Miura Peninsula

The Miura Peninsula is a broad wedge of land extending southward from central Kanagawa Prefecture into the Pacific Ocean and Sagami Bay, forming the southernmost tip of the prefecture and one of its most varied coastal landscapes. The peninsula's attractions concentrate around two distinct areas: the city of Yokosuka on the eastern shore — home to a major US naval base and the Mikasa battleship museum — and the fishing town of Misaki at the peninsula's southern tip, Japan's foremost landing port for Pacific bluefin tuna (maguro).

Misaki's morning tuna auction and adjacent fish market are the culinary heartland of the peninsula. The numerous tuna sashimi and sushi restaurants in Misaki serve bluefin tuna landed directly from the port fleet at prices substantially below equivalent fish in Tokyo; a sashimi set lunch for ¥1,500–¥2,500 represents outstanding value. The port operates most actively in the early morning when the day's catch is landed and distributed.

Cape Jogashima, accessible by bridge 15 minutes from Misaki, is the peninsula's southernmost point and one of Kanagawa's most dramatic coastal formations. Volcanic basalt columns line the cliff faces, a lighthouse stands at the cape tip, and ocean swell breaks against rock platforms where anglers cast from the shore. A 4-kilometre loop path around the cape takes approximately 1.5 hours and includes clifftop views across the Pacific to the Izu islands on clear days.

The Keikyu-Misaki Line from Yokohama reaches Misaki-guchi Station in about 70 minutes, with onward buses to the port and cape. Day trips from Tokyo or Yokohama are straightforward; a full peninsula visit exploring both the cape and Misaki benefits from an unhurried schedule.