Miura City
The City of Tuna in the South of the Peninsula
Miura is a small town in the south of the eponymous peninsula, in Kanagawa prefecture. One of the favorite nature weekend getaways for Tokyo inhabitants, the small city is also renowned for Misaki fishing port, where maguro tunas are unloaded from boats for immediate consumption.
Just a few miles in the south of Tokyo, Miura peninsula expands after Kamakura along the Zushi-Yokosuka Line. At the southernmost end of the peninsula lies the eponymous city and in particular the area surrounding Misaki port, facing Jogashima Island. The place is rather rural and well-protected from tourists, in a decor home to open-minded and friendly inhabitants.
Misaki fishing port and maguro specialties
Arrival early in the morning is preferable to visit Miura’s fish market (Misaki Wholesale Seafood Market) and attend to the fish auction beginning at 8 a.m., like Tokyo Bay's Toyosu, where the wholesale fish market was transferred from the historical Tsukiji. The frozen fishes are lined on the floor while buyers look at each of them to evaluate the flesh quality before price negociation. Afterwards, you can enjoy a Japanese breakfast with fresh grilled fish, rice, and a soup.
On the same theme, go to Urari covered market (Misaki Fisherina Wharf Urari) to buy some delicious fish from the last catch. The specialty here is the popular Japanese maguro tuna and its supreme toro, the fat tuna that is preferably enjoyed in sashimi. The 2nd floor of the market is dedicated to the sale of fresh fruits and vegetables of the area (daikon radish, cabbage, melon), all at inexpensive prices especially when coming from the capital.
After all these good deals, stop by one of the tuna restaurants for lunch, in a convivial ambiance that makes further enjoy the fish cooked on the spot. A digestive walk to Kainan-jinja shrine, on the height of the port, allows to enjoy the quiet streets where people go about their everyday activities.
Beaches along the rocky coastline
The rest of the visit in Miura city continues along its rocky coastline, punctuated by bays offering sand or gravel beaches. The most popular summer destination is certainly Kaneda Bay on the east coast, with its main beach 🏖 Miurakaigan (三浦海岸) within walking distance from the eponymous station. The coastal Miura Reef Route running at the southern end of the peninsula is also worth treading.
The west coast, facing Sagami bay, display marine landscapes that are even more jagged, with steep forms, and the occasional appearance of Mount Fuji 🗻 in the horizon. You can also explore the nature reserve of Koajiro no Mori (小網代の森) and be engulfed by the lush vegetation while walking on a stilt walkway.
Miura is both a rural and seaside destination. While the city is relatively small, the lodging possibilities are wide, from the comfortable resort with a view on the sea to more simple and closer to the nature accommodation solutions such as camping.
Regarding transportation, we recommend going by car 🚙 to save time but the combination of train 🚅 + bus is also convenient from Tokyo or Yokohama. Once in Miura, we recommend renting a bicycle to explore the city and taking the ferry ⛴️ to visit the small Jogashima island.