Atami, Shizuoka
Encyclopedia
is a city
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...

 located in the eastern end of Shizuoka Prefecture
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. As of February 2010, the city has an estimated population of 39,755 and a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 645 people per km². The total area is 61.56 km².

Geography

Atami is located in the far eastern corner of Shizuoka Prefecture at the northern end of Izu Peninsula
Izu Peninsula
The is a large mountainous peninsula with deeply indented coasts to the west of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of the island of Honshū, Japan. Formerly the eponymous Izu Province, Izu peninsula is now a part of Shizuoka Prefecture...

. The city is set on the steep slopes of a partially submerged volcanic caldera on the edge of Sagami Bay
Sagami Bay
Sagami Bay , also known as the Sagami Gulf or Sagami Sea, lies south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū, central Japan, contained within the scope of the Miura Peninsula, in Kanagawa, to the east, the Izu Peninsula, in Shizuoka Prefecture, to the west, and the Shōnan coastline to the north, while the...

. The name literally means "hot ocean", a reference to the town's famous onsen
Onsen
An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...

hot springs
Hot Springs
Hot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...

. The city includes the offshore island of Hatsushima. Most of Atami is located within the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
is a national park in Yamanashi, Shizuoka, and Kanagawa Prefectures, and western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It consists of Mount Fuji, Fuji Five Lakes, Hakone, the Izu Peninsula, and the Izu Islands....

. Warmed by the Kuroshio Current
Kuroshio Current
The Kuroshio is a north-flowing ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean. It is similar to the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic and is part of the North Pacific ocean gyre...

 offshore, the area is noted for its moderate martime climate with hot, humid summers, and short winters.

Surrounding municipalities

Shizuoka Prefecture
  • Kannami
    Kannami, Shizuoka
    is a town located in Tagata District, Shizuoka, Japan. As of February 2010, the town has an estimated population of 39,126 and a density of 601 persons per km². The total area is 65.13 km².-Geography:...

  • Izunokuni
    Izunokuni, Shizuoka
    is a city located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 49,381 and a population density of 521 persons per km². The total area was 94.71 km².-Geography:...

  • Itō
    Ito, Shizuoka
    is a city located on the eastern shore of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 71,400 and the density of 578 persons per km². The total area was...


Kanagawa Prefecture
  • Yugawara
    Yugawara, Kanagawa
    is a town located in Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 26,729 and a density of 655 persons per km²...


History

Atami has been noted as a resort town
Resort town
A resort town, sometimes called a resort city or resort destination, is a town or area where tourism or vacationing is a primary component of the local culture and economy...

 centered on its hot springs
Onsen
An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...

 since the 8th century AD. In the Kamakura period
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

, Minamoto Yoritomo and Hojo Masako
Hojo Masako
was the eldest child of Hōjō Tokimasa by his wife Hōjō no Maki, the first shikken, or regent, of the Kamakura shogunate. She was the sister of Hōjō Yoshitoki, and was married to Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of the Kamakura period...

 were noted visitors. During the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....

, all of Izu Province
Izu Province
was a province of Japan in the area of Shizuoka Prefecture. Izu bordered on Sagami and Suruga Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was .The mainland portion of Izu Province, comprising the Izu Peninsula is today the eastern portion of Shizuoka Prefecture and the Izu Islands are now part of...

 was tenryō territory under direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...

. During the cadastral reform of the early Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...

 in 1889, Atami village was organized within Kamo District, Shizuoka
Kamo District, Shizuoka
is a district located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.The district name is very ancient, and is mentioned in the Engishiki records. Kamo District was one of the original districts of Izu Province, having been separated from Suruga Province along with Tagata District in the cadastral reform of 680 AD...

. It was elevated to town status on June 11, 1894, and was transferred to the administrative control of Tagata District, Shizuoka
Tagata District, Shizuoka
is a district located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.Tagata District was one of the original districts of Izu Province, having been separated from Suruga Province in the cadastral reform of 680 AD, and covered most of central Izu Peninsula. By 2009, the district has been considerably reduced in...

 in 1896.

The epicenter of the Great Kantō earthquake
1923 Great Kanto earthquake
The struck the Kantō plain on the Japanese main island of Honshū at 11:58:44 am JST on September 1, 1923. Varied accounts hold that the duration of the earthquake was between 4 and 10 minutes...

 in 1923 was deep beneath Izu Ōshima
Izu Oshima
is a volcanic island in the Izu Islands and administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan government, Japan, lies about 100 km south of Tokyo, 22 km east of the Izu Peninsula and 36 km southwest of Bōsō Peninsula. serves as the local government of the island...

 Island in Sagami Bay
Sagami Bay
Sagami Bay , also known as the Sagami Gulf or Sagami Sea, lies south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū, central Japan, contained within the scope of the Miura Peninsula, in Kanagawa, to the east, the Izu Peninsula, in Shizuoka Prefecture, to the west, and the Shōnan coastline to the north, while the...

, close to Atami, which suffered from considerable damage, as did other municipalities throughout the surrounding Kantō region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....

. The tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...

 wave height reached 35 feet at Atami, swamping the town and drowning three hundred people.

