At the end of the year, I spontaneously went on a “solo excursion.” I didn’t think too deeply about the destination; since the forecast was sunny, I vaguely hoped to see the sea, so I bought this Keikyu ticket and headed to Yokosuka.
As I’ve written before, Yokosuka isn’t just Mikasa Park and Dobuita Street—it’s just huge. Oppama, Kurihama, Nobi, Uraga, and Kannonzaki are all part of Yokosuka, offering plenty to explore around.
Thinking I’d head for Kannonzaki Lighthouse if it cleared up, I took the Keikyu Limited Express bound for Kurihama. In my bag: the LUMIX S1IIE and SIGMA 20-200mm.
But the weather forecast seemed off, and the skies weren’t clearing up. Since photos of “blue sea and lighthouse” didn’t look likely, I easily changed plans and decided to stroll along Uraga’s inlet instead.
The landing for the ferry connecting the east and west shores of the bay. The usual relaxed atmosphere flows here.
While I was gazing at East Kanou Shrine, worshippers never stopped coming. It really is a Living Shrine cherished by the local community.
Peering out to sea from the harbor’s quay. It’s quite the thought-provoking experience to wonder where exactly Commodore Perry’s Black Ships dropped anchor. The Boso Peninsula across the bay is clearly visible. The year-end air being a bit clearer is probably helping too.
Seeing this view of Uraga Port reminded me of the famous verse engraved on Masaoka Shiki’s haiku monument in Yokosuka Port.
Yokosuka, where only the masts stand in the winter trees
I thought it might be rare to see a ship’s anchor hauled up like that.
It was quite cold, but for the people enjoying fishing on the pier, it didn’t seem to be much of an obstacle, and they looked like they were having a great time.
It takes about 20 minutes on foot from Keikyu’s Uraga Station to this pier area. To save time and make the most of the “Keikyu Yokosuka Enjoyment Pass,” I planned to catch the limited-service Keikyu Bus back to the station… and that’s as far as my plan went.
Unfortunately, an accident had occurred that day, causing the Keikyu Line around Yokosuka to stop running for several hours. According to station announcements, upbound trains on the Keikyu Main Line toward Yokosuka Chuo Station and Shioiri Station were halted, with no estimated time for service restoration. This posed a problem for me, as I had planned to go to Shioiri and board the “Yokosuka Military Port Tour” boat.
I learned that if I went to Horinouchi Station along the way, I could transfer there to the Kurihama Line, which was running downbound. After poring over the “Yokosuka Enjoyment Ticket” pamphlet and racking my brains, I decided to head to Keikyu Kurihama Station.
I discovered that a delicious sushi restaurant near Keikyu Kurihama Station, which I’d visited by chance years ago, was a designated “Eat Coupon” restaurant for the “Enjoyment Pass.” Should I link it? It’s this place, “Hisago Sushi.”
I figured I’d have an early lunch while planning my next move. Maybe some tasty sushi would spark some good ideas, and with any luck, the trains might start running again in the meantime.
So, after taking a break in Kurihama, the story of my year-end “solo excursion” continues next time.
