear, the simmered dish that emerged was jet black.

My honest impression was that the simmered dish tasted fairly salty, so I thought it was good that I ordered beer, but since it wasn’t very delicious, I won’t write the shop name.

It was written that the course meal came with sherbet for dessert, and when I thought about washing down the insides of my mouth that had become salty with sweet, refreshing sherbet (dessert), the dessert was iced coffee!

Haaah?! Σ(￣□￣;)

The dessert is iced coffee!?

The dessert is iced coffee!?

The dessert is iced coffee!?

Doesn’t the inside of a salty mouth change into the inside of a bitter mouth! Be careful!

Journey 3. Sightseeing in Atami

In Atami, there is a beach called “Atami Sun Beach.” In May during this season, to see the calm sandy beach without sea bathers, I left the eatery and walked to the coastline, but I realized while walking.

Atami Station is halfway up a mountain, Sun Beach is on the coastline!

Of course! It’s a slope, right?! Descending means that on the way back, I have to climb up.

At Atami Sun Beach, couples were scattered here and there, so I thoughtfully took a photo for the couples!

It’s “Omiya” and “Kanichi”! And subtly backlit. Speaking of “Omiya and Kanichi,” it is a story where Kanichi kicks Omiya for the sake of his own life, but since I am an ally of women in the world, I want to kick Kanichi’s back.

It’s “The Back I Want to Kick.”

Speaking of classic beach play, it’s the “brinkmanship game,” but almost without fail, I won’t stop until getting wet.

Journey 4. TEA Time at a Stylish Cafe

Having played with the waves at Sun Beach, I thought about going back to the inn, but naturally, the way back is uphill! Contrary to the refreshing seaside breeze, desperately climbing the mountain-climbing-grade slope that suddenly started and drenched in sweat, wandering small sloped paths for 30 minutes without knowing the location of the inn, my smartphone battery finally ran out…

Σ（￣□￣;）

If even the map (smartphone map) disappeared here, in the worst-case scenario, I’d be sleeping outdoors on a slope in Atami! Realizing that (that’s not going to happen (lol)), when I casually looked, I discovered a cafe.

Blue Nine Cafe

They said it becomes a “BAR” at night, so I thought about coming to the shop again after taking a hot spring bath, but right now I am gloriously lost in the sloped small paths of Atami! I have no confidence I can return (T_T).

Journey 5. Arriving at the Inn

The inn for tonight that I reserved is “Oedo Onsen Monogatari Atami.” It is an inn with a great value plan where a “funamori alfonsino” platter is attached, and both night and morning are all-you-can-eat buffets; I want to reach the inn quickly and wash away my body drenched in sweat on this slope with a hot spring!

I want to wash it away!

I want to wash it away!

I want to wash it away!

While praying like that and staring at my smartphone map, I finally arrived—”Oedo Onsen Monogatari Atami” was above this!

Σ（￣□￣;）

Now, what to do? “Oedo Onsen Monogatari Atami” towers far overhead, but there’s no way I can climb the stone wall. Grasping the situation while looking at Google Maps on my smartphone charged at the cafe!

I am torn between going up and down, or down and up!

Thinking about going down and up (blue route), I advanced about 5m and realized there was a normal “back door.” I’ll enter through the back door. (Checking in, though).

Check-in was at the 5th floor front desk, and going up by elevator, I checked in safely. Out of frustration, I went outside once and took a photo of the front entrance. That could probably have been taken during checkout on the way back too. Hotel staff might have thought, “What is this guy doing?”

Journey 6. Taking a Bath Before Dinner

As expected, I cannot take photos of the large public bath, so I took photos of the post-bath relaxation area! There was a forest of manga where once you wander in, you can’t come out!

Manga is the best!

Gazing at bare-faced ladies in yukata fresh out of the bath coming out cheerfully from the bathroom while reading manga intently—it was truly Shangri-La. If I fell asleep like this, dinner time would end, so I forcibly returned to my room!

Journey 7. Dinner is a Luxurious Buffet

When I went to the dinner venue (restaurant), families, couples, and women’s travel groups had already completely filled the tables, but I also discovered a solo male guest like me!

