Jogashima and Miura

Like last year, January has been a succession of clear days with bright blue skies around Tokyo. And since we enjoyed our walks at the seaside so much last year, we wanted to repeat the experience. This time, we traveled to the very tip of the scenic Miura peninsula, in front of which the small island of Jogashima (城ヶ島) is located. It is connected to Miura Peninsula by a toll bridge. The coastline consists of steep cliffs and is very similar to what we have seen last year at Cape Tsurugi. The island affords views of Mt. Fuji, the island of Oshima and the Bozo Peninsula. The whole area is very quiet and untouristic. For once, one can see some unspoiled nature, including a variety of birds (apart from the kites which are ubiquitous along the coast).

Black kite (Milvus migrans)- could not ID - Blue Rockthrush (Monticola solitarius)

One of the especially interesting points of the scenic coast line is the Horseback Cave (馬の背洞門) a protruding cliff with a big hole in it.

Suisen in Jogashima Park

Ascending the cliff from there, one reaches Jogashima Park. At this season, its main attraction are the blooming Suisen (水仙), a delicate white narcissus with a double bloom and a sweet smell. In the park, there are also two viewing platforms for admiring the scenery. At the tip of the island, a small lighthouse stands among the rocks.
Crossing the bridge back to the peninsula, one reaches the sleepy fishing port of Miura. Back in its golden days, it was an important tuna fishing port.

Horseback Cave

Even though it is now rather quiet there, tuna (maguro in Japanese) remains the local specialty and is served by a variety of restaurants.

Miura fishing port

The baked head of tuna is advertised everywhere, which seemed somewhat of an oddity to me.

Roasted Maguro head

We ended up in a very traditional looking place, where we were served dishes like tuna eggs and tuna stomach along with more common preparations. I have to admit that the tuna sashimi was the best I have tasted so far.
Jogashima and Miura port are a welcome escape from the bustle of the capital and attractive both for the nature lover and the gourmet.

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