Hello, this is _hiroyuki.ta. This time, I will report on touring to Sarushima, the largest uninhabited island in Tokyo Bay. Sarushima is a charming island full of history and nature, and can be easily visited by bike and ferry. I set off from central Tokyo on my Harley Sports Glide and arrived at Sarushima in about two hours. I will tell you about the situation along with photos.
Sarushima is an uninhabited island located approximately 1.7 km off the coast of Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture. It has an area of approximately 0.055 square kilometers and a circumference of approximately 1.5 kilometers. The name Sarushima comes from a legend that a long time ago, monkeys who lived on the island crossed the sea to reach the mainland.
Sarushima was used as a fortress by the shogunate and navy from the Edo period to the Meiji period. Therefore, many ruins and artifacts remain on the island. It is also designated as a nature reserve, so you can see untouched nature and wildlife.
Route to Sarushima
I headed to Yokosuka City using the Metropolitan Expressway from central Tokyo. In Yokosuka City, we drove along National Route 16 and arrived at Mikasa Pier. From Mikasa Pier, it takes about 10 minutes by ferry to reach Sarushima.
Click here for ferry schedules and fees. Tickets for the ferry can be purchased at Mikasa Terminal. The boarding ticket also includes admission to Sarushima Park.
I left in the morning, so I took the 9:30 ferry. From the ship, we could see the port of Yokosuka and the ships of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the US Navy. We arrived at Sarushima in about 10 minutes.
You can enjoy history and nature on Sarushima. The administration building also sells rental items and food and drinks.
While looking at the map, we first toured the ruins of the fortress. The ruins of fortresses are concentrated on the north side of the island. There, you can tour the cannon forts and ammunition depots built during the Meiji period. The ruins of the fortress are well preserved and you can feel the atmosphere of the time. Among the ruins of the fort, the first and second batteries are particularly worth seeing.
After touring the fortress ruins, we walked along the walking path. You can take a walk through the forest and the coast on a loop course of approximately 1.5 kilometers. Along the walking path, you can observe a variety of plants, birds, and other wildlife. In particular, you can see many seagulls, which are the symbol of the island. Seagulls are used to people, so you can take photos up close. However, be careful not to feed or touch them.
There are observation decks and benches along the nature exploration trail. From the observation deck, you can enjoy views of Tokyo Bay and Mt. Fuji.
Sarushima motorcycle parking lot
If you are going to Sarushima by motorcycle, you can use the motorcycle parking lot near the Mikasa Park entrance. It is free of charge. The parking lot does not have a roof, so we recommend bringing a cover in case of rain.
Summary
This time I reported on touring to Sarushima. Sarushima is a charming island full of history and nature, and you can easily visit it by bike.
At Sarushima, we enjoyed touring the ruins of forts and taking a walk. You can feel the atmosphere of the Meiji era at the fortress ruins. On the nature exploration route, we took a walk through the forest and the coast.
Sarushima is the largest uninhabited island in Tokyo Bay, but it is easily accessible as it can be reached in about 10 minutes by ferry. There is also a free motorcycle parking lot at the Mikasa Park entrance. Sarushima is an island that you can enjoy all day long, but you cannot stay the night on it. The last flight leaves at 16:30, so you need to be back by then. Sarushima has a different look depending on the season and time of day, so it’s an island you’ll want to visit again and again.
This concludes my report on touring to Sarushima! If you are also interested in touring Sarushima, please give it a try. Sarushima is waiting for you.