A comrade!

I shouted in my heart, but didn’t particularly approach. If anything, the table of two soft-looking ladies in picturesque yukata post-bath was filled with an irresistible scent♡ Looking nervously, isn’t that male solo guest from earlier already sitting at the table right next to them?

He wasn’t a comrade, he was a formidable rival!

There was a funamori alfonsino sashimi platter, so that I thought about bringing the whole ship to my table as it was is a secret. The destination to bring it to is the table of the 2-person women’s group! …That would be a nuisance to those it was brought to.

The all-you-can-eat sushi is also delightful, but with “sushi,” “soba,” “curry,” and “mixed rice,” I worried that I couldn’t finish eating everything. Here, bringing the whole box to the ladies’ table…

Alright already, enough of that!

8 pieces of sushi, simmered dishes, chicken wings, 8 slices of sashimi, steak, tempura, mapo tofu, simmered alfonsino, chawanmushi, tofu, egg tofu, white soup (lol), fruit for dessert—appetite exploded over romance! If I enter the bath after eating this, I’ll sink from being too heavy (eaten too much)!

Journey 8. Relaxing in the Room

In a cozy 7.5-tatami Japanese-style room, sitting in the chair by the window, I enjoy Atami’s ocean view.

It was a building view!

In solo travel, you don’t have to be considerate of anyone, so drinking alcohol while watching a movie (anime) on a tablet in the room, when I get sleepy, I lie down. Let’s sleep properly in a futon!

Journey 9. Breakfast is Also a Buffet

Going to the breakfast venue (restaurant), me sitting at the same table as last night, the 2-person women’s group sitting at the same table as last night, and the single male guest sitting at the table next to them at the same table as last night—I thought they were assigned seats! Breakfast is also a buffet style.

No “greenery”! Man food!

Thinking that this food might be the source that built my “selfish dosukoi body,” I reflect a little, but enjoyed it very deliciously!

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Journey 10. Moving from Atami to Odawara

Moving from Atami to Odawara takes 22 minutes on the local line (Tokaido Line). Although it’s a local line, you can sit relatively easily, so when I let my guard down thinking “If I just sit quietly, 22 minutes is nothing,” there was a section where smartphone signal didn’t reach along the way (T_T).

You weren’t sitting quietly! You were using the internet.

The paper lantern at Odawara Station is amazing. Exiting the station, I walk toward Odawara Castle.

Journey 11. Odawara Castle is Truly “Mountain Climbing”

Since it is “Odawara Castle,” a famous castle of the Hojo clan from the Sengoku period, I thought it was a top-tier impregnable castle. While looking at the scenery around the moat, my heart unintentionally felt at peace from the scene where grace stood out, but I thought one thing: it’s too big and the main gate is far! Even so, walking along the water’s edge of the moat on a flat path felt good; there was also the heat of early summer in May, but without any particular hardship, passing through the main gate, I realized…

Could it be, it’s uphill all the way?

Since I have no guts, mountain climbing is not in my travel options, but I was off guard; this is a famous Sengoku castle, of course building the castle tower on top of a mountain makes it harder to attack. However, having come this far, naturally I couldn’t turn back, so I climbed in the heat of early summer in May, came in front of the castle tower, and realized!

It’s blatantly a slope!

Thinking “It’s the long-awaited castle tower” if I finish climbing this last slope, I did my best to climb up, entered the castle tower, and as expected, realized!

At the end of climbing the stairs of a 5-story building without an elevator, there is an observation deck at the top floor of the castle tower. Are you telling me to climb 5 floors worth of stairs from here!

The Sagami Bay seen from the castle tower observation deck is wonderful. Thinking that Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s large army pushed into this Sagami Bay in large numbers during the Conquest of Hojo was a moment of sending thoughts to history.

Journey 12. A Hot Spring on the Way Back!

I ended up sweating from the Odawara Castle climb, but thinking this couldn’t be helped, as I walked toward the station thinking about eating a meal and returning, it appeared in front of my eyes as if targeted!

