Kiunkaku

Kiunkaku tells the story of Atami’s rise as a retreat through a single residence. Built in 1919 as a private villa, it later passed to businessman Kaichiro Nezu, who expanded the estate and shaped its garden. In 1947 it became a ryokan and continued to welcome guests until 1999. Today the city-owned property opens Japanese-style rooms, Western rooms and details that bring together Japanese, Chinese and European influences. The visit feels intimate and domestic, quite unlike a conventional museum tour.

The garden, around 10,000 square metres, connects the house, pavilions, pond and views from the rooms. Visitors often notice the stained-glass windows in the Roman-style bath, period carpentry and the literary associations of writers who stayed at the inn. Reviews commonly praise the architectural mix and quiet atmosphere; some point out that much of the interpretation is in Japanese or that the experience is best suited to people interested in historic interiors rather than interactive exhibitions.

Admission is ¥610 for adults, ¥360 for junior and senior high school students, and free for elementary-school children and younger. It opens from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, last admission 4:30 pm; it closes on Wednesdays except public holidays and from 26 to 30 December. From Atami Station, buses from platforms 1 and 2 take about ten minutes to Kiunkaku-mae, directly outside, while Tenjin-cho is a two-minute walk away. The site also has a café and occasional activities, whose schedules may change, so check the programme before travelling.

Compared with MOA Museum of Art, Kiunkaku is the slower option, closer to Atami’s town fabric. Most visitors can walk through in about an hour, though architecture enthusiasts may stay longer among the rooms and garden. MOA has a larger art collection, exhibitions and views over the bay, but requires a climb up the hill; Kiunkaku offers a domestic-scale account of Atami’s villa culture and its years as a hot-spring inn. Both can fit into a full day, with time for the bus ride between the station hill and downtown.