Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Ghoulish Area Near the Edo-Era Lighthouse

A historic lighthouse used to exist near Uraga -- Called "TOMYO-DO", it helped to guide ships safely in in-and-out of Edo (Tokyo) Bay for 220 years .... More information at the link below...


  













Link:


Also, there is a local urban legend that an area nearby the lighthouse was used as an execution ground, or KUBI-KIRI-JO ( 首切り場 -- Head-Chopping Area )...

A visitor to the site left the following description in his/her Blog:


"It is said that a large number of human bones were dug out from this place at the end of the Edo period, and it is believed that human bones may still be buried there.  Some say that the human remains were casualties of a battle between the Satomi clan, which invaded from Boso in the Warring States period (1556), and the Hojo clan, which defended Sagami, and that they were victims of a shipwreck off the coast of this area.  Another old tale, told by an old man, says that this place near the (URAGA) magistrate's office used to be a place of execution where many criminals were taken out and beheaded.  Legend has it that as the criminals were being executed, their desperate cries, the cries of their families, and the noise of the onlookers could be heard all the way to the Kamoi gate on the opposite shore, where usually only the sound of the waves could be heard.  A 6-meter-high "Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo" monument was erected in 1840 on the very spot where such a sad legend was left behind."



Popular Yokosuka Izakaya Cocktail

There is a mixed drink, which is very popular in Yokosuka's pubs, or IZAKAYA (居酒屋 ) and is called: called "Hoppy" (ホッピー.) 


Hoppy is a bottled, beer-like, fizzy beverage, containing almost no alcohol, and it is served ice cold. Along with the bottle of Hoppy, a beer mug (or large glass) about one-quarter-filled with "Sho-chu" (焼酎 -- Japanese hard liquor, distilled from grains or vegetables) will be provided as part of the order.   To make the cocktail, you simply pour the Hoppy forcefully into the beer mug to create a nice foamy mix, and then drink.

 

Hoppy is made in both light/lager and dark/black flavors and has less calories than normal beers. Hoppy is a unique beer-flavored cocktail and goes well with the various food items served at IZAKAYAs. 


There is an urban legend that Hoppy got its name in Yokosuka from American sailors who said that drinking it made them feel "happy." However, its real roots go back to the 1920s~1930s, when a company in Nagano Prefecture first produced it as a non-alcoholic soft drink using hops. 


In the tough/lean years following World War II, many Japanese could not afford real beer, so mixing Hoppy with cheap Sho-chu became the alternative, and Hoppy cocktails have remained very popular through the present day. 


Of interest, in a way, Hoppy is Japan's version of what is known in America as a "Boilermaker."