A super public bath is found. Odawara Ohoribata “Manyo no Yu”—as if aimed at capturing people who sweated at Odawara Castle and couldn’t help but want to take a shower and sucking them in, this exquisite timing of appearing right before my eyes is far too wonderful!

Morning in Atami, afternoon at an Odawara super public bath, entering hot springs, this Atami-Odawara solo male trip is finished! Thank you very much!

Bonus: “Atami and Odawara 1-Night 2-Day Hot Spring Travelogue” Travel Expenses

Here are the expenses for this Atami/Odawara 1-night 2-day hot spring trip.

The price for a solo male 1-night 2-day hot spring trip to Atami and Odawara was 34,148 JPY! Price-wise, I am also satisfied.

Enjoy a nice time Single Travel !

Click here for the introduction to Traveling Atami: “Easy to Access, Relaxing, and Great Hot Springs! Atami Sightseeing”

あわせて読みたい

Atami Travel Guide: Easy Access, Relaxing Hot Springs & Things to Do Atami is a charming seaside resort town that is easy to reach by train or car, especially from Tokyo. With beautiful ocean views, fresh seafood, local mountain cuisine, hot springs, and historic attractions, Atami offers a perfect blend of relaxation and sightseeing. After experiencing a revival in recent years, Atami has become a popular destination once again. In this article, we introduce the highlights of this rejuvenated hot spring town and the best ways to enjoy your visit.

Atami 1-Night 2-Day Hot Spring Travelogue (November 2022)

あわせて読みたい

Atami: 1-Night, 2-Day Hot Spring Trip for Solo Male Travelers (November 2022 Travelogue) This is the travelogue of my carefree solo trip in November 2022. I enjoyed a one-night, two-day hot spring trip to Atami. I eagerly headed to a restaurant near the station to try simmered splendid alfonsino, but it was so crowded that I couldn’t get in. I then went to my second choice—a sushi restaurant—to enjoy Atami’s local seafood, but somehow ended up ordering scallops from Hokkaido instead. Let’s keep that my little secret forever.

recommended hotels in Odawara

＼Recommended Hotel: Tenseien Odawara Station Annex／

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Tenseien Odawara Station Annex

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“Oedo Onsen Monogatari Atami,” located in “Atami,” a hot spring tourist destination Japan is proud of, offers a 1-night 2-day plan with the strongest cost performance. I will introduce a photo report actually using it—to say the least, it is the best♡

“Oedo Onsen Monogatari Atami” Hot Spring with the Best Cost Performance

“Oedo Onsen Monogatari Atami” in “Atami,” a hot spring tourist destination Japan is proud of, is a hotel and hot spring chain expanding nationwide, with stable quality, good cost performance, and easy to stay at. While it seems there might be a “same wherever you go” feeling unique to hotel chains, “Oedo Onsen Monogatari Atami” is a hotel with features unique to Atami.

＼Let’s take a closer look at Oedo Onsen Atami／

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“Oedo Onsen Monogatari Atami” Experience Report

Going to “Oedo Onsen Monogatari Atami”

To see the Atami tourist spot “Omiya and Kanichi,” I descended Atami’s slope to Atami Sun Beach (coastline), and I wanted to kick “Kanichi, representative of terrible men” who kicked Omiya, but since it’s a bronze statue, if I kick it, my leg will probably hurt more, so I endured. On the way back up the slope, I saw “Oedo Onsen Monogatari Atami”!

This is it!

It was above a stone wall. I unintentionally thought about climbing the stone wall, but what lies beyond climbing the stone wall is probably the women’s open-air bath! If I finish climbing and turn my eyes into heart shapes♡ looking at beautiful women in the bath looking “irresistible♡,” I feel like I’ll definitely be pushed off the stone wall!

As expected, I couldn’t climb the stone wall, so I tried to head to the front via a detour, but there were two choices of routes:

“Which is the choice of fate!” I thought, but since “slopes are a strong enemy” to me, I chose the flat blue route, and after advancing 5 meters, I realized!

There’s a back entrance!

