Yokosuka, Kanagawa
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in Kanagawa
, Japan
. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population
of 419,067 and a population density
of 4,160 people per km². It covered an area of 100.62 km². Yokosuka is the 11th most populous city in Greater Tokyo, 12th in the Kantō region
.
, and is bordered by the mouth of Tokyo Bay
to the east and Sagami Bay
on the Pacific Ocean
on the west.
period and ceramic shards from the Jōmon
and Kofun period
s at numerous locations in the area. During the Heian period
, local warlord Muraoka Tamemichi established Kinugasa Castle in 1063. He became the ancestor of the Miura clan
, which subsequently dominated eastern Sagami Province
for the next several hundred years. The Miura clan
supported Minamoto no Yoritomo
in the foundation of the Kamakura shogunate
, but were later annihilated by Hōjō Tokiyori
in 1247. However, the family name was reassigned to a supporter of the Hōjō clan
, and the Miura continued to rule Miura Peninsula
through the Muromachi period
until their defeat at Arai Castle in a 1518 attack by Hōjō Sōun
. Following the defeat of the Late Hōjō clan
at the Battle of Odawara, Toyotomi Hideyoshi
transferred Tokugawa Ieyasu
to take control over the Kantō region
, including Yokosuka in 1590.
The adventurer William Adams
(inspiration for a character in the novel Shōgun
), the first Briton to set foot in Japan, arrived at Uraga
aboard the Dutch trading vessel Liefde in 1600. In 1612, he was granted the title of samurai
and a fief in Hemi within the boundaries of present-day Yokosuka, due to his services to the Tokugawa shogunate
. A monument to William Adams (called Miura Anjin in Japanese) is a local landmark in Yokosuka.
During the Edo period
, Yokosuka tenryō territory controlled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate
, but administered through various hatamoto
. Due to its strategic location at the entrance to Tokyo Bay, the Shogunate established the post of Uraga Bugyō in 1720, and all shipping into the bay was required to stop for inspection. As concerns over the increasing number of incursions by foreign vessels and attempts to end Japan's self-imposed national seclusion policy
, the Shogunate established a number of coastal artillery
batteries around Yokosuka, including an outpost at Ōtsu in 1842. However, despite these efforts, in 1853, United States naval Commodore Matthew Perry
arrived in Tokyo Bay with his fleet of Black Ships
and came ashore at Kurihama, in southern Yokosuka, leading to the opening of diplomatic and trade relations between Japan and the United States. The Kanrin Maru
sailed from Yokosuka in 1860 with the first Japanese diplomatic embassy to the United States
in 1860.
During the turbulent Bakumatsu period, the Shogunate selected Yokosuka as the site for a modern naval base, and hired the French engineer Léonce Verny
in 1865 to oversee the development of shipbuilding
facilities, beginning with Yokosuka Iron Foundry. Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
became the first modern arsenal
to be created in Japan. The construction of the arsenal was the central point of a global modern infrastructure, that was to prove an important first step for the modernization of Japan's industry. Modern buildings, the Hashirimizu waterway, foundries, brick factories, and technical schools to train Japanese technicians were established.
, the arsenal was taken over by the Imperial Japanese Navy
, and the area of modern Yokosuka was reorganized into Uraga Town and numerous villages within Miura District
, Kanagawa Prefecture
. Yokosuka village was elevated to town status in 1878 and was made the capital of Miura District. In 1889, the Yokosuka Line
railway was opened, connecting Yokosuka to Yokohama and Tokyo. Yokosuka was elevated in status to city on February 15, 1907. From 1916, Oppama in Yokosuka was developed as the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal
, and many of the combat aircraft subsequently operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
were developed or tested at Yokosuka. Yokosuka Naval Arsenal also continued to expand in the early 20th century, and its production included battleship
s such as Yamashiro
, and aircraft carrier
s such as Hiryū
and Shōkaku
. Smaller warships were constructed at the privately-owned Uraga Dock Company
. Yokosuka Naval District
was the home port of the IJN 1st Fleet
.
The Great Kantō earthquake
of 1923 caused severe damage to Yokosuka. The city continued to expand in 1933 with the annexation of neighboring Kinugasa Village and Taura Town in 1933 and Kurihama Village in 1937. In 1943, the city also annexed the neighboring towns and villages of Uraga, Kitashimoura, Okusu, Nagai and Takeyama, as well as Zushi
.
During World War II
, Yokosuka was bombed on April 18, 1942 by American B-25 bombers
in the Doolittle Raid
with little damage as a retaliation to the attack on Pearl Harbor
. Aside from minor sporatic tactical air raids by United States Navy
aircraft, it was not bombed again during the war; however, from 1938 to 1945 more than 260 caves in more than 20 separate tunnel/cave networks were built throughout the area, with at least 27 kilometers of known tunnels within the grounds of Yokosuka Naval Base. Many more tunnels are scattered throughout the surrounding areas. During the war, these tunnels and caves provided areas in which work could be done in secrecy, safe from air attacks. A 500 bed hospital, a large electrical power generating facility, and a midget submarine factory and warehouse were among the many facilities built. American occupation forces landed at Yokosuka on August 30, 1945 after the surrender of Japan
, and the naval base has been used by the US Navy since that time.
