Atami Onsen (Atami City, Shizuoka Pref.)

With approximately 1,250 years of history, Atami Onsen is a traditional hot springs resort that was even presented to the Shogun himself. Ranging from large fully equipped hotels to intimate inns nestled up in the mountains, the lodgings are among the finest in the nation.

This festival delivers a tapestry of lights and sounds to color the night sky over Atami and has been held every year for more than half a century. In particular, the aerial "Niagara" fireworks display that is presented as the crowning element of the grand finale is as luminescent as the midday sun and so mesmerizing that viewers often forget to blink. The attendant sounds reverberate through to the very core of each individual in attendance.

Hananomai is a brilliant dance performance put on by local geisha at the Atami Geigi Kenban (an establishment featuring live music) from eleven o'clock in the morning every Saturday and Sunday. This classical dance performed by geishas, who ceaselessly strive to maintain the traditions and culture of Atami, has been highly acclaimed among foreign visitors.