Getting to Yokosuka!! Please Help!

[Bitmap]

On a day trip from Tokyo, me and my mother will be visiting Yokohama, to see several locations portrayed in the dreamcast game Shenmue. These locations are Yamanose, Dobuita and Sakuragaoka. Could someone please help?

1. How will I get to these three places from Tokyo?

2. After we take pictures of these locations, are there any other interesting places in Yamanose, Dobuita and Sakuragaoka worth visiting?

3. For those that have been, do they have a calm atmosphere, the way they are portrayed in Shenmue?

 

[m477]

^ Dobuita-doori

I visited Yokosuka a couple of years ago when I was living in Tokyo because I was curious about how the real life Yokosuka compared to the Shenmue version. The first thing you have to remember is that the game took place 20 years ago so even if that portrayal was very accurate, some things have changed since then, and the whole area has a newer feel to it.

Also, Sakuragaoka and Yamanose don't actually exist. There is a neighborhood approximately where you'd expect Sakuragaoka to be, but I believe it was called Midorigaoka (窶氾屡停?凪?ｹu). There were big signs everywhere at the edge of Dobuita-doori stating that military personnel were not allowed past that point, but noone gave me any problems about wandering around there (I'm not in the military, but I was a little worried that the local residents might assume so).

Anyway, to answer your questions:

1. Shioiri station, Keikyu line
どぶ板通り商店街 ‐横須賀でミリタリー,スカジャンなどのアイテムが揃う、アメリカ情緒あふれる商店街‐

2. Not really. Kamakura and Yokohama are not far though.

3. Yes, although if you go at night, there might be some drunken sailors in the streets (but I guess that's like the game too)

 

[pipokun]

Not sure how long you can spend in Yokosuka, but when you have plenty of time, how about going a small island, sasrushima island?
People usually go there in summer, though you can feel something a bit unusual. Some old kamen rider programs were shot there.
I don't know if 1200JPY for a return ticket is worth in winter, though.
http://members.at.infoseek.co.jp/hiro_world2/location/sarushima.htm
http://www.city.yokosuka.kanagawa.jp/sarusima/
When you don't have much time, go to Kamakura or Yokohama.

 

[DoctorP]

I just returned from Yokosuka/Yokohama a few days ago. It is nice and chilly this time of year, especially with the wind coming off the water. I just took the train to both. Sorry I can't give more detailed info.

 

[Bitmap]

Thanks for your help, everyone. m477, yeah, I imagined that it wouldn't exactly be like the way it was in the 1980s....I still hope I can get a "omg I'm in shenmue" feeling there. I will also look into sarushima island...I wonder if it is similar to miyajima island, where I am also visiting?

 

[pipokun]

Thanks for your help, everyone. m477, yeah, I imagined that it wouldn't exactly be like the way it was in the 1980s....I still hope I can get a "omg I'm in shenmue" feeling there. I will also look into sarushima island...I wonder if it is similar to miyajima island, where I am also visiting?

No!
Sarushima is just a small islet and the only natural island in the Tokyo Bay.
I'm sure that you'll be terribly disappointed to go there after expecting the islet'd be like miyajima.
But when you're tryng to shoot photos in the kamen rider site above, go to a joke shop for the enemy costume for your mother or you, for about 3000JPY, and you can buy some facial masks at a street stall in Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine , Kamakura.

 

[Mike Cash]

There were big signs everywhere at the edge of Dobuita-doori stating that military personnel were not allowed past that point, but noone gave me any problems about wandering around there (I'm not in the military, but I was a little worried that the local residents might assume so).

Those prohibitions are put in place by the U.S. military authorities, not the Japanese civil authorities. No need at all for non-military folks to be concerned about it in the least.

 

[m477]

So have you ever had a problem with people assuming you're in the military because you're American? A guy I used to know who went to Japan often on business got approached by some yakuza when he was at a pachinko parlor who specifically wanted to know if he was in the military. When they found out he was just a business they were all happy about it and he ended up hanging out with them a few times.

I've never had that happen to me, but that's probably because Japanese usually assume I'm French for whatever reason.

 

[Mike Cash]

Probably the only time people ever assumed I was in the military was back when I actually was in the military. And it was never a problem.

 

[Carlson]

did you figure it out.. if not let me know.. for my job i have to go to yokohama and yokosuka weekly.. drive or by train... