{"id":103750,"date":"2024-08-01T13:47:20","date_gmt":"2024-08-01T04:47:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=103750"},"modified":"2024-11-15T22:08:07","modified_gmt":"2024-11-15T13:08:07","slug":"love-letter-to-atami-shizuoka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/love-letter-to-atami-shizuoka\/","title":{"rendered":"A Love Letter to Atami, Shizuoka\u2019s Legendary Onsen Town"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At the zenith of Atami’s heyday, it was the golden prize of your average corporate employee. A spa town so highly regarded<\/strong> since ancient times that the Tokugawa shogunate had servants tasked with bringing Atami hot spring waters all the way to Edo Castle<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But these are just stories of long-gone glory days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explaining my love for Atami may seem counterintuitive at first glance. This hot spring destination<\/a> is still relatively overlooked by the current explosive tourist wave that fills local headlines and fuels the fires of social media outrage while wearing its history on its sleeve in a way that some might find quaint<\/strong>, if not outright unappealing. The town mascot is a middle-aged, balding man<\/a>, the castle is not an authentic historical site, and any eco-conscious visitor would likely wince at the coastal urban development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, I find so much comfort in Atami\u2019s old-school charm despite these seeming flaws. My husband and I have visited this town at least once or twice a year for the past five years, drawn to its unsophisticated, unapologetically retro atmosphere. Atami may not fit the conventional definition of “cool,” and that is precisely why we love it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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