Atami

Atami 熱海市
Beach in Atami City with sea bathers
Flag
Location of Atami in Shizuoka
Atami
Coordinates: 35°6′N 139°4′E / 35.1°N 139.067°E / 35.1; 139.067
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbu
Prefecture	Shizuoka
Government
- Mayor	Sakae Saitō
Area
- Total	61.56 km2 (23.8 sq mi)
Population (February 2009)	40,051
- Density	651/km2 (1,686.1/sq mi)
City Symbols
- Tree	Sakura
- Flower	ume
- Bird	Common Gull
Website	Atami City
Phone number	557-86-6000
Address 1-1 Chūō-chō, Atami-shi, Shizuoka-ken 413-8550

View of Atami

Atami (熱海市, Atami-shi^?) is a city located in the eastern end of Shizuoka, Japan. Atami is located on a partially submerged volcanic caldera. The name literally means "hot ocean", a reference to the town's famous onsen hot springs. The city includes the offshore island of Hatsushima.

Atami is part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Much of the extensive art collection of eccentric multimillionaire and religious leader Mokichi Okada is now housed in the MOA Museum of Art in Atami.

As of February 2009, the city has an estimated population of 40,051 and a density of 651 people per km². The total area is 61.56 km².

History

Atami has been noted as a resort centered on its hot springs since the 8th century AD. In the Kamakura period, Minamoto Yoritomo and Hojo Masako were noted visitors.

The epicenter of the Great Kantō earthquake in 1923 was deep beneath Izu Ōshima Island in Sagami Bay. It devastated Tokyo, the port city of Yokohama, surrounding prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, and Shizuoka, and caused widespread damage throughout the Kantō region.^[1] The tsunami wave height reached 35 feet at Atami, swamping the town and drowning three hundred people.^[2]

The modern municipality of Atami was founded on April 10, 1937 through the merger of Atami Town with Taga Village in Tagata District. 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 was held at Atami between January 11 and 14, 2006.

Transport

Rail

Both the Tōkaidō Shinkansen and Tōkaidō Main Line stop at Atami Station, providing direct access to the city from central Tokyo and other major cities. This accessibility makes Atami one of the most popular seaside destinations in the Greater Tokyo Area.

• Tōkaidō Shinkansen—Atami Station
• Tōkaidō Main Line—Atami Station
• Itō Line—Atami Station, Kinomiya Station, Izu-Taga Station, Ajiro Station

Highway

• Japan National Route 135
• Atami Beach Line
• Izu Skyline

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Atami is twinned with:

• Beppu, Ōita Prefecture, Japan
• Sanremo, Italy (since November 1976)
• Cascais, Portugal (since July 1990)
• Acapulco, Mexico

Notes

References

• Hammer, Joshua. (2006). Yokohama Burning: The Deadly 1923 Earthquake and Fire that Helped Forge the Path to World War II. New York: Simon & Schuster. 10-ISBN 0-7432-6465-7; 13-ISBN 978-0-7432-6465-5 (cloth).

External links

• Media related to Atami, Shizuoka at Wikimedia Commons
• Atami official website in Japanese
• Atami travel guide from Wikitravel

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