One special characteristic of Yokosuka City is that some of its large parks are located on land which used to be used for military purposes. During the decades following the end of World War II, many Japanese Imperial Army and Navy facilities and training areas were converted for civilian use. One good example is 中央平和公園 (CHUO HEIWA KOEN), or "Central Peace Park", which used to be a coastal defense artillery battery. In Yokosuka's southern Kurihama district, there is a large and unique/beautiful park called 花の国 (HANA NO KUNI) -- "Flower World", where vast fields of seasonal Poppy and Cosmos flowers can be viewed and enjoyed. HANA NO KUNI also has walking trails, an herb garden complex (with foot bath), and a huge area with playground equipment for children to enjoy. Of special interest, there is one of Japan's largest statues of Godzilla located in the same area -- and the reason for its being there is because, according to local urban legend, when Godzilla rose from the depths of the ocean and swam into Tokyo Bay, it first stepped ashore on a nearby beach in Kannonzaki, Yokosuka. HANA NO KUNI takes up a large amount of real estate and owes its existence to the fact that the land was originally used by the Japanese Imperial Navy for a large number of warehouses and ammunition storage facilities. From 1945 to 1972, the area was under the control of the U.S. military, and that kept it from being built-upon -- so the natural features and greenery were preserved. Following the return of the area to Japan, plans and arrangements were eventually made for Yokosuka City to convert it into a park, and HANA NO KUNI was opened for visitors in 1988 -- and it soon became very popular, attracting over 500,000 visitors per year.
