[Firsthand] Kiunkaku in Atami: Highlights, Time Needed, and Discount Tickets

This time I’d like to introduce Kiunkaku, a historic building in Atami, Shizuoka, converted from a villa built in the Taisho era.

In this article, I’ll introduce Kiunkaku’s highlights and how long a visit takes, along with discount ticket information, fireworks viewing information from Atami Castle, and nearby hotels with easy access to Atami Castle.

“I wonder what Kiunkaku is like”

“I want to know how long it takes to visit Kiunkaku”

If that’s you, this article is just right, so please read to the end.

Overview of Kiunkaku

Kiunkaku was built in 1918 (Taisho 7) as a villa for Nobuya Uchida, and in 1925 it passed to Kaichiro Nezu, known as the “Railway King,” and was used as the “Nezu Atami Villa”.

After World War II, in 1947 (Showa 22), Hyogoro Sakurai operated it as the ryokan “Kiunkaku”.

During this time, it was beloved by literary figures such as Naoya Shiga, Junichiro Tanizaki, and Osamu Dazai, and many works were written at this inn.

In 2000 Atami City acquired it and developed it as a hub for the city’s culture and tourism, and it is now registered as a designated tangible cultural property.

Name	Kiunkaku (Atami City Designated Tangible Cultural Property)
Address	4-2 Showacho, Atami, Shizuoka 413-0022
Hours	9:00–17:00 (Last entry 16:30)
Closed	Wednesdays (also closed on national holidays) December 26–30
Access	[By car] 60 km, 1 hr 10 min from Atsugi IC on the Tomei Expressway via the Odawara-Atsugi Road [On foot] About a 20-minute walk from Atami Station [By local bus] Platform 1: Izuhakone Bus (bound for Ainohara Danchi, Baien, Shimizucho Loop) Platform 2: Izuhakone Bus (bound for Sasaragadai Danchi, Nishiyama, Hakone) Get off at “Kiunkaku-mae” — it’s right there Platform 3: Izu Tokai Bus (toward Hibarigaoka, Kaminoyama, Momijigaoka) Platform 6: Izu Tokai Bus (bound for Ajiro via Sakimicho) Get off at the “Tenjincho” stop and walk 2 minutes [By Yu-Yu Bus] Sightseeing loop bus: 1-day free pass ¥700 for unlimited rides, ¥250 per single ride Get off at the “Kiunkaku Nishiguchi” stop, 2 minutes on foot
Parking	37 standard cars Free parking
Map	<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m14!1m8!1m3!1d13058.217859704893!2d139.0710177!3d35.0928633!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x6019be6803275d81%3A0xe0eef8507f743b0e!2z6LW36Zuy6Zaj!5e0!3m2!1sja!2sjp!4v1696598708925!5m2!1sja!2sjp" width="600" height="450" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe>

Movies and Dramas Filmed at Kiunkaku

Because Kiunkaku was built as a villa by Kaichiro Nezu, a wealthy merchant of the Taisho era,it is often used as a filming location for movies and dramas.

NHK morning drama“Hanako and Anne” is well known for using Kiunkaku as the residence of Kyushu coal baron Densuke Kano, but it has also been used for filming works such as“HERO” and other productions.

Time Needed to Tour Kiunkaku

Kiunkaku’s grounds cover 3,000 tsubo (about 9,900 square meters), about twice the size of Atami Plum Garden in Atami, so it’s quite large.

With a place this big, you’ll wonder how long a visit takes.

Here’s how long it actually took on my first visit to Kiunkaku.

Main sights	Points	Time
Kirin & Otori	• History of Kiunkaku • Japanese-style room with ultramarine walls	10 min
Ohime & Gyokkei	• Stained-glass ceiling and tiled floor	10 min
Roman-style bath	• A bath recreated with building materials of the time	5 min
Peacock Room	• Part of Nobuya Uchida’s villa	5 min
Garden	• Natural scenery rich with the changing seasons	10 min

The main sights at Kiunkaku are five: Kirin & Otori, Ohime & Gyokkei, the Roman-style bath, the Peacock Room, and the garden,and touring them all takes about 40 minutes.

