Wednesday, May 9, 2007

6. Destination Review: Jogashima (Miura)

Miura-shi (city) is located at the tip of the Miura Hanto (peninsula), and is surrounded on three sides by the ocean. I was surprised as we drove into town, the area looks completely different from the rest of the peninsula (and Izu); I felt as if I had driving into Okinawa. The area is full of rolling hills covered with cropland, mostly cabbage.
Right off of the coast is a small island called 'Jogashima'. Miura-shi is a base for deep sea fishing, and the half of the island we visited focused on the specialty, maguro (tuna). Visitors to the area can eat maguro in a variety of dishes, all super fresh and unbelievably inexpensive. The main street is lined with little shops, most of which serve food and sell a variety of seafood. They sell a lot of tourist junk as well. Most people don't make it this far into the Miura Hanto, and wandering the shops is a bit like stepping back in time.

A small lane heads up toward a lighthouse. We walked up, took in the sites, and then stopped at a tiny, family run restaurant for lunch.
I had grilled marinated tuna over rice, it melted in my mouth. They obviously don't get many foreign tourists as I could hear them whispering about me in the kitchen. They were extremely friendly, and the meal was a bargain. It even included refills on rice, miso soup, and homemade tsukemono (pickled vegetables).

If you are a fan of maguro, I highly recommend a day trip to Miura-shi. There was a small fee for crossing the bridge out to the island, and depending on how crowded it is, you might also have to pay for parking. Don't park right at the entrance to the small lane, though. Parking prices there were outrageous.

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