Yokosuka: Parks, Harbor Views, and History

Yokosuka brings together landscaped parks, traces of its fortress history, and maritime themes. If you’re looking for a hotel, it may help to first decide which of these aspects you want to shape your stay: gardens and harbor views, preserved military architecture, or ships and attractions across the wider Yokosuka travel area. Each place has a different focus and offers practical points to help you plan.

Parks, Harbor Views, and History

Verny Park was designed in the French garden style and completed at the end of Japan’s 2001 fiscal year. Its features include French flower beds, fountains, and Western-style pavilions. Around 1,300 roses of some 130 varieties grow in the park, mostly French varieties; the planting may vary by season. A waterfront promenade overlooking Yokosuka Main Port invites visitors to stroll. Busts of the engineer Verny and the then-financial magistrate Oguri Kozukenosuke Tadamasa also stand here.

On Sarushima, dense greenery meets traces of its fortress-era past. Preserved former military facilities include brick tunnels and gun emplacements. The fortress-era structures are considered valuable historical heritage; Sarushima is also designated a national historic site and included in Japan’s Japan Heritage program. This gives the island a different historical focus from the landscaped parks.

According to a Yokosuka City notice dated July 21, 2026, swimming at Sarushima Beach is suspended until further notice. The notice cites changes to the beach’s shape caused by currents and areas where the water depth increases suddenly. Check the latest status before your trip.

Mikasa Park offers another focus with its motto, “Water, Light, and Sound”: fountains dancing to music and numerous monuments are among its noted features; one of the monuments is 18 meters tall. From the park, you can see ships in Tokyo Bay and Sarushima behind the Mikasa. The museum ship Mikasa is also preserved here. It served in the Russo-Japanese War and is considered one of the world’s three great historic memorial ships. Ongoing redevelopment of the park may affect these features during construction.

More Experiences in the Yokosuka Travel Area

For an overview of the whole city, the Yokosuka Route Museum presents the city as a “museum” of connected sights and experiences. It introduces more than 60 destinations, including architecture, historic monuments, industrial landmarks, naval history, parks, and gardens. This gives you a framework for weighing different themes for your stay.

The Yokosuka Naval Port Cruise lasts 45 minutes and travels through the calm waters of the Japanese and American naval bases. Along the way, you can see ships up close, including submarines and supply vessels. Aircraft carriers can be seen when they are in port. Operations and visibility may vary, so check the latest schedule in advance.

Dobuita Street offers Sukajan jackets with elaborate embroidery, both vintage styles and new jackets, as well as several pubs and restaurants. Another culinary theme in the Yokosuka area is the Yokosuka Navy Burger: this local gourmet brand is based on a recipe prepared in the style of the Japanese Navy. Shops around the naval base sell the burger to visitors.

The Yokosuka Museum of Art is right on Tokyo Bay and is surrounded on three sides by the lush natural scenery of Kannonzaki Prefectural Park. From Yokosuka Station or Maborikaigan Station, take a Keikyu bus bound for Kannonzaki to the “La Vista Yokosuka Kannonzaki Terrace and Yokosuka Museum of Art” stop; it is a two-minute walk from there. Bus service may change, so check the route for your travel date.

Kurihama Flower Park also makes use of the natural contours of the land and is lush with greenery. It includes Adventure Land, with a Godzilla slide, and a herb garden with the Yuttari footbath. Check whether these facilities are available before setting out.

For planning your trip, the main attractions are easy to distinguish: Verny Park combines garden design with a harbor promenade, Sarushima centers on fortress relics in a green setting, and Mikasa Park brings together monuments, ships, and the history of the museum ship. The cruise’s 45-minute duration gives you a clear time frame; which ships you see depends on which ones are in port.

Discover more destinations: Naka District, Chuo, Odawara, Fujisawa, Ogimachi, Hakone, Manazuru, Kawasaki

For the regional travel overview: Kanagawa Prefecture.