Hello, this is _hiroyuki.ta. This time, I went on a motorcycle tour from central Tokyo to Mikasa Park in Kanagawa Prefecture. Mikasa Park is a historical park where the Japanese Navy battleship Mikasa is preserved as a commemorative ship. Battleship Mikasa is a legendary ship that participated in the Russo-Japanese War and World War I, and is also famous for being served by Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet Heihachiro Togo. At Mikasa Park, you can tour the interior of the Battleship Mikasa and enjoy water and light shows such as a musical fountain and a wall fountain. This time, we will introduce you to the bike touring to Mikasa Park.
Mikasa Park is a city park (historical park) located in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Facing Yokosuka New Port, it has been selected as one of Japan’s top 100 city parks and Japan’s top 100 historical parks. In addition to the battleship Mikasa, the park also exhibits a bronze statue of Togo Heihachiro and cannonballs from the Yamato-class battleship. In addition, water and light shows such as musical fountains and wall fountains are held regularly, and they are also lit up at night. Ferry boats to Sarushima also depart from Mikasa Park.
This time, I headed from central Tokyo to Yokosuka via Shuto Expressway No. 9 Fukagawa Line and Shuto Expressway Wangan Line. The Shuto Expressway Bayshore Route is a scenic route that offers a panoramic view of Tokyo Bay. Along the way, we could see Rainbow Bridge, Odaiba, and Haneda Airport. We also enjoyed the eight scenic views of Kanazawa and the scenery along the coastline on the Yokohama-Yokosuka Road. I entered Prefectural Route 28 from National Route 16 and headed towards Mikasa Park, but there was a lot of traffic in this section and I sometimes got stuck in traffic jams. The time required to get to Mikasa Park was about an hour and a half.
The main attraction of Mikasa Park is definitely the Battleship Mikasa. Battleship Mikasa was the first modern battleship of the Japanese Navy, and participated in the Battle of the Sea of Japan during the Russo-Japanese War and the Battle of Qingdao during World War I. She is also known as “Marshal Togo’s flagship” because the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet, Heihachiro Togo, was on board. After the war, she was preserved despite requests from the Soviet Union to be dismantled, and has been open to the public as a commemorative ship since 1959. She is counted as one of the three major commemorative ships in the world.
The interior of the battleship Mikasa has been restored to its original state, and you can tour her wheelhouse, conning tower, gun turret, engine room, and more. Also on display are a statue of Heihachiro Togo and flags and uniforms from the Russo-Japanese War. This is a must-see spot for those interested in history and military.
Visiting hours are 9:00 to 17:30 from April to September, 9:00 to 17:00 in March and October, and 9:00 to 16:30 in January, February, November, and December. It’s up to the minute. Open all year round.
Mikasa Park has other fun spots besides Battleship Mikasa. For example, a musical fountain or a wall fountain. The Musical Fountain holds a show six times a day (seven times in the summer) in which fountains of various sizes rise in time to music. At night, it is lit up, creating a magical atmosphere. The Kabesen is an impressive show where water falls down an 18 meter high wall. The theme of the musical fountain and wall fountain show changes depending on the season and event.
The park also has playground equipment such as a lawn area and an athletic field. Recommended for people with children. Special products and souvenirs are also sold within the park. For example, there are coal zangi'' andammonite wine.” “Cocoal Zangi” is a specialty of Mikasa City, which is chicken coated with coal powder and spices and fried. “Ammonite Wine” is a red wine made from grapes grown in Mikasa City, and the label depicts a fossilized ammonite.
Mikasa Park has a free parking lot where you can park your motorcycle or bicycle. You can enter from the sidewalk in front of the entrance, but be sure to turn off the engine and push your way in.
There are approximately 20 parking spaces. However, it can get crowded on weekends, holidays, and during events, so we recommend going early. Also, please be careful as the entrance to the parking lot is narrow. From the parking lot, it is about a 5-minute walk to Battleship Mikasa.
Summary
This time, I went on a motorcycle tour from central Tokyo to Mikasa Park in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Mikasa Park is a historical park where you can see the Battleship Mikasa.
Battleship Mikasa is a legendary ship of the Japanese Navy, and is also famous for being served by Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet Heihachiro Togo.
The interior of the battleship Mikasa has been restored to its original state, and you can tour her wheelhouse, conning tower, gun turret, engine room, and more. You can also enjoy water and light shows such as musical fountains and wall fountains.
Mikasa Park also sells specialty products and souvenirs. Mikasa Park is a recommended spot for those interested in history and the military, as well as those who enjoy spending time with family and friends. If you go by bike, there is free parking, but be aware that it can get crowded.
This was my report on the bike touring to Mikasa Park. Next time, we will introduce bike touring to another location. See you soon.
