
The sea in Jogashima Island
Did you ever know that there was a hidden beach resort right next to Tokyo? It’s Jogashima Island (城ヶ島), Kanagawa Prefecture, where the sea is crystal clear.
On one peaceful weekend in 2016, we went on cycling to the little island.
If you know the landscape of Japan, you know where Kanagawa Prefecture is. It’s a prefecture right next to Tokyo, and there is a huge city Yokohama in that prefecture. Who could imagine that the sea in the area is so crystal clear?
For your reference, Jogashima is here:
Carrying our bicycles, we got into a train from Shinjuku. It’s a bit tough to take a train from the huge station with a bike because it’s always packed with people.
*In Japan, you need to take apart your bicycle and pack it in a bag in order to bring it to a train. There are bicycle carrying bags like these:
After an hour and a half, we were at Misakiguchi station where we started cycling.
It was February and there was a cherry blossom festival at the station. A perfect weather for cycling.
But don’t forget to charge energy before going on a ride!
This is tuna sashimi rice bowl I had at a local restaurant. Misaki Port is famous for very good tunas you can’t miss them if you go to that area. Usually I don’t eat raw fish, but this was so GOOD!
All righty, off to Jogashima now!
The weather was great, the air wasn’t too cold and a little breeze blew on our cheeks.
On the way to Jogashima, there were some people riding horses…
And finally, we were in Jogashima!
Look at this beautiful sea… Can you believe that this is right next to the biggest city of Japan? There are no proper beaches on the island, but with this clear water, it wouldn’t hurt to call it a little beach resort.

The sea in Jogashima Island

The sea in Jogashima Island
We stayed at Nagatsuroso, one of the guesthouses on the island. The price was cheap, the food was great and the owners were super nice there! I think it was like 7,000 JPY ($65) or so per person, per night with this fancy dinner and breakfast:
On the next morning, our plan was to take a walk by the sea, go to the park on the island, and then to the local fish market.
It’s so fun just to stroll by the rocky seashore.

Landscape in Jogashima Island
There are so many sea hares in this season by the way. They are not that huge, but they look humongous to us who are only used to seeing less than 1-inch sea slugs during scuba diving…
They are as large as your palm.
OK, off to Jogashima Park now! There are many slopes on the island, so be careful is you are not used to riding on ascending slopes.
So this is Jogashima Park. Look at this, no clouds at all…
Kittens were taking a nap. So peaceful…
The air was so clean that taking deep breaths there felt as if it purified my entire body. It’s such a luxury that you can enjoy the beautiful nature just 1.5 hours away from the most crowded city of Japan.
On the way back to Misaki station, don’t forget to stop by Misaki Market. There are so many local specialties at the market, as well as fresh tunas.
We had a tuna dumpling at the market. It was our first time to have it and I was a bit worried that it might smell fishy, but it didn’t at all.
We also saw a shark on sale?!
Spending the whole day in the area, we headed back to Tokyo. It was such a relaxing weekend!
How to go to Jogashima:
From Shinjuku, take Shonan-Shinjuku Like for Zushi and get off in Yokohama. From Yokohama, take Keikyu Honsen (Main Line) for Misakiguchi and get off at the terminal station. Finally, from Misakiguchi, assemble your bicycle and go south. it’s about 4 miles from the station and you will be in Jogashima after a 30 minutes ride.
Read more about hidden tourist destinations near Tokyo >
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