yokosuka

The last time we visited Yokosuka was in 2019.

I recently saw something on social media so we went to check out the Iris Garden.

From the Keikyu Shioiri station it is about 15 minutes by bus. 

Luckily they also had a bus that took you directly to the garden (220 yen one way)
 

Not only do they have iris beds but they also have rhododendron bushes and many wisteria trellises (we want to go back next year to experience these flowers)

The park itself is about 3.8 hectares (9.39 acres).

According to the pamphlet, they have 412 varieties and about 140,000 irises.

On this day it was only 50% in bloom, but it was still something to see.

There were also women who were deadheading the plants. (In writing this post I learned a new word too, “deadhead”)

Lots of people just sitting and enjoying the day.

Glad it wasn’t overcrowded.

And because there was a matsuri (festival) going on, what should've taken us 15 minutes to return to the station, took us over an hour due to the traffic jam.

We were starving by the time we got back to the station and had lunch at Alfred.

We both ordered their Gourmet plate…tiny Yokosuka burger, tiny Navy curry and tiny cherry cheesecake...2040 yen (tax included) plus free drink each.

The curry was spicy with lots of pork in it, the burger was juicy and the cheesecake was rich and "American" sweet.

And because I'm a coffe snob, I thought their iced coffee was gross, still, I'm glad we were able to eat without having to wait for a table because we were kinda hangry…

After eating all that food we walked to see the warship Mikasa, which we saw back in 2019 too.

I was admiring all the old buildings along the way.

After checking out the ship, we walked back to the station and checked out all the things going on in the matsuri area.

Even though the weather was blazing I'm glad we got to revisit this area.

If you are interested in seeing some videos and photos, please look here.

Yokosuka Iris Garden

18-1 Abekura

Yokosuka, Kanagawa

Hours: 9:00-19:00

Admission 320 yen adults

Alfred

2-4 Honcho

Yokosuka, Kanagawa

Open daily 11:00-23:00

*cash only

yokosuka

From where we live it takes about an hour to get to Yokosuka.

It is home to a large US Naval base.

And where there is a slice of America there are usually burgers...

Honey Bee's has been around since 1968...their navy burgers are pre-made 1/2 pound patties and the huge fluffy buns help hold the sandwich together while eating.

As the waitress said, "just smash it down and go for it" (well, something like that in Japanese)

Super juicy and well seasoned...this was hefty...1680 yen (tax included)...and I also added cheese 150 yen.

This came with fries and a drink (which I ordered a cola).

Satoshi went with the captain...2300 yen (tax included)....this had teri sauce, an egg, bacon, mayo, cheese, tomato and onion, plus the 1/2 pound patty...talk about monster! messy eats.

Satoshi had an orange Fanta.

While eating it was nice to listen to KSSK which they had streaming in too.

Another popular food in Yokosuka is their curry which I believe is influenced by the Japanese Navy...we'll have to come back to try that...

After lunch we walked to Mikasa Park.

This is where retired Japan warship, Mikasa is parked and where you can pay to roam around inside.

While Satoshi roamed the warship, I went to check out the Port Market.

They had fish freshly caught at the nearby Misaki area.

I picked up some otoro (fatty tuna)

and katsuo tataki (seared bonito) for dinner...about 1700 yen for both!

As well as locally grown swiss chard and broccolini.

I also found some purple sweet potato that was grown in Chiba...550 yen total for the veggies I bought.

Yokosuka is also the home of the Sukajan (Yokosuka + Janpa (jacket))...a satin embroidered baseball jacket...for more background on this read this.

The weather was nice and we were glad to be able to explore this area.

It was also a nice change to see many Caucasians.

We hope to come back for some cherry blossoms too.

Honey Bee
2-1 Honmachi
Yokosuka, Kanagawa
Hours: 11:30-??
Open Daily

Yokosuka Port Market
6 Shinko-cho
Yokosuka, Kanagawa
Closed Tuesdays
Hours: 10:00-21:00