From the 1950s, United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka
has been home port for the United States Seventh Fleet
, and played a critical support role in the Korean War
and the Vietnam War
. Yokosuka was the site of many anti-war protests during the late 1960s and 1970s. The nuclear powered USS George Washington
is currently based at Yokosuka, the first time a U.S. nuclear powered ship has been permanently based in Japan. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
also operates a military port next to the American base, as well as numerous training
facilities at scattered locations around the city.
In 2001, Yokosuka was designated as a core city
, with increased autonomy from the central government.
and its affiliated subsidiaries employing thousands of local residents. The Nissan Maxima
and Infiniti G20 are assembled in the 520,000 square metre Oppama plant (追浜工場) in Yokosuka. The plant has been said to have played a significant role in Nissan’s revival with its one car per minute output and quick four day reconfiguration between assembly of various autos. The plant is adjacent to Nissan's Research and Development Center, the Oppama Proving Ground and the Oppama Wharf, from which Nissan ships vehicles made at Oppama and Nissan’s other two Japanese vehicle assembly plants to other regions of Japan and overseas to other global markets.
The Yokosuka Research Park
, established in 1997, is a major center for the Japanese telecommunications industry, and is where many of the wireless, mobile communications related companies have set up their research and development centers and joint testing facilities.
} - - -
, a department of the Yokosuka City Department of Education. Many of Yokosuka's public high schools, including Yokosuka High School
, are operated by the Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education
.
The city operates one municipal high school, Yokosuka Sogo High School
.
Corpus Christi
, Texas
, United States
(since 1962) Brest
, Finistère
, France
(since 1970) Fremantle
, Perth
, Western Australia
, Australia
(since 1979) Medway
, Kent
, England
, United Kingdom
(since 1998)
Yokosuka has a friendship-city relationship with one city: Aizuwakamatsu
, Fukushima Prefecture
, Japan
(since 2005)
. "The Honch," a mecca for shopping and nightlife and located just outside the Yokosuka Naval Base's main gates, is a popular attraction for tourists and sailors stationed nearby, as well as local Japanese residents.
The battleship Mikasa, flagship of Admiral Togo at the Battle of Tsushima
, built in Britain by Vickers
, is preserved on dry land at Yokosuka. It is a museum, complete with actors dressed like members of the original crew, and can be visited for an entrance fee of 500 yen.
video game Shenmue
, and the first major catastrophe in Front Mission 3
. Imamura Shohei's 1961 New Wave film Pigs and Battleships
takes place in Yokosuka. Additionally, Yokosuka is the location of the climactic battle in the Godzilla
film. Terror of Mechagodzilla
.
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
located in Kanagawa
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 419,067 and a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 4,160 people per km². It covered an area of 100.62 km². Yokosuka is the 11th most populous city in Greater Tokyo, 12th in the Kantō region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
.
Geography
Yokosuka occupies most of Miura PeninsulaMiura Peninsula
is a peninsula located in Kanagawa, Japan. It lies south of Yokohama and Tokyo and divides Tokyo Bay, to the east, from Sagami Bay, to the west. Cities and towns on the Miura Peninsula include Yokosuka, Miura, Hayama, Zushi, and Kamakura....
, and is bordered by the mouth of Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
to the east and Sagami Bay
Sagami Bay
Sagami Bay , also known as the Sagami Gulf or Sagami Sea, lies south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū, central Japan, contained within the scope of the Miura Peninsula, in Kanagawa, to the east, the Izu Peninsula, in Shizuoka Prefecture, to the west, and the Shōnan coastline to the north, while the...
on the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
on the west.
Surrounding municipalities
- Kanazawa-ku, YokohamaKanazawa-ku, Yokohamais one of the 18 wards of the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the ward had an estimated population of 209,565 and a density of 6,760 persons per km². The total area was 31.01 km². The ward symbol, established 1987, expresses the image of sea, waves, and a sea...
- MiuraMiura, Kanagawais a city located in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 44,238 and a population density of 1,490 persons per km²...
- HayamaHayama, Kanagawais a town located in Miura District, Kanagawa Prefecture, on central Honshū, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 32,386 and a density of 1,900 per km². The total area was 17.06 km²...
- ZushiZushi, Kanagawais a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 58,793 and a population density of 3,390 persons per km². The total area was 17.34 km².-Geography:...
Pre-modern period
The area around present-day Yokosuka city has been inhabited for thousands of years. Archaeologists have found stone tools and shell middens from the Japanese PaleolithicJapanese Paleolithic
The began around 50,000 to 30,000 BC, when the earliest stone tool implements have been found, and continued to around 14,000 BC, at the end of the last ice age, which corresponds to the beginning of the Mesolithic Jōmon period...
period and ceramic shards from the Jōmon
Jomon period
The is the time in Japanese prehistory from about 14,000 BC to 300 BC.The term jōmon means "cord-patterned" in Japanese. This refers to the pottery style characteristic of the Jōmon culture, and which has markings made using sticks with cords wrapped around them...
and Kofun period
Kofun period
The is an era in the history of Japan from around 250 to 538. It follows the Yayoi period. The word kofun is Japanese for the type of burial mounds dating from this era. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes referred to collectively as the Yamato period...
s at numerous locations in the area. During the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
, local warlord Muraoka Tamemichi established Kinugasa Castle in 1063. He became the ancestor of the Miura clan
Miura clan
The ' was one of the branch families descended from the Taira clan. They held large fiefs, and great political influence. They were one of the primary opponents of the Hōjō family of regents, in the mid-13th century, and again at the beginning of the 16th...
