Shioiri
Shioiri
Station is
a railway station located in Yokosuka,
Kanagawa Prefecture, in the southwest
of Tokyo. It is served by the Keihin
Electric Express Railway's Keikyu
Main Line.
The
area around Shioiri Station is a
lively area called Bay Square
Yokosuka . Here, besides
the Industrial Exchange Plaza, Yokosuka
City for the promotion of industry,
an opera-house style facility with
a seating capacity of 2,000, and
a hotel, there are also several
trendy shops and restaurants.
About
5 minutes walk from the station
is the popular Mikasa Park.
Mikasa
Park
Mikasa
Park is considered to be one of
Japan's best parks. The main attractions
at this large park facing Tokyo
Bay are the Battleship Mikasa, the
statue of Admiral Togo, and the
musical fountains.
Battleship
Mikasa
is the battleship that served in
the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05.
Mikasa was built in England and
was one of the most advanced battleships
of the time. It was the flagship
of the Japanese fleet, led by Admiral
Togo Heihachiro, which defeated
the Russian fleet during the Battle
of Tsushima in 1905. After the war
ended, Mikasa was permanently berthed
at Yokosuka on the Tokyo Bay . During
World War II, the ship was bombed
several times, due to which it was
badly broken. After the war, Admiral
Nimitz had the ship repaired and
now it serves as a museum. The lower
decks and the engine rooms are closed
to the public, while the upper decks
serve as exhibit rooms of the museum.
Mikasa Ship Museum, as it is called,
relates the history of the battle
it fought through pictures, videos,
documents and remaining relics from
the war. Entry to the museum is
500 yen.
The
Statue of Admiral stands
in front of the ship in the park.
Born in 1847, Togo Heihachiro first
participated in wars against the
Tokugawa shogunate. Then between
1870 and 1878, he studied at the
naval academy in England. During
the Sino-Japanese War in 1895, Togo
commanded the battleship Hayanami.
In 1903, he was appointed the Supreme
Commander of the Japanese fleet,
but became famous only after he
defeated the Russians in the Russo-Japanese
War (1904-1905).
The
whole of Mikasa Park is beautifully
landscaped with a large circular
pond in the middle. Around the pond
and throughout the park are several
fountains. These beautiful fountains
have colored lights and music plays
at night as the lights are lit.
These
look even more beautiful as they
are reflected in the pond.
Sarushima
(Monkey) Island
Sarushima,
or Monkey Island, is located off
the coast of Yokosuka and can be
seen from Mikasa Park. This only
natural island in Tokyo Bay was
once a military fortress and was
off limits to the general public
till the end of World War II. Today
it is a holiday resort with a beach;
and bird watching, fishing and BBQ
facilities.
Boats
leave every hour for Sarushima Island
from Mikasa Park. A round trip boat
ride is 1200 yen for adults and 600
for children.
