Hashirimizu inlet, shown in the red circle, is located near the mouth of Tokyo Bay ..... In fact, it faces the narrowest point, distance-wise, between Kanagawa (on the left side of the map) and Chiba (on the right) ..... So, naturally, from way back in time, it this area became a ferry point, for travelers who wanted to cross over to the other side of Tokyo Bay (without taking the long way around.)
Hashirimizu -- 走水 -- means "Running Water" and the reason this small, but important, inlet was given that name is due to the fact that there is a fast-flowing current (and deep channel) on the western (Kanagawa) side of the entrance to Tokyo Bay. So, Hashirimizu was a sheltering place for ships to anchor and get out of the current.
(* Note: Another reason for calling the area Hashirimizu is because there are abundant and active fresh water springs in the surrounding hills .... I've written about this previously in this Blog right here.)
Taking a closer look at Hashirimizu, you can see that there are two capes to the north and south, which form the entrance to the bay/port called "Gosho-ga-saki" and "Ise-yama-saki" ..... these two spots, overlooking the narrowest entrance to Tokyo Bay was chosen by the Tokugawa Shogunate to serve as coastal artillery bases ..... and over the years, in eastern Yokosuka, a total of 28 coastal sites were fortified with cannons by the Japanese Imperial Army.
Here is how the Gosho-ga-saki coastal artillery site looks today:
No comments:
Post a Comment