Yokosuka Day Trip from Tokyo, the Local Way
Most people skip Yokosuka, and that's exactly why I like sending friends here. An hour south of Tokyo on the Keikyu line, it trades temples and tea houses for warships, American diners and a short boat to an uninhabited island. It's a half-day with a completely different texture to anywhere else near the city - come for the oddness, stay for the burger.
Keikyu line down to Yokosuka-chuo
Take the Keikyu line from Shinagawa - the limited express is faster and direct. Get off at Yokosuka-chuo for Dobuita Street, or Shioiri for Mikasa Park.
Battleship Mikasa & the park
Board the preserved 1905 flagship of the Russo-Japanese War, now a museum ship set in a seaside park looking out over the naval base.
Lunch on Dobuita Street
This Americana strip is the heart of Yokosuka: navy burger joints, bars and shops selling embroidered sukajan jackets.
Ferry to Sarushima Island
A 10-minute boat reaches Tokyo Bay's only natural uninhabited island - overgrown WWII-era forts, walking paths and a small beach.
If you have more time
Swap Sarushima for Verny Park's rose garden along the port, or ride one stop to Kurihama for the Perry Landing memorial. Either way, you're back in Tokyo well before dinner.
Is Yokosuka worth a day trip from Tokyo? +
Yes if you like the offbeat - it's an hour south by Keikyu line and offers a working naval port, the historic battleship Mikasa, American-style food on Dobuita Street and a ferry to uninhabited Sarushima island. It's quirky rather than classically pretty.
How long do you need in Yokosuka? +
Half a day covers Mikasa, lunch on Dobuita Street and the Sarushima ferry. Add Verny Park or Kurihama if you want a fuller day.