Exploring Yokosuka by Dennis

For this time, I will tell you my trip to Yokosuka city. As I know, there is a museum named Mikasa museum, Mikasa is name of old Japanese warship. And I decided to see the museum.Since I decided it, I started looking for information about Yokosuka. The interesting thing in Yokosuka city is they have American navy base. That I could not believe it, and after arrived, I just understand it. I'll tell you later.

Mikasa Museum Park

First, Yokosuka city is located at the bottom of Kanagawa province. If you want to go to Miura peninsula, you will pass the Yokosuka area. I have already told you that in Yokosuka they have U.S. navy base there, right. Yokosuka city also have Japanese navy base in there until now.

Because of that, Yokosuka is turning into a region that many foreigners, and U.S. navy forces become second occupants residents in there after original Yokosuka`s residents.  So, Yokosuka city have a blended life style and make the area such as japan town in America. It`s funny, isn`t it? Many Japanese people in there can speak English and many foreigners also can speak Japanese.

Little park in front of train station

Lot of statue like this in bench

long pedestrian beside the main road

Once there, I just also found out that the Yokosuka city is the curry city. There is a statue of a duck who dresses sailor shirt holding a plate of curry rice. And there could also be called a hamburger city because a lot of hamburger restaurant open in there.  They have a lot of kind of hamburger, from American restaurant to Japanese restaurant and the taste is little bit different.

duck statue with a plate of curry rice

I went there using a ticket named Yokosuka gourmet ticket. Tickets are round-trip ticket for the train access, unlimited ticket to ride public buses and there is a meal ticket that you can use to enjoy Yokosuka’s curry or hamburger. You can buy tickets at Keikyu train stations. Keikyu is one of several railway companies in kanagawa province.

Yokosuka Gourmet Ticket

Yokosuka-chuou station

After arrived I go to the Mikasa museum. You can see the Japanese battleship Mikasa that used to fight in the First World War. For 1800's, the ship was already quite modern with all the weapons in it. Ship`s weapon are ranging from machine guns to the long banned canon as anti-ship weapons and anti-aircraft guns. You can find out the history of Japanese war, but there's only explanation in Japanese only. Overall, the explanation contains history of japan military, war at Japan Sea, to the description of the vessel itself.

From the ship you too can enjoy the atmosphere of Museum Park and beach at Yokosuka. You can also see Saru Island. Saru Island is place for recreation in Yokosuka area. In park`s museum you can also enjoy the rhythmic fountains with song, it was very interesting and pity to miss.

Seeing Saru Island From mikasa

Upon the satisfaction of seeing Mikasa museum, I went looking for food and since Yokosuka is curry city, I choose curry into my lunch menu. At Yokosuka there is a famous curry restaurant called Yokosuka Kaigun curry, which means Yokosuka navy forces curry.

 Yokosuka kaigun kare

You can also buy instant kaigun curry from store in that restaurant

At the restaurant I used Yokosuka gourmet ticket, I got full course menu that is very tasty. Because of that menu I also became too long in the restaurant. Now, Japan is entering winter that make day short, like about a 5 o'clock the sky is already dark.

But I still have a place that I want to go, so I hurried and went to Verny Park, where you can actually enjoy roses in that park, but because it was dark I could not get a good photo of the park. I am sorry guys.

Verny Park map

From park, you can see navy base

Verny Park in dusk

Francois Leonce Verny (1837 - 1908)

After a walked in there, and the time has also been shown at 6:30 tonight, I decided to take diner at Yokosuka, and certainly other famous foods in Yokosuka, the hamburger. There are a lot of Hamburger restaurant, clothing store and bars in the area called Dobuita Street. In night, that place is become gathering place of the foreign residents in Yokosuka. After enjoying a hamburger set menu, I decided to go back to Kawasaki.

Yokosuka navy burger

mural in Dobuita street (old time Yokosuka)

Dobuita street
source: panoramio

Accommodation

If you go from Tokyo station, you can take Tokaido Line to Shinagawa Station (10 minutes, 160 yen) and then change onto keikyu line to Yokosuka chuou Station (46 minutes, 620 yen). If you buy yokosuka gourmet ticket you can buy it for 1980 yen with all include.

More information you can check mikasa Museum:

〒238-0003　Kanagawa ken yokosuka shi Inaoka-chō 82 - 19
Tel: 046-822-5408(5225)

http://www.kinenkan-mikasa.or.jp/

Entrance fee 

Adults: 500 yen

Senior: 400 yen

Student: 300 yen