Side Trips from Tokyo - Tokyo - page 302

7-1 Hayashigaoka-cho, Atami City, Shizuoka 413-0031. & 0557/81-8137. Fax [phone]. www.
atami-taikanso.com. 44 units. ¥29,550-¥70,000 per person. Rates include 2 meals. ¥3,150-¥5,000 extra
per person Sat-Sun, holidays, and peak season. AE, DC, MC, V. Take a taxi from Atami Station, a 4-min.
ride. Amenities: 2 restaurants; coffee shop; nightclub; indoor/outdoor hot-spring baths; sauna. In room:
A/C, TV, minibar, hair dryer, Internet.

302

Where to Dine
. Home Run Sushi SUSHI For excellent sushi, head to this simple,
30-year-old one-room restaurant near the waterfront, with both counter and table seating.
There's no English-language menu, but there are plastic-food displays of various sushi sets.
I have no idea why this place is called Home Run—one of Japan's many mysteries.
5-1 Nagisacho, Atami City. & 0557/82-7300. Sushi set meals ¥1,050-¥2,000. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily
11:45am-3pm and 5-10pm. A 10-min. walk from Atami Station, at the end of Ginza Dori St., on a corner
to the left.

SHUZENJI
Whereas Atami, above, is popular for its seaside setting, Shuzenji Onsen is Izu Peninsula's
most famous mountain spa. Nestled in a valley and straddling both sides of a river, it has
a history stretching more 1,200 years, when one of Japan's most revered figures in Japa-
nese Buddhism, Kobo Daishi, discovered a hot spring here and founded Shuzenji Tem-
ple. Today, Shuzenji, home to some 16,000 residents, is a small mountain village easily
navigated on foot. Most people come for a night or two, staying in a ryokan, soaking in
restorative hot-spring baths, strolling along the town's narrow streets to a few historic
sights, and feasting on meals featuring local cuisine. Along with Shuzenji Temple, there
are several historic sites tied to the Minamoto clan, who established a shogunate govern-
ment in Kamakura in the 12th century (see “Kamakura,” earlier in this chapter).

11

Essentials
GETTING THERE The rail gateway to Shuzenji is Mishima, a minor stop on the
Shinkansen bullet train. The Hikari bullet train stops at Mishima about six times a day,
though the slower Kodama bullet train stops more frequently; be sure to check the sched-
ule beforehand. In any case, it takes 45 to 60 minutes by bullet train from Tokyo Station
to Mishima, where you can then transfer to the Izu-Hakone Railway 's Sunzu Line for
the 30-minute ride onward to Shuzenji. The fare for the entire journey is ¥4,390 for a
reserved seat. Alternatively, you can save money by taking the slower JR Tokaido Line
from Tokyo to Mishima, and then board the Izu-Hakone Railway bound for Shuzenji;
the fare for this is ¥2,710 and takes about 3 hours. If you're coming from Atami, take the
JR Tokaido Line 12 minutes to Mishima for ¥320, and then transfer to the Izu-Hakone
Railway for another ¥500.
You can also reach Shuzenji by Odakyu's Tokai Bus ( & 0570/01-1255 ) from Tokyo's
Shinjuku Station. Travel time is 2 hours and 45 minutes, and the fare is ¥2,500 one-way
or ¥4,500 round-trip. There are two departures daily (at the time of going to press, at
9:15am and 6:35pm), and reservations are required.
VISITOR INFORMATION The Shuzenji Tourist Information Office ( & 0558/72-
2501 ) is located inside Shuzenji Station, to the right after exiting the ticket gate. There's
no English-speaking staff, but you can pick up a pamphlet with a map. It's open daily
9am to 5pm.
GETTING AROUND Shuzenji Spa (Shuzenji Onsen), with its ryokan, hot-spring
baths, Shuzenji Temple, and other sights, is a 30-minute walk from Shuzenji Station, so