, which subsequently dominated eastern Sagami Province
Sagami Province
was an old province in the area that is today the central and western Kanagawa prefecture. It was sometimes called . Sagami bordered on Izu, Musashi, Suruga provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Sagami Bay...
for the next several hundred years. The Miura clan
Miura clan
The ' was one of the branch families descended from the Taira clan. They held large fiefs, and great political influence. They were one of the primary opponents of the Hōjō family of regents, in the mid-13th century, and again at the beginning of the 16th...
supported Minamoto no Yoritomo
Minamoto no Yoritomo
was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.-Early life and exile :Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the...
in the foundation of the Kamakura shogunate
Kamakura shogunate
The Kamakura shogunate was a military dictatorship in Japan headed by the shoguns from 1185 to 1333. It was based in Kamakura. The Kamakura period draws its name from the capital of the shogunate...
, but were later annihilated by Hōjō Tokiyori
Hojo Tokiyori
Hōjō Tokiyori was the fifth shikken of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan. He was born to Hōjō Tokiuji and a daughter of Adachi Kagemori....
in 1247. However, the family name was reassigned to a supporter of the Hōjō clan
Hojo clan
See the late Hōjō clan for the Hōjō clan of the Sengoku Period.The in the history of Japan was a family who controlled the hereditary title of shikken of the Kamakura Shogunate. In practice, the family had actual governmental power, many times dictatorial, rather than Kamakura shoguns, or the...
, and the Miura continued to rule Miura Peninsula
Miura Peninsula
is a peninsula located in Kanagawa, Japan. It lies south of Yokohama and Tokyo and divides Tokyo Bay, to the east, from Sagami Bay, to the west. Cities and towns on the Miura Peninsula include Yokosuka, Miura, Hayama, Zushi, and Kamakura....
through the Muromachi period
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...
until their defeat at Arai Castle in a 1518 attack by Hōjō Sōun
Hojo Soun
was the first head of the Late Hōjō clan, one of the major powers in Japan's Sengoku period. Born Ise Moritoki, he was originally known as Ise Shinkurō, a samurai of Taira lineage from a reputable family of Shogunate officials...
. Following the defeat of the Late Hōjō clan
Late Hojo clan
The ' was one of the most powerful warrior clans in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region.The clan is traditionally reckoned to be started by Ise Shinkurō, who came from a branch of the prestigious Ise clan, a family in the direct employment of the Ashikaga...
at the Battle of Odawara, Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
transferred Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
to take control over the Kantō region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
, including Yokosuka in 1590.
The adventurer William Adams
William Adams (sailor)
William Adams , also known in Japanese as Anjin-sama and Miura Anjin , was an English navigator who travelled to Japan and is believed to be the first Englishman ever to reach that country...
(inspiration for a character in the novel Shōgun
Shogun (novel)
Shōgun is a 1975 novel by James Clavell. It is the first novel of the author's Asian Saga. A major bestseller, by 1990 the book had sold 15 million copies worldwide...
), the first Briton to set foot in Japan, arrived at Uraga
Uraga
is a subdivision of the city of Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located on the south eastern side of the Miura Peninsula, at the northern end of the Uraga Channel, at the entrance of Tokyo Bay.-History:...
aboard the Dutch trading vessel Liefde in 1600. In 1612, he was granted the title of samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
and a fief in Hemi within the boundaries of present-day Yokosuka, due to his services to the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
. A monument to William Adams (called Miura Anjin in Japanese) is a local landmark in Yokosuka.
During the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, Yokosuka tenryō territory controlled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
, but administered through various hatamoto
Hatamoto
A was a samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as gokenin. However, in the Edo period, hatamoto were the upper vassals of the Tokugawa...
. Due to its strategic location at the entrance to Tokyo Bay, the Shogunate established the post of Uraga Bugyō in 1720, and all shipping into the bay was required to stop for inspection. As concerns over the increasing number of incursions by foreign vessels and attempts to end Japan's self-imposed national seclusion policy
Sakoku
was the foreign relations policy of Japan under which no foreigner could enter nor could any Japanese leave the country on penalty of death. The policy was enacted by the Tokugawa shogunate under Tokugawa Iemitsu through a number of edicts and policies from 1633–39 and remained in effect until...
, the Shogunate established a number of coastal artillery
Coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
batteries around Yokosuka, including an outpost at Ōtsu in 1842. However, despite these efforts, in 1853, United States naval Commodore Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry (naval officer)
Matthew Calbraith Perry was the Commodore of the U.S. Navy and served commanding a number of US naval ships. He served several wars, most notably in the Mexican-American War and the War of 1812. He played a leading role in the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854...
arrived in Tokyo Bay with his fleet of Black Ships
Black Ships
The Black Ships was the name given to Western vessels arriving in Japan in the 16th and 19th centuries.In 1543 Portuguese initiated the first contacts, establishing a trade route linking Goa to Nagasaki...
and came ashore at Kurihama, in southern Yokosuka, leading to the opening of diplomatic and trade relations between Japan and the United States. The Kanrin Maru
Japanese warship Kanrin Maru
Kanrin Maru was Japan's first sail and screw-driven steam corvette . She was ordered in 1853 from the Netherlands, the only Western country with which Japan had diplomatic relations throughout its period of sakoku , by the Shogun's government, the Bakufu...
sailed from Yokosuka in 1860 with the first Japanese diplomatic embassy to the United States
Japanese Embassy to the United States (1860)
The was dispatched in 1860 by the Tokugawa shogunate . Its objective was to ratify the new Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation between the United States and Japan, in addition to being Japan’s first diplomatic mission to the United States since the 1854 opening of Japan by Commodore...
in 1860.