Entering from the back door, it is possible to go up to the 5th floor by elevator and check in.

Yukata Heaven After Getting Out of the Bath

Oedo Onsen Monogatari has a spacious large public bath and an open-air bath attached, allowing for a relaxed soak. (The men’s bath and women’s bath rotate by time slot).

After getting out of the bath, experience refreshing heaven in the post-bath lounge. That’s because there is a manga space that is in a sense “heaven”! This is dangerous! I am torn between reading manga or gazing at warm yukata girls reading manga after getting out of the bath.

Either way, it’s irresistible♡

It is a space like Shangri-La.

Dinner is a Buffet with Funamori Alfonsino Sashimi Platter

For dinner, they are running a Funamori Alfonsino Fair in a buffet style where you can eat as much as you can in the 2 hours from 18:00 to 20:00.

I want to take home the whole “ship” as it is! The sashimi is also a huge amount, but it is a buffet to the point of wanting to make a witty retort like “Is this multinational cuisine?!” with “Simmered Alfonsino,” “Pasta,” “Steak,” “Tempura,” “Curry Rice,” and even “Mapo Tofu.”

As expected, what I take is sushi. Speaking of all-you-can-eat sushi, it is also a trap where you get full on sushi alone, but the sushi in the Oedo Onsen Monogatari dinner buffet is pressed relatively small per piece, so even if you eat smilingly like Gal Sone-chan of big-eater fame, it is sushi where you can eat a relatively large amount.

If it were Gal Sone-chan, I feel like she would eat it all up.

8 pieces of sushi, chicken wings, simmered dishes, sashimi, simmered alfonsino, chawanmushi, tofu, egg tofu, mapo tofu, tempura, steak, fruit, and plenty of white soup, but even eating this much, it’s all-you-can-eat and the price doesn’t change at all.

After this, I definitely cannot step on a weight scale.

The steak was too delicious and I got 3 seconds. (Even though Atami means seafood…)

Monopolizing a Japanese-Style Room with “Atami Atmosphere” as a Single Room

For the room, I monopolize a Japanese-style room by myself. This spaciousness where no one complains even if I sleep spread-eagled on the tatami mats! If I lie down spread-eagled on the tatami mats after drinking alcohol, I will 100% sleep like that until morning, and when I realize it, it’s morning, leaving only painfully clean futons behind, resulting in a hurting body and a hangover as the worst outcome, so it is a dangerous Japanese-style room.

When traveling alone, the timing for laying out the futon to sleep is difficult.

Speaking of Atami, it is a hot sea, so the ocean view seen from the inn is wonderful. In a space relaxing while looking at the sea, let’s look at Atami’s sea while drinking alcohol.

Breakfast is Also Buffet-Style

Breakfast is a buffet style on par with a luxury hotel. From bread to rice and curry rice, it is stocked. “Gohan no otomo” (rice side dishes) such as “salted squid,” “nametake mushrooms,” and “seasoned nori” are gathered, making it the best breakfast where you feel like you can eat several bowls of white rice from the morning.

Let’s eat vegetables too…

Overlooking Atami’s fireworks from an ocean-view window would be the best! I want to go to wonderful Atami, which is easy to access and enjoyable.

＼Let’s take a closer look at Oedo Onsen Atami／

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Oedo Onsen Monogatari Premium Atami

Enjoy a nice time in Atami !

Solo Male Traveler’s Atami & Odawara Hot Spring Trip Report (1-Night, 2-Day Journey, May 2021)

あわせて読みたい

Solo Male Trip, Atami & Odawara 1-Night, 2-Day Hot Spring Travel Report (May 2021) Here is the travelogue of my carefree solo trip in May 2021! I spent one night and two days enjoying Atami Onsen and sightseeing in Odawara, and I’d like to share the joys of traveling alone as a man. It will remain my little secret forever that I almost spent the entire night reading manga after discovering the huge collection in the post-bath relaxation area.

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“Atami,” a hot spring town easily accessible by both train and car, is an interesting and wonderful tourist spot with the sea, seafood, mountain produce, and sightseeing spots.

