Yokosuka's Amazing ”Old Faithful" Spring -- HASHIRI-MIZU 走水

Yokosuka is one of the few cities in Japan which can boast about having its own water-works/supply -- drawn from a powerful natural spring which flows out of the Kannonzaki Hills.

The spring, and the local temple & district is called "Hashiri-mizu" ---  走水  --- the kanji characters literally mean: Running + Water.

Back in the late-1860s, when the French technical & construction engineer team came to Yokosuka to help build the Iron Works (which later turned into the Japanese Imperial Naval Arsenal [Navy Base]), they needed to find a reliable & abundant source of water to supply all of the industrial/facilities infrastructure and the people who worked there.  They were taken to see the Hashiri-mizu spring, and the French immediately saw that it was good for the requirement, and by 1874, a reservoir and piping system were built to supply the growing Naval complex.

Today, the spring and water-works still functions, and provides about 30% of Yokosuka City's needs.

If you drive on road south towards Kannonzaki Park, there is a parking lot (on the left-hand-side) where you can stop, and there are spigots from which you can fill-up bottles with Hashiri-mizu spring water (for free!)

It is said that after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 (which caused extensive damage to Yokosuka), the spring's flow was not interrupted.

Also, the (restricted) area over the old reservoir is now covered with cherry (sakura) trees, and during the blossoming season (usually a weekend in early-April) it is opened to the public for "Hana-Mi" flower-viewing picnic parties.

Here is a view of the Hashiri-mizu water-works, and nearby beach (the only remaining "large" natural beach on the Tokyo Bay-side of Yokosuka.)