UWAMACHI -- Yokosuka's "Upper Town"

上町商店街ホームページ – ようこそ、坂の上の街へ。上町日和

UWAMACHI (上町) -- Yokosuka's "Upper Town" 

Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture .... From the bustling Keikyu Yokosuka-Chuo Station, if you slowly climb a slope called "Hirasaka", you will find some nostalgic scenery that retains the atmosphere of the Showa era.  That is the 'Uwamachi Shopping Street.'

-- What kind of place is it?  

The Uwamachi area is not just a single street.  Streets like 'Uwamachi Ginza' and 'Nakazato Street' are connected like siblings, forming one warm town together.  

This place, located on a hill overlooking the station area (downtown), is a pleasant spot where the sea breeze passes through.  The street that once had an arcade now has its roof removed, allowing the historic buildings to reveal their beautiful appearance under the open sky.

-- Looking up at the town's symbol, the "kanban architecture"

  

When you walk around this town, be sure to look up a little.   

There, you will find many unique and wonderful buildings called kanban architecture.

-- What is a 'kanban architecture'? 

In the past (after the Great Kanto Earthquake), this style became popular for making buildings more fire-resistant and visually attractive.  The front of the building was made flat and decorated with copper plates or tiles as if it were a single signboard. 

Over many years, the copper plates changed to a beautiful green color (verdigris). 

This deep hue and solid atmosphere are treasures unique to Uwamachi that cannot be reproduced by modern buildings.  Buildings that have been carefully preserved, including "Midoriya", are still actively operating as shops today.

-- Memories of "Uwamachi for the Army, Shitamachi for the Navy"

  

In the naval port city of Yokosuka, there used to be a saying:  

"Uwamachi for the Army, Shitamachi for the Navy".

  

This area naturally developed into a town where shops gathered since the Meiji era.

  

In the past, it was also a residential district where many navy officers and their families lived.  It is said that because they catered to discerning customers, Uwamachi has many shops that handle "truly good things".

-- A new breeze is blowing, the future of Uwamachi

While valuing its history, Uwamachi is now trying to be reborn anew.

A new bustle

Utilizing sites such as the former hospital, night markets with lanterns are being held, and people can stroll around the town as if it were a "museum." Exciting events are increasing.

Art and music

In the autumn, the "Uwamatsuri" festival is held, filling the town with music, art, and delicious gourmet food.

Places to be passed down

Retro buildings are being renovated, and young people are starting cafes, secondhand bookstores, and galleries.  A pleasant atmosphere mixes nostalgia and newness.

Uwamachi in Yokosuka City developed as a historic town alongside the establishment of the naval district office during the Meiji era, serving as a residential area for naval officers and surrounding army facilities (such as the former army hospital).

Located on the hillside of Hirasaka-ue, it features a retro shopping street lined with signboard-style buildings and is still cherished today as a residential and commercial area that retains the Showa-era atmosphere.

History and Features of Uwamachi:

Residential Area in the Naval Port Town: In contrast to the seaside "Shimomachi" (commercial area), the hilltop "Uwamachi" developed as a residential district.

"Army Uwamachi": In the past, the area had many army hospitals and related facilities and was called "Army Uwamachi" within the naval city of Yokosuka.

Uwamachi Ginza Shopping Street: A shopping street with over 100 years of history, where many "signboard-style" buildings that became popular after the Great Kanto Earthquake still remain, creating a charming retro streetscape.

Historical Buildings: Modern architecture, such as the "Yokosuka Uwamachi Church and Megumi Kindergarten," registered as a national tangible cultural property in 2003, is scattered throughout the area.

Development: In 1950 (Showa 25), parts of the surrounding towns were reorganized, forming the current "Uwamachi."  Today, it is known as a nostalgic yet fresh area where long-established shops coexist with new stores.

Ancient Burial Mound Park

 大塚台古墳公園｜横須賀市池田町 - 三浦半島観光地図

== Ōtsukadai Kofun Park

The Otsuka Kofun is the largest keyhole-shaped burial mound on the Miura Peninsula, and it was actually located about 80 meters northeast of this park, at the summit with an elevation of around 77 meters. However, it disappeared due to a land readjustment project.

The Otsuka Kofun group was discovered in 1924 (Taisho 13) by Dr. Naotada Akaboshi.  

Excavations were conducted in 1952 (Showa 27) and from 1992 (Heisei 4) to 1994 (Heisei 6), confirming three keyhole-shaped burial mounds and three round burial mounds.

Within Otsukadai Kofun Park, Tumulus No. 1 is a restored kofun and is called the Otsuka Kofun.

It is a keyhole-shaped tumulus that was located at the top of the Otsukadai hill. From the top of the rear circular portion, at an elevation of about 78 meters, one could see far away to Mount Fuji and even as far as Tokyo Bay.

From the posterior circular part, a shallow pit-shaped coffin bed facing the east-west direction has been confirmed, measuring 3.05 meters along the major axis, 1.17 meters along the minor axis, and 35 centimeters in depth. The coffin bed is the place where the coffin was placed, but the coffin itself has not survived, possibly because it was made of wood.

Around the coffin bed, two straight swords, one small knife, more than fifteen iron arrowheads, two earrings, and more than forty small glass beads were excavated. Additionally, one piece of cracked Sue ware (unglazed pottery) was found in the earthen cover above the coffin bed.

- - - - -

There were eight archaeological sites from various periods in the Yoshii-Ikeda area.

-- At the Otsukadai site, remains of early Jomon period dwellings and anti-aircraft gun positions from World War II were excavated.  

-- At the Aoike site, fragments of pottery from the middle Jomon period were excavated.  

-- At the Mitsuaridani site, remains of dwellings from the late Yayoi period to the early Kofun period, as well as burial mounds called hōkei shūkōbo (rectangular moat tombs), were excavated.  

-- At the Omochi site, Kami-Yoshii North site, and Kami-Yoshii South site, remains of dwellings from the late Kofun period through the Nara and Heian periods were excavated.  

-- At the Nishitani site, stone-lined underground channels from around the Sengoku period were excavated.

- - - - -

There is a large jar used for storing food. The fact that such a large jar can be made suggests the advancement of pottery-making techniques and the abundance of food.

This large jar is called "Sue ware", a type of new pottery introduced from Korea.  Since it is fired at high temperatures in a full-scale kiln, it is hard and durable.

- - - - -

Iron arrowheads (arrow tips made of iron) were attached to the tip of an arrow to enhance its lethality.

In the early Jomon period, stone arrowheads made of stone or bone arrowheads made of bone were mainstream.  In the Yayoi period, they began to be made of bronze, and in the Kofun period, they came to be made of iron.

Since iron was not something that everyone could obtain, as time went on, the gap between the rich and poor, and between rulers and the ruled, widened.