I want to go to Atami and relax…

That sounds wonderful! Atami is an easily accessible Japanese resort. The facilities are well-equipped, so you can heal with peace of mind.

Why not enjoy a wonderful trip in Atami, which has recently regained its vitality?

Introducing an Itinerary for Traveling Atami

Atami Station to Enjoy Foot Baths

Arriving in Atami in 40 minutes by Shinkansen from Tokyo Station, getting off at Atami Station, right in front of you is a healing spot: a foot bath. Why not mark your deeply moving first step in Atami with a foot bath?

Atami Heiwa-dori Shopping Street

Right after leaving Atami Station, Heiwa-dori Shopping Street—lined with many souvenir shops, novelty shops, and food-enjoying shops—accelerates the fun of coming to Atami. Atami is a fishing port, making it a shopping street where you can buy souvenirs (dried fish, etc.) made with locally caught seafood ingredients, or enter a restaurant to enjoy alfonsino (kinmedai) or freshly caught fish.

When you feel a little hungry, fun street-eating is also wonderful. The local beer, Atami Beer, is also delicious.

The hot spring source “Fukufuku no Yu” located around the middle of the shopping street is a hand bath. Entering a “foot bath” in front of Atami Station, and entering a “hand bath” in the shopping street. Finishing with a full-body hot spring bath at an inn, everything leads to hot springs in Atami—a fun unique to this town.

Atami is a Town of Slopes

Atami is a town of slopes, a characteristic unique to Atami where you can enjoy Japan’s blessings from mountains to the sea. From Atami Station toward the sea, you descend Atami’s steep slope. Going down is easy, but returning is an uphill climb! Plan your sightseeing order (stroll order) systematically.

Enjoying Atami’s Food

Seafood is particularly delicious in Atami; the taste of Atami savored through sashimi and simmered dishes at city restaurants is exquisite. “Simmered Alfonsino (Kinmedai),” which you especially want to eat, will transform your trip to Atami into an even higher-grade experience.

Power Spot of Kinomiya Shrine

Kinomiya Shrine, worshipped as a deity of bringing fortune and good luck, is also famous as a power spot just as its name suggests. Be sure to visit Kinomiya Shrine, where going around the sacred Ookus tree—over 2,000 years old—is said to extend your lifespan and fulfill your wishes.

Atami Sun Beach

Atami is the sea, a hot (passionate) sea, hence “Atami.” Atami Sun Beach becomes packed with sea bathers in summer, but even just strolling, the comfortable coastline, the collaboration of Atami’s city buildings built on steep mountains with the sea spreading out to the horizon can be called the source of the beauty of Atami’s coastline.

The summer night collaboration in Atami woven by Atami’s night view, coastline, and fireworks—gazing at such fireworks together would be happiness.

Strolling in Atami City

Descending to the sea from Atami Station brings you to Atami City. In Atami City, comfortable walking paths filled with trees around a small stream continue. Strolling along the stream while touring souvenir shops and restaurants in Atami City might feel pleasant.

When tired from walking, take a rest at a stylish cafe☆

Relaxing in Hot Springs

Soothing the day’s fatigue in a hot spring, wonderful Atami continues. Finishing daytime sightseeing, heading to an Atami inn, enjoying a delicious dinner, seafood, and walking inside the facility in a yukata, let’s slowly soak in a hot spring. Overlooking Atami’s fireworks from an ocean-view window would be the best! I want to go to wonderful Atami, which is easy to access and enjoyable.

Summary: Introducing an Itinerary for Traveling Atami

This article introduces the sightseeing appeal of “Atami,” a resort destination blessed with a rich sea and hot springs, easily accessible in about 40 minutes by Shinkansen from Tokyo. It summarizes major sightseeing spots and travel pleasures where you can easily visit and heal mind and body—from the lively station vicinity to historical shrines and beautiful coastlines.

Atami is an ideal travel destination equipped with low travel burden, fulfilling sightseeing spots, supreme food, and abundant hot springs. From day-trip strolls to stays at inns, it is filled with charm that lets you easily refresh according to your travel purpose.

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