Just down the road from Atami station, Ioji is a small, pleasant modern temple, worth stopping off at on your way into town for its collection of interesting statues.
There are lots of cute, chubby little Buddha cherubs, a splendid assembly of deities by the bottom of the steps to the main hall, and a radiant golden Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, watching over everyone.
Peter Sidell @peter.sidell
I came to Japan from Manchester, England in 2003, and have travelled a lot since then, around Japan and in Asia. When I'm not working, I write satire and perform stand-up comedy in and around Tokyo. Check YouTube for a taste.