Léonce Verny
François Léonce Verny, was a French officer and naval engineer who directed the construction of the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal in Japan, as well as many related modern infrastructure projects from 1865 to 1876, thus helping jump-start Japan's modernization.-Early life:Léonce Verny was born in Aubenas,...
in 1865 to oversee the development of shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
facilities, beginning with Yokosuka Iron Foundry. Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was located at Yokosuka city, Kanagawa prefecture on Tokyo Bay, south of Yokohama...
became the first modern arsenal
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
to be created in Japan. The construction of the arsenal was the central point of a global modern infrastructure, that was to prove an important first step for the modernization of Japan's industry. Modern buildings, the Hashirimizu waterway, foundries, brick factories, and technical schools to train Japanese technicians were established.
Meiji period to present
After the Meiji RestorationMeiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
, the arsenal was taken over by the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
, and the area of modern Yokosuka was reorganized into Uraga Town and numerous villages within Miura District
Miura District, Kanagawa
is an administrative district of Japan located in Kanagawa Prefecture. It currently consists of only one town, Hayama.- History :Miura District was one of the ancient subdivisions of Sagami Province, covering all of Miura Peninsula...
, Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
. Yokosuka village was elevated to town status in 1878 and was made the capital of Miura District. In 1889, the Yokosuka Line
Yokosuka Line
The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company .The Yokosuka Line connects in Chūō, Tokyo and in Yokosuka, Kanagawa...
railway was opened, connecting Yokosuka to Yokohama and Tokyo. Yokosuka was elevated in status to city on February 15, 1907. From 1916, Oppama in Yokosuka was developed as the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal
Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal
had many names, each depending on the period of its existence, and the circumstances at that time. Many of the names were acronyms that were derived from its military name or designation, which changed from time to time. The arsenal was sometimes known as "Kūgi-shō"...
, and many of the combat aircraft subsequently operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, the organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War.It was controlled by the Navy Staff of the Imperial Japanese Navy and...
were developed or tested at Yokosuka. Yokosuka Naval Arsenal also continued to expand in the early 20th century, and its production included battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s such as Yamashiro
Japanese battleship Yamashiro
Yamashiro was the Imperial Japanese Navy's second Fusō-class battleship, and was laid down at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on November 20, 1913, launched on November 3, 1915, and commissioned on March 31, 1917. She was the first Japanese vessel equipped with aircraft catapults...
, and aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s such as Hiryū
Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu
was a modified Sōryū-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was one of the carriers that began the Pacific War with the attack on Pearl Harbor...
and Shōkaku
Japanese aircraft carrier Shokaku
Shōkaku was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the lead ship of her class. Along with her sister ship , she took part in several key naval battles during the Pacific War, including the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands...
. Smaller warships were constructed at the privately-owned Uraga Dock Company
Uraga Dock Company
was a major privately owned shipyard in Uraga, Japan, which built numerous warships for the Imperial Japanese Navy.-History:Uraga Dock Company was founded by Enomoto Takeaki in 1869. A shipyard had already existed in Uraga from the end of the Edo period...
. Yokosuka Naval District
Yokosuka Naval District
was the first of four main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included Tokyo Bay and the Pacific coasts of central and northern Honshū from the Kii Peninsula to Shimokita Peninsula.-History:...
was the home port of the IJN 1st Fleet
IJN 1st Fleet
The was the main battleship fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy.-History:First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 1st Fleet was created during the Russo-Japanese War when the Imperial General Headquarters divided the Readiness Fleet into a mobile strike force of cruisers and destroyers to...
.
The Great Kantō earthquake
1923 Great Kanto earthquake
The struck the Kantō plain on the Japanese main island of Honshū at 11:58:44 am JST on September 1, 1923. Varied accounts hold that the duration of the earthquake was between 4 and 10 minutes...
of 1923 caused severe damage to Yokosuka. The city continued to expand in 1933 with the annexation of neighboring Kinugasa Village and Taura Town in 1933 and Kurihama Village in 1937. In 1943, the city also annexed the neighboring towns and villages of Uraga, Kitashimoura, Okusu, Nagai and Takeyama, as well as Zushi
Zushi, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 58,793 and a population density of 3,390 persons per km². The total area was 17.34 km².-Geography:...
.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Yokosuka was bombed on April 18, 1942 by American B-25 bombers
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
in the Doolittle Raid
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
with little damage as a retaliation to the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
. Aside from minor sporatic tactical air raids by United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
aircraft, it was not bombed again during the war; however, from 1938 to 1945 more than 260 caves in more than 20 separate tunnel/cave networks were built throughout the area, with at least 27 kilometers of known tunnels within the grounds of Yokosuka Naval Base. Many more tunnels are scattered throughout the surrounding areas. During the war, these tunnels and caves provided areas in which work could be done in secrecy, safe from air attacks. A 500 bed hospital, a large electrical power generating facility, and a midget submarine factory and warehouse were among the many facilities built. American occupation forces landed at Yokosuka on August 30, 1945 after the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
, and the naval base has been used by the US Navy since that time.