You proceed clockwise, and when you finish, at the exit there’s the tea room “Yasuragi”, so if you’d like to relax over tea,it will take extra time.

It’s an elegant tea room that uses the bar from when it was a ryokan as is, so if you have time, please go!

It’s a place where you can spend a special moment ♪

Recommended Sightseeing Route at Kiunkaku

To tour Kiunkaku efficiently, simply follow the designated route.

If a spot is crowded along the way, skip it and come back later to tour more efficiently!

Shoes are not allowed inside, so after entering, leave your shoes and bags in a locker, view Kirin & Otori straight ahead, and then go clockwise.

At the end, if the weather is nice, put your shoes back on and stroll the garden.

This route lets you see everything with no wasted time, so please use it as a guide.

Next, here are some of the highlights.

Kiunkaku Highlight ①: Kirin & Otori

This is the first spot you visit after entering. Kirin and Otori form the Japanese-style wing of Kiunkaku, and the tatami rooms have gorgeous decorations worth seeing, including around the tokonoma alcove and tsukeshoin, and the ranma transoms.

Otori is a pair of connected rooms: a 10-tatami living room and an 8-tatami adjoining room.

The famous Osamu Dazai also stayed in this Otori for 2 nights from March 18, Showa 23 (1948).

The high ceiling, the tatami corridor surrounding three sides of the room, and the garden view from the windows make for a luxurious space.

First, a staff member talks for about 5 minutes about the history of Kiunkaku.

Listening while looking at the timeline deepens your understanding of what you see afterward and makes the visit more fun.

Kiunkaku Highlight ②: Tamahime & Gyokkei

Tamahime and Gyokkei are the names of two rooms in the Western-style wing. Tamahime is a room combining an Art Deco sunroom with a Western-style room, and Gyokkei is built like a European mountain lodge.

A glamorous, elegant table that is also used for filming.

Kiunkaku Highlight ③: Roman-Style Bath

Built in 1928 (Showa 3) by Kaichiro Nezu and later attached to the Western-style building “Kongo” through renovation, this is the Roman-style bath.

The washbasin has stained glass, giving a glimpse of the lavish lifestyle of the aristocracy of the time.

A white marble tub sits in the center, surrounded by stained-glass windows. The windows depict natural scenery such as clouds and mountains.

When it was used as a ryokan, this was Kiunkaku’s former large public bath, called the Somedono no Yu.

You can get a glimpse of that, too.

Kiunkaku Highlight ④: Peacock Room

The Peacock Room has a tokonoma alcove and tsukeshoin desk, making it a typical tatami room for its time.

Bamboo and lacquered wood are used in places, adding an elegant touch to the calm atmosphere.

Kiunkaku Highlight ⑤: Garden

After finishing the tour, put your shoes back on and stroll the garden.

Kiunkaku’s garden is a chisen kaiyu-shiki garden (stroll garden with a pond), a style of Japanese garden developed in the Edo period, with a pond and a path circling around it.

I recommend enjoying the exterior of Kiunkaku from various spots in the garden.

Discount Kiunkaku Tickets! Prices and Savings Info

Admission to Kiunkaku is ¥610 for adults and ¥360 for high school and junior high students, but if you can, you’d like to pay a bit less, right?

With the Atami Issued Coupon, the usual adult admission of ¥610 per person becomes¥460 per person.

The Atami Issued Coupon bundles the following 3 vouchers, and the total of ¥3,500 becomes ¥2,900!

Hotels Near Kiunkaku

Kiunkaku is close to Sun Beach, so there are many hotels, but since you’ve come to Atami, I recommend “Hotel New Akao”, perched on the cliffs of Nishikigaura.

From Kiunkaku, Hotel New Akao is a bit of a distance, but if you take the Atami Ropeway to the summit, the rest is just a downhill walk.

» Search hotels and ryokan near Kiunkaku on Rakuten Travel
» Search hotels and ryokan near Kiunkaku on Jalan

Recommended Sightseeing Spots Near Kiunkaku

A visit to Kiunkaku takes about 40 minutes, so here are recommended spots close to Kiunkaku that you can fit in before or after.