Sarushima (unpopulated island)

It is the only uninhabited island in Tokyo Bay and the largest natural island in Tokyo Bay. As it was a military fortress, old brick buildings, gun batteries, ammunition depots, and barracks that were actually used still remain.

It is popularly known as being reminiscent of the animated film “Laputa: Castle in the Sky,” and is also known as the location where the Gershocker base was set up for the location shooting of “Kamen Rider.

Visitors can actually stroll around and see the historical buildings and enjoy the experience of a different space.

It is only a 10-minute boat ride from the port of Yokosuka (Mikasa Pier). The island is also known as a great place for fishing, and you can easily enjoy barbecues using rental equipment.

Sarushima is an uninhabited island only an hour away from Tokyo, where you can enjoy a variety of activities not only in summer but all year round. Why not spend an extraordinary time in the middle of the ocean, feeling the wind in your face?

Sarushima Park

Sarushima Island was transferred from the national government to Yokosuka City in 1995 and is now used for sightseeing and other purposes as Sarushima Park.

To get to Sarushima, take a boat from Mikasa Terminal, a 15-minute walk from Yokosuka Chuo Station on the Keikyu Main Line, and it takes about 10 minutes. It is an uninhabited natural island suitable for leisure activities such as swimming, barbecuing, fishing, and walking.

Historical Park

Earthenware from the Jomon period and human bones from the Yayoi period have been excavated from the island, and the island has long been popular with people, with legends related to Nichiren.

From the end of the Edo period to before World War II, the island served as a defense base for the capital city of Tokyo Bay. In 1847, at the end of the Edo period, the Edo shogunate built Japan’s first daiba, and in the Meiji period (1868-1912), the Sarushima Battery, a Tokyo Bay fortress, was built under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of the Navy.

Although this facility was never used in actual battles, the remains of the fortress, which was dug out of the rock walls of the island and covered with bricks, remain today and are one of the few examples of Flemish piling in the Japanese nation.

The bricks used were manufactured at the Toyogumi Shihan Shusanjo in Aichi Prefecture. The bricks at that time were not made of uniform materials or fired at uniform temperatures, resulting in the colorful bricks that remain today and are popular among tourists. In 2000, the turret was designated as “Sarushima Fortress” by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) as a Civil Engineering Heritage Site.

After World War II, the fort was seized by the United States, which occupied Japan and used Yokosuka Military Port until 1961. During that time, ferry service began in 1947, and a bathing beach was opened in 1957. Later, in 1993, the beaches were closed and the ferry route was discontinued, and the area was declared off-limits.

In 1995, Yokosuka City was entrusted by the Ministry of Finance (now the Ministry of Finance) with the management of the beach, and the navigation route was restored with the construction of walking paths and other facilities. The following year, in 1996, the bathing beach was reopened, and in 2003, Yokosuka City received a free transfer of Sarushima from the national government and established it as Sarushima Park.