From the 1950s, United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka
United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka
U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, or Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka is a United States Navy base, in Yokosuka, Japan. Its mission is to maintain and operate base facilities for the logistic, recreational, administrative support and service of the U.S. Naval Forces Japan, U.S. 7th Fleet and...
has been home port for the United States Seventh Fleet
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
, and played a critical support role in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Yokosuka was the site of many anti-war protests during the late 1960s and 1970s. The nuclear powered USS George Washington
USS George Washington (CVN-73)
USS George Washington is an American nuclear-powered supercarrier, the sixth ship in the Nimitz class and the fourth United States Navy ship to be named after George Washington, the first President of the United States...
is currently based at Yokosuka, the first time a U.S. nuclear powered ship has been permanently based in Japan. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
The , or JMSDF, is the naval branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. It was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy after World War II....
also operates a military port next to the American base, as well as numerous training
facilities at scattered locations around the city.
In 2001, Yokosuka was designated as a core city
Core city
A is a class of Japanese city created by the first clause of Article 252, Section 22 of the Local Autonomy Law of Japan. Core cities are delegated many functions normally carried out by prefectural governments, but not as many as designated cities...
, with increased autonomy from the central government.
Economy
Aside from the economic impact of its various military facilities, Yokosuka is also an industrial city, with factories operated by Nissan MotorsNissan Motors
, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....
and its affiliated subsidiaries employing thousands of local residents. The Nissan Maxima
Nissan Maxima
The first car to wear the Maxima name was introduced in 1981. It was essentially a Japanese-market Bluebird 910 with a longer nose. The car was offered as the 810 Deluxe or 810 Maxima that first year, and all 810s became Maximas for 1982...
and Infiniti G20 are assembled in the 520,000 square metre Oppama plant (追浜工場) in Yokosuka. The plant has been said to have played a significant role in Nissan’s revival with its one car per minute output and quick four day reconfiguration between assembly of various autos. The plant is adjacent to Nissan's Research and Development Center, the Oppama Proving Ground and the Oppama Wharf, from which Nissan ships vehicles made at Oppama and Nissan’s other two Japanese vehicle assembly plants to other regions of Japan and overseas to other global markets.
The Yokosuka Research Park
Yokosuka Research Park
Yokosuka Research Park is an area in Yokosuka City, Japan, where many of the wireless, mobile communications related companies have set up their research and development centers and joint testing facilities....
, established in 1997, is a major center for the Japanese telecommunications industry, and is where many of the wireless, mobile communications related companies have set up their research and development centers and joint testing facilities.
Railways
- JR EastEast Japan Railway Companyis the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....
- Yokosuka LineYokosuka LineThe is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company .The Yokosuka Line connects in Chūō, Tokyo and in Yokosuka, Kanagawa...
} - - -
- Keihin Electric Express RailwayKeihin Electric Express Railway, also known as or, more recently, , is a private railroad that connects inner Tokyo to Kawasaki, Yokohama, Yokosuka and other points on the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture. It also provides rail access to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. means the Tokyo - Yokohama area. The company's railway...
- Keikyū Main Line- OppamaOppama Stationis a railway station operated by the Keikyū Main Line located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located 42.8 rail kilometers from the northern terminus of the Keikyū Main Line at Shinagawa Station, in Tokyo.-History:...
- Keikyū TauraKeikyu Taura Stationis a railway station operated by the Keikyū Main Line located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located 44.5 rail kilometers from the northern terminus of the Keikyū Main Line at Shinagawa Station, in Tokyo.-History:...
- AnjinzukaAnjinzuka Stationis a railway station operated by the Keikyū Main Line located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located 47.2 rail kilometers from the northern terminus of the Keikyū Main Line at Shinagawa Station, in Tokyo.-History:...
- HemiHemi Stationis a railway station operated by the Keikyū Main Line located in Kanagawa|Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located 48.1 rail kilometers from the northern terminus of the Keikyū Main Line at Shinagawa Station, in Tokyo.-History:...
- ShioiriShioiri Station (Kanagawa)is a railway station operated by the Keikyū Main Line located in Kanagawa|Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located 49.2 rail kilometers from the northern terminus of the Keikyū Main Line at Shinagawa Station, in Tokyo.-History:...
- Yokosuka-ChūōYokosuka-Chuo Stationis a railway station in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan, operated by Keikyu.-Lines:Yokosuka-Chūō Station is served by the Keikyū Main Line, and is located 49.9 km from the northern terminus of the Keikyū Main Line at Shinagawa Station in Tokyo.-Station layout:...
- Kenritsu DaigakuKenritsu Daigaku Stationis a railway station operated by the Keikyū Keikyū Main Line located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located 51.1 rail kilometers from the northern terminus of the Keikyū Main Line at Shinagawa Station, in Tokyo.-History:...
- HorinouchiHorinouchi Stationis a junction railway station operated by the Keihin Electric Express Railway located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located 52.3 rail kilometers from the northern terminus of the Keikyū Main Line at Shinagawa Station, in Tokyo.-History:...
(>>thru MisakiguchiKeikyu Kurihama LineThe is a commuter rail line operated by Keikyu in Japan. Keikyū Main Line trains from Oshiage and Shinagawa in Tokyo run through the Miura Peninsula on the Keikyū Kurihama Line.-Stations:...
) - Keikyū ŌtsuKeikyu Otsu Stationis a railway station operated by the Keikyū Main Line located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located 53.1 rail kilometers from the northern terminus of the Keikyū Main Line at Shinagawa Station, in Tokyo.-History:...
