Atami, with its high grade hot springs, is one of Japan's best-known traditional hot spring resort. In Japanese, Atami means "hot sea". This peculiar name comes from the fact that the hot spring water was thought to have originated from the sea. With over 3 million visitors, Atami occupied strong second place in the Year 2000 Ranking of Hot Spring Resort Visitors Number. The city is surrounded by stunning scenery, with the Sagami Bay in the southeast and the Hakone mountains in the northwest. Blessed with warm weather throughout the year, Atami has been loved by generations of Japanese as a favorite hot spring district.

Atami first earned it fame during Kamakura era and was frequently patronized by power wielders such as Ieyasu Tokugawa, the legendary Shogun, as well as many literary figures of the day. With Atami as the stage, the novel Konjikiyasya(金色夜叉) by Ozaki Koyo further spread Atami's fame throughout the rest of the country overnight.

Facing the Pacific Ocean, Atami is also famous as a sea sport resort, with its long white sand beaches. With no lack of leisure activities, a wide array of resort mansions and sunbathing beaches, Atami is also regarded by some as an excellent rest and recuperation resort.