Atagawa Onsen: garden, coast and hotels

Station, coast and stays

Izu-Atagawa receives the direct Odoriko from Tokyo and local trains along the coast. The garden is beside the railway, and the town’s streets descend toward the sea between the onsen hotels. Green hills rise behind the buildings. The Tokyo rail journey ends here for a visit to the garden.

Staying in Atagawa

Atagawa Ocean Resort faces the water, with a sea-view balcony in every room. Atagawakan is a traditional seafront ryokan, while Atagawa Prince stands on the hillside and has private baths booked on arrival.

Atagawa Ocean Resort

An ocean-facing balcony with every room, beside Atagawa’s sandy beach.

Superior Twin · non-smoking · no pets · 39 m² · 2 semi-double beds and 1 sofa bed · private bathroom

8.6 · 1608 Agoda reviews

• Free Wi-Fi

from US$94 per room / night

Room only; breakfast and dinner excluded. Bathing tax is payable at the hotel.

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Crocodilians, greenhouses and bananas

The Tropical & Alligator Garden begins one minute from the station. Glass-sided pools beneath the dome show crocodilians across and below the water, with Colossoma fish and alligator gar in neighboring exhibits. Eight greenhouses hold orchids, bougainvillea, hibiscus and water lilies; an Amazonian manatee lives in the botanical grounds. Hot-spring heat warms the banana plants and water-lily pools.

The annex has red pandas, fruit plants and more reptiles. A single ticket covers the main grounds and annex: adults pay ¥2,000 (about US$13), and children from age four through elementary school pay ¥1,000 (about US$6.30); under-fours enter free. The garden opens daily 09:00–17:00, with last entry at 16:30.

Bananas at the fruit parlor

The annex parlor serves the garden’s bananas in parfaits, pancakes, juice and soft serve. Banana daifuku and a pineapple boat are among the sweets, while Izu venison curry uses ripe bananas. About twenty varieties grow here, including Taiwan and Apple bananas. The fruit grows among the garden exhibits before reaching the kitchen. Last orders are at 16:30.

YOU Yu Beach

YOU Yu Beach lies below the onsen hotels, a sandy strip beside the open sea. People swim and surf here in season. At other times, the sand, sea and hotel buildings rising behind the shoreline form the setting for a seafront walk.

After the warm greenhouses, walk downhill through Atagawa to the shore; the return to the railway is uphill. The moon can cast a long reflection across the water after dark. Farther south along the railway, the coast changes to Inatori’s rock-enclosed sea pool and Imaihama’s longer sandy bay.