- Mabori-KaiganMabori-Kaigan Stationis a railway station operated by the Keikyū Main Line located in Kanagawa|Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located 54.2 rail kilometers from the northern terminus of the Keikyū Main Line at Shinagawa Station, in Tokyo.-Station layout:...
- UragaUraga Stationis a railway station operated by the Keikyū Main Line located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is the southern terminal station for the Keikyū Main Line and is located 55.5 rail kilometers from the northern terminus of the Keikyū Main Line at Shinagawa Station, in Tokyo.-History:Uraga...
- Oppama
- Keihin Electric Express RailwayKeihin Electric Express Railway, also known as or, more recently, , is a private railroad that connects inner Tokyo to Kawasaki, Yokohama, Yokosuka and other points on the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture. It also provides rail access to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. means the Tokyo - Yokohama area. The company's railway...
- Keikyū Kurihama LineKeikyu Kurihama LineThe is a commuter rail line operated by Keikyu in Japan. Keikyū Main Line trains from Oshiage and Shinagawa in Tokyo run through the Miura Peninsula on the Keikyū Kurihama Line.-Stations:...
- HorinouchiHorinouchi Stationis a junction railway station operated by the Keihin Electric Express Railway located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located 52.3 rail kilometers from the northern terminus of the Keikyū Main Line at Shinagawa Station, in Tokyo.-History:...
- Shin-ŌtsuShin-Otsu Stationis a railway station operated by the Keikyū Kurihama Line located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located 0.8 rail kilometers from the Horinouchi junction, and 53.1 rail kilometers from the northern terminus of the Kurihama Line at Shinagawa Station, in Tokyo.-History:Shin-Ōtsu...
- Kita-KurihamaKita-Kurihama Stationis a railway station operated by the Keikyū Kurihama Line located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located 1.7 rail kilometers from the Horinouchi junction, and 54.0 rail kilometers from the northern terminus of the Kurihama Line at Shinagawa Station, in Tokyo.-History:Kitakurihama...
- Keikyū KurihamaKeikyu Kurihama Stationis a railway station operated by the Keikyū Kurihama Line located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located 4.5 rail kilometers from the Horinouchi junction, and 56.8 rail kilometers from the nortern terminus of the Kurihama Line at Shinagawa Station, in Tokyo.-History:Keikyū Kurihama...
- YRP NobiYRP Nobi Stationis a railway station operated by the Keikyū Kurihama Line located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located 7.2 rail kilometers from the Horinouchi junction, and 59.5 rail kilometers from the northern terminus of the Kurihama Line at Shinagawa Station, in Tokyo.-History:YRP Nobi...
- Keikyū NagasawaKeikyu Nagasawa Stationis a railway station operated by Keikyū Kurihama Line located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located 8.5 rail kilometers from the Horinouchi junction, and 60.8 rail kilometers from the northern terminus of the Kurihama Line at Shinagawa Station, in Tokyo.-History:Keikyū Nagasawa...
- TsukuihamaTsukuihama Stationis a railway station operated by Keikyū Kurihama Line located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is located 9.7 rail kilometers from the Horinouchi junction, and 62.0 rail kilometers from the northern terminus of the Kurihama Line at Shinagawa Station, in Tokyo.-History:Tsukuihama Station...
- Horinouchi
Highways
- Yokohama Yokosuka Road
- Japan National Route 16
- Japan National Route 134Japan National Route 134National Route 134 is a national highway connecting the city of Yokosuka and the town of Ōiso in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan....
- Route 357 (Japan)Route 357 (Japan)National Route 357 is a national highway of Japan connecting Chūō-ku, Chiba and Yokosuka, Kanagawa in Japan, with a total length of 70 km ....
Education
Yokosuka's public elementary and junior high schools are operated by the Yokosuka Education SystemYokosuka Education System
Yokosuka Education System is the public school system operated by Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.YES operates elementary schools, junior high schools, and high schools.-High schools:* Yokosuka Sogo High School...
, a department of the Yokosuka City Department of Education. Many of Yokosuka's public high schools, including Yokosuka High School
Yokosuka High School
is a high school in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture Japan, founded in 1907. The school is operated by the Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education. As of 2006 the principal was Minoru Yamukai .Notable alumni include:...
, are operated by the Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education
Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education
Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education is the board of education of the Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.The board consists of six members; one of them is elected as the chair , and one of them is appointed by the board as the superintendent .The board administers municipal education...
.
The city operates one municipal high school, Yokosuka Sogo High School
Yokosuka Sogo High School
Yokosuka Municipal Yokosuka Sogo High School is a secondary school located in Yokosuka, Japan....
.
Nuclear Evacuation drill
On 26 October 2011 the city of Yokosuka near Tokyo held its annual nuclear accident evacuation-drill. This drill was first held in 2008 when the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington was employed at the US naval base near this city. Some 70 people, residents and firefighters took part in this drill. Firefighters ordered the residents of the city to stay indoors, assuming abnormally high levels of radiation around the US base. Radioactive contamination was controlled in the emergency response center by city-officials. The US Navy refused to take part in all this, because the impossibility of radiation leaking outside the base. However in December 2011 another drill is sceduled with Yokosuka and other cities to prepare for the possibility that people on board the ship might be exposed to radiation.Sister City relations
Yokosuka has twin-town relationships with four other cities. They are (in chronological order)Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(since 1962) Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, Finistère
Finistère
Finistère is a département of France, in the extreme west of Brittany.-History:The name Finistère derives from the Latin Finis Terræ, meaning end of the earth, and may be compared with Land's End on the opposite side of the English Channel...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(since 1970) Fremantle
City of Fremantle
The City of Fremantle is a Local Government Area in South Metropolitan Perth. The City covers an area of , and lies about southwest of the Perth central business district.-History:...
, Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(since 1979) Medway
Medway
Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(since 1998)
Yokosuka has a friendship-city relationship with one city: Aizuwakamatsu
Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima
is a city located in the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.As of May 2011, the city has an estimated population of 125,341. The total area is 383.03 km².-History:...
, Fukushima Prefecture
Fukushima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region on the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Fukushima.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Fukushima prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(since 2005)
Local attractions
The Club Alliance enlisted club, which lies just inside the main gate of Yokosuka Naval Base, opened in 1983. It replaced the old Club Alliance which was demolished to make way for the Prince Hotel. The old Club Alliance is where Ryudo Uzaki got his start playing rock and rollRock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
. "The Honch," a mecca for shopping and nightlife and located just outside the Yokosuka Naval Base's main gates, is a popular attraction for tourists and sailors stationed nearby, as well as local Japanese residents.
The battleship Mikasa, flagship of Admiral Togo at the Battle of Tsushima
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima , commonly known as the “Sea of Japan Naval Battle” in Japan and the “Battle of Tsushima Strait”, was the major naval battle fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War...
, built in Britain by Vickers
Vickers
Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 1999.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
, is preserved on dry land at Yokosuka. It is a museum, complete with actors dressed like members of the original crew, and can be visited for an entrance fee of 500 yen.
In popular culture
Yokosuka is also well-known as the setting of the SegaSega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
video game Shenmue
Shenmue
is a 1999 open-world adventure video game developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega for the Dreamcast, produced and directed by Yu Suzuki. Suzuki coined a genre title, "FREE" , for the game, based on the interactivity and freedom he wanted to give to the player...
, and the first major catastrophe in Front Mission 3
Front Mission 3
is a tactical role-playing game for the PlayStation developed by and published by Square Co., Ltd., and was released in Japan on September 2, 1999, and later in North America on March 22, 2000, and in Europe on August 11, 2000. Front Mission 3 is the third main entry and the fifth entry overall in...
. Imamura Shohei's 1961 New Wave film Pigs and Battleships
Pigs and Battleships
is a 1961 Japanese film by director Shohei Imamura.- Plot :The film depicts the mutually exploitative relationship that exists between the U.S. military and the lower elements of Japanese society at Yokosuka....
takes place in Yokosuka. Additionally, Yokosuka is the location of the climactic battle in the Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
film. Terror of Mechagodzilla
Terror of Mechagodzilla
Terror of Mechagodzilla, released in Japan as , is a 1975 science fiction kaiju film. The film was titled The Terror of Godzilla in its original American theatrical release. The 15th film in Toho's Godzilla series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano...
.
Noted people from Yokosuka
- Iwao Hazuki, martial arts instructor
- Susumu IshiiSusumu IshiiSusumu Ishii a.k.a. 石井 隆匡 was the second kaicho of the Inagawa-kai yakuza gang in Japan. He was also 5th socho of the Yokosuka-ikka....
, yakuza godfather - Junichiro KoizumiJunichiro Koizumiis a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the...
, former Prime Minister of Japan - Yoriko MadokaYoriko Madokais a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet . A native of Yokosuka, Kanagawa and graduate of Tsudajuku University, she was elected for the first time in 1993 after an unsuccessful run in 1992.- External links :* in Japanese....
, politician - Seiichi TagawaSeiichi Tagawawas a Japanese politician who co-founded the now defunct New Liberal Club in 1976, and served as its president from 1979 until 1984.Tagawa was first elected to the House of Representatives of Japan in 1960...
, politician - Yūto YoshidaYūto Yoshidais a Japanese politician who serves as mayor of Yokosuka, Kanagawa from 10 July 2009.- Early life :After graduating from Yokosuka High School in 1994 and Waseda University in 1999, Yoshida worked at Accenture for two years and then studied political science at graduate school.- Political career :In...
, politician - Tsutsumi Sakamoto, lawyer
- Eri ShingyōjiEri Shingyoji, born February 10, 1974, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, is a Japanese rock singer. IN MY DREAM, her first single, was featured as the opening theme of the anime Brain Powerd.-Singles:*05/21/1998 - IN MY DREAM*10/21/1998 -...
, rock musician - hideHide (musician), better known by his stage name hide , was a popular Japanese musician. He was primarily known for his work as lead guitarist of the heavy metal band X Japan from 1987 to 1997...
, rock musician - Ichiro ItoIchiro Itois a guitarist in the Japanese rock band Every Little Thing. He is also known as Ikkun by fans.Ichiro also works in composition and, sometimes, arrangement of some of ELT's songs.-External links:*...
, musician - Kie Kitano, gravure idol
- Kotaro KoizumiKotaro KoizumiKotaro Koizumi is a Japanese actor and the eldest son of the former Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, and Kayoko Miyamoto....
