YOKOSUKA, Kanagawa -- The city of Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture developed as a "military capital" for the former Japanese army and navy until the end of World War II. After the war, part of the local land was converted into a U.S. naval base or sold to the private sector, yet the ruins of gun batteries and related buildings still exist here and there, serving as a symbol of the nation's modernization heritage.
To use such heritage as a tourist resource, the local public and private sectors have been working together to present the city's history and culture to the public, which has drawn in visitors.
Mikasa Park allows visitors to see the former battleship Mikasa on display. Mikasa was the flagship of the allied fleet during the Battle of the Tsushima in the Russo-Japanese War. From the pier near the memorial ship, about a 10-minute ride on regular sea liner brings visitors to Sarushima, an uninhabited island in Tokyo Bay and the main attraction.
On this island running about 200 meters from east to west and 450 meters from north to south, visitors can find the ruins of a stone and brick fortress, including gun emplacements, barracks, ammunition storage and tunnels, all spreading out in a deep forest of evergreen trees.
The Sarushima Koen Senmon Guide Kyokai (An association of guides of Sarushima Park), comprising 28 volunteer guides, provides a guided tour of the island.
The association was established in 2010 by former company workers and homemakers who finished a training course organized by the city.
"As a local resident, I want people to know more about the charms of Yokosuka," said Minao Kogure, 73, who is a member of the association. "I always work to be informative and thoughtful to help tour participants understand a lot about the history and nature" of Sarushima.
During the 90-minute tour, visitors can see inside the barracks and ammunition storages, which are normally closed to the public.
"If I hadn't listened to the explanation [given by my guide], I might have just felt like this is nothing more than an Instagrammable island," said Aya Furukawa, 33, a company worker from Kawasaki, after participating in a tour.
Sarushima's ownership was transferred to the city for free from the national government in 2007. Restrictions on the use of the island for tourism were lifted prompting the start of musical events and tours on the island planned mainly by Tryangle Inc., which operates the regular liner service. Visitors to the island last fiscal year more than tripled to about 230,000 from about 68,000 in the first year.
The company started to offer a Yokosuka Military Port Tour in 2008. The tour has been popular as it allows visitors to closely see, for example, the No. 6 dock, where Shinano, the largest aircraft carrier of the former Japanese military, was built; a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the U.S. Navy, and an Aegis-equipped ship of the Maritime Self-Defense Force of Japan.
The company also began offering a tour of modernization heritage sites on Sarushima in December. The company president Takahiro Suzuki, 50, said the tour can be a major attraction for Yokosuka.
In July, the Mikasa Terminal was opened at the pier in the Mikasa side. It serves as the starting and ending points for tours to Sarushima and to an artificial island with a fortress, called No. 2 Kaiho, where tour participants are allowed to visit.
"There are other modernization heritage sites," Suzuki said. "I believe providing boat trips to these places will create better synergy among the sites"
To help visitors to the ruins of gun batteries and the naval port better enjoy their stays, local restaurants are offering a Yokosuka navy curry based on curry of the former Japanese navy along with a navy burger cooked with a recipe provided by the local U.S. Navy base. These foods are being served at more and more dining facilities, attracting visitors to the downtown area and helping to economically benefit the entire city.
The ruins of the gun batteries on Sarushima, along with the ruins of the Chiyogasaki gun batteries at the mouth of Uraga Bay, was designated as a national historical site in 2015. The city was designated as a Japan Heritage, along with three other cities as "four cities having former naval ports," in 2016.
The city is planning to construct a guidance center for promoting the local tourism. It plans to use the center as the core facility of a "route museum-type" navy port museum project, which includes and links modernized heritage sites in the city to each other.
David Sato, 61, a researcher on Tokyo Bay fortresses familiar with Yokosuka's modernization heritage, said the ruins of gun batteries and other modernization heritage sites are appealing because they are works by the grand craftsmanship of the Meiji era (1868-1912) and represent the beauty of ruins.
"I hope more people will come and learn about these sites," he said.
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