The modern city of Atami was founded on April 10, 1937 through the merger of Atami Town with neighboring Taga Village. After the proclamation of Atami as an "International Tourism and Culture City" by the Japanese government in 1950, the area experienced rapid growth in large resort hotel development. This was further encouraged by making Atami a stop on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen high-speed train in 1964. Atami experienced a considerable decline in popularity as a vacation destination after the Japanese economic crisis in the 1990s and decline in popularity of large group company-sponsored vacations, but is currently experiencing a revival as a bedroom community due to its proximity to Tokyo and Yokohama.

The 24th Congress of the Japanese Communist Party
Japanese Communist Party
The Japanese Communist Party is a left-wing political party in Japan.The JCP advocates the establishment of a society based on socialism, democracy and peace, and opposition to militarism...

 was held at Atami in January 2006.

Economy

The economy of Atami is heavily dependent on the tourist industry to its hot spring resorts. Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...

 is a major secondary industry.

Rail

  • JR Central
    Central Japan Railway Company
    The is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as . Its headquarters are located in the JR Central Towers in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.The company's operational hub is Nagoya Station...

     - Tōkaidō Shinkansen
    • Atami Station
      Atami Station
      is an interchange railway station of Central Japan Railway Company in Atami, Shizuoka, Japan.- Lines :Atami Station is served by the Tōkaidō Main Line, Tōkaidō Shinkansen, and Itō Line. The station is 104.6 rail kilometers from Tokyo Station....

  • JR Central
    Central Japan Railway Company
    The is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as . Its headquarters are located in the JR Central Towers in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.The company's operational hub is Nagoya Station...

     - Tōkaidō Main Line
    Tokaido Main Line
    The is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities...

    • Atami Station
      Atami Station
      is an interchange railway station of Central Japan Railway Company in Atami, Shizuoka, Japan.- Lines :Atami Station is served by the Tōkaidō Main Line, Tōkaidō Shinkansen, and Itō Line. The station is 104.6 rail kilometers from Tokyo Station....

  • JR Central
    Central Japan Railway Company
    The is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as . Its headquarters are located in the JR Central Towers in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.The company's operational hub is Nagoya Station...

     - Itō Line
    • Atami Station
      Atami Station
      is an interchange railway station of Central Japan Railway Company in Atami, Shizuoka, Japan.- Lines :Atami Station is served by the Tōkaidō Main Line, Tōkaidō Shinkansen, and Itō Line. The station is 104.6 rail kilometers from Tokyo Station....

       - Kinomiya Station
      Kinomiya Station
      is a railway station on the Itō Line of the East Japan Railway Company, located in the central part of Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.- History :...

       - Izu-Taga Station
      Izu-Taga Station
      is a railway station on the Itō Line of the East Japan Railway Company, located in the southern part of Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.- History :...

       - Ajiro Station
      Ajiro Station
      is a railway station on the Itō Line of the East Japan Railway Company, located in the southern part of Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is also a stop for the limited express Odoriko.- History :...


Sister city relations

Beppu, Ōita
Beppu, Oita
is a city located in Ōita Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan, at the west end of Beppu Bay. As of January 1, 2011, the city has an official population of 125,664 and a total area of 125.13 km², with a population density of 977 persons per km²....

, Japan (since August 1966) Sanremo
Sanremo
Sanremo or San Remo is a city with about 57,000 inhabitants on the Mediterranean coast of western Liguria in north-western Italy. Founded in Roman times, the city is best known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. It hosts numerous cultural events, such as the Sanremo Music Festival...

, Italy (since November 1976) Cascais
Cascais
Cascais is a coastal town in Cascais Municipality in Portugal, 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, with about 35,000 residents. It is a cosmopolitan suburb of the Portuguese capital and one of the richest municipalities in Portugal. The former fishing village gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal...

, Portugal (since July 1990) Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...

, Mexico

Notable people from Atami

  • Yū Hayami
    Yu Hayami
    is a J-pop singer and TV actress in Japan.- Childhood and education:Hayami was born in Atami, Shizuoka on 2 September 1966. Her real name was . After her parents divorced, her family name changed to ....

     - singer, actress
  • Yuka Imai
    Yuka Imai
    is a freelance female Japanese voice actress who was previously represented by Gekidan Moonlight.-Anime:*Bakusou Kyoudai Let's & Go!! *Banner of the Stars *Boys Be.....

     - voice actress
  • Yuji Ohno
    Yuji Ohno
    is a Japanese jazz musician. Ohno is principally known for his musical scoring of Japanese anime television series, of which Lupin III, specifically the 1977 series Shin Rupan Sansei and the feature film The Castle of Cagliostro are his most well known works...

     - jazz musician
  • Mitsuko Uchida
    Mitsuko Uchida
    , born 20 December 1948, is a Japanese naturalized British classical pianist.-Career:Born in Atami, a seaside town close to Tokyo, Japan, Uchida moved to Vienna, Austria, with her diplomat parents when she was twelve years old, after her father was named the Japanese ambassador to Austria...

     - classical pianist

Culture

Much of the extensive art collection of eccentric multimillionaire and religious leader Mokichi Okada
Mokichi Okada
Mokichi Okada was the founder of the Church of World Messianity, in which he is known by the honorific title Meishū-sama...

 is now housed in the MOA Museum of Art
MOA Museum of Art
The is a private museum in the city of Atami, Japan. It was established in 1982 by the Mokichi Okada Association to house the art collection of their founder, multimillionaire and religious leader Mokichi Okada ....

in Atami.
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