, actor - Minoru NojimaMinoru Nojimais a Japanese classical pianist.Minoru Nojima was a child prodigy in Japan, won a major nationwide competition there as a teenager, studied with Lev Oborin in Moscow and then with Constance Keene and Abram Chasins in New York, and burst upon the international music scene as a second prize winner of...
, musician - Rika IshikawaRika Ishikawa, is a Japanese pop singer and TV/radio hostess, associated with the Hello! Project banner and best known as a former member of the pop group Morning Musume. She was the leader of the trio v-u-den until June 2008...
, pop singer - Yusuke KamijiYusuke Kamijiis a Japanese actor, singer, and tarento. In the music world, he is known mononymously as .- Biography :Kamiji graduated from Yokohama Senior High School. He belonged to the baseball club while in school, and played catcher. He and Daisuke Matsuzaka played together for one year, and when Matsuzaka...
, actor - Yosuke Kubozuka, actor
- Hitoshi AshinanoHitoshi Ashinanois a Japanese manga artist. He is most noted for Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō, for which he won Afternoon magazine's Four Seasons Award for debut works and the 2007 Seiun Award for Best Science Fiction Manga. Another notable work is PositioN. He has also been known to create dōjinshi under the name "suke"...
, manga artist - Kazumasa HiraiKazumasa Hirai (author)is a Japanese novelist from Yokosuka, Kanagawa. He graduated from Yokosuka Industrial High School and the law department of Chuo University. Hirai is well known for his SF-manga work...
, author - Kikuko InoueKikuko Inoueis a popular Japanese voice actress and singer. She has been part of the singing groups DoCo and Goddess Family Club, among others, and is the manager of her voice-acting company, Office Anemone. Inoue tends to play the "perfect girlfriend" or "motherly" role in many series, but she has also played...
, seiyu - Miyako IshiuchiMiyako Ishiuchi, is a renowned Japanese photographer.Ishiuchi has produced collections of photography since the late 1970s. Her first book was a study of Yokosuka, where she grew up....
, photographer - Kazuo KamimuraKazuo Kamimurais a manga artist.Kamimura illustrated Lady Snowblood.- External links :*...
, manga artist - Kōji KumetaKōji Kumeta, is a Japanese gag manga artist. His most famous works are Go!! Southern Ice Hockey Club, Katte ni Kaizō and Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei. His other major works include √P Root Paradise, Sodatte Darling!! and...
, manga artist - Kazutaka MiyatakeKazutaka Miyatakeis an anime designer known for the mechanical design of the Macross TV series and a number of its continuations from Studio Nue, of which he is a founding member. He has also contributed to the mecha design of other series such as Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny.-Mechanical Design:Kazutaka Miyatake...
, anime designer
- Rich AlvarezRich AlvarezRichard D. "Rich" Alvarez is a Filipino professional basketball player and currently playing for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters of the Philippine Basketball Association. Alvarez was the first overall pick of 2004 PBA Draft by the Shell Turbo Chargers...
, professional basketball player - Isao InokumaIsao Inokumawas a judoka who competed in the +80 kg and Open divisions.- Biography :Inokuma was born in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, and began judo at age 15. He entered the Tokyo University of Education and won the All-Japan Judo Championships in 1959 at only 21 years of age to become the first student competitor to...
, Olympic gold medalist judoka - Naohiro IshikawaNaohiro IshikawaNaohiro Ishikawa is a Japanese footballer who plays for F.C. Tokyo.He was part of the Japanese 2004 Olympic football team, who exited in the first round, having finished fourth in group B, below group winners Paraguay, Italy and Ghana.-Club career:...
, professional soccer player - Naoyuki KotaniNaoyuki KotaniNaoyuki Kotani is a Japanese mixed martial artist, who competes in the lightweight division. He has fought in a number of different organizations including the Pride Fighting Championships and the Ultimate Fighting Championship....
, professional mixed martial artist - Susumu MochizukiSusumu MochizukiSusumu Mochizuki , better known by his ring name Susumu Yokosuka is a Japanese professional wrestler currently performing for the Dragon Gate professional wrestling promotion...
, professional wrestler - Rei NishiyamaRei Nishiyamais a Japanese softball player who won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-References:...
, Olympic gold medalist softball player - Tetsuya ŌkuboTetsuya Okubois a Japanese football player currently playing for Montedio Yamagata.Known by the nickname 'Jumbo' due to his size he plays primarily as a target man striker, getting the majority of his goals with his head...
, professional soccer player - Hiroyuki TaniguchiHiroyuki TaniguchiHiroyuki Taniguchi 谷口博之 is a Japanese football player. He plays for J. League side Yokohama F. Marinos. He was a member of the Japan team at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Career statistics:...
, professional soccer player - Shuhei TeradaShuhei Teradais a former Japanese international football player.-Career:He started playing football at the junior youth setup of Japan Soccer League side Nissan F.C. . Then he played for and was educated at Kanagawa Prefectural Yokosuka High School and Tōkai University...
, professional soccer player - Marcus Thomas, professional football player
- Caol UnoCaol Unois a Japanese mixed martial artist, and former Shooto Welterweight Champion. Specifically, Uno is known for his low single leg takedown and rear naked choke. He was born in Kanagawa, Japan...
, professional mixed martial artist - Stan McQuayStan McQuayStan McQuay is an IFBB professional bodybuilder.Stan has been featured in many bodybuilding magazines and videos, including being featured on the cover of Muscle Polynesia, despite not being Polynesian.-Biography:...
, IFBB Professional Bodybuilder