I had a day off in February (yes, almost half a year ago), so I went in search of a fish and chip shop rumoured to exist on Jougashima, a small island I think I’d only been to once before, located at the southern tip of the Yokosuka peninsula, a little south west of Yokohama.
I also decided to not get there in a hurry and to stop, smell the roses (or whatever foliage there was), and see what there was to see along the way.
I decided to do a run mainly down the west coast of the peninsula, which can be a little touristy near Hayama and Zushi – towns well frequented for their beaches year round, especially in the Summer, when Tokyo invades, much to the chagrin of the locals.
I was thinking of having a more upmarket breakfast than my usual combini fare, but sadly, the place I was thinking of (the Nagisa Bridge Cafe) was closed for reconstruction – so onigiri and a cup of tea it was at the nearby Famima!
I swung down the coastal road and finally the number of traffic lights calm to a less insane number (if you didn’t know, Japan loves traffic lights, and many are on timers). There’s a small town called Morito, so I stopped at the Daimyoujin Shrine, which is nice in itself, but also backs onto a great view of the coast and ocean, so it’s worth a visit for a sit down and a cup of tea – even better if you brought a camera.
Did I mention the weather was fantastic all day?
After the shrine and the view it was off again, mainly along R134 to the South, up on to the plateau to see some of the farmlands (and feel some of the crosswinds) before heading back to the coast to take a walk around Arasaki Park.
It’s a very rocky outcrop, rugged but nice on a day like that and some really nice textures in the rock if that’s your thing. There’s plenty of trails and inlets to walk, some rock holes and generally just beautiful views. There’s also plenty of photos to be taken, and places to just stop and have a cup of tea, which is always appreciated.
Finally I crossed the bridge over to Jougashima, which I think the first time I went there I’m quite sure was a toll on that bridge, but not any more it seems!
It’s not a huge island, and it’s sort of split by function into east and west. The west is mostly a harbour and fish and other docks. The east is mostly a park, but with some hiking trails to the south, and there’s a few cafes and hotels sprinkled around.
There’s a good day’s hiking around the island, and as you can see from the photos, some nice places to just stop and look around – small marinas, bits of coastline, but I almost forgot the fish and chip shop, it’s on the dock side, and is actually right on the water, small, and actually looks like a small chippie from the UK.
Inside they even had salt and malt vinegar, but enough of condiments, lets talk fish and chips! As you can see, the chips are a real size, even the paper cone looks good. The fish is not the usual cod or haddock of course, but actually battered tuna. Actually, it tasted really good in its own right, so I’ll give it a positive review!
All in all then, a great day out, and some good food to, so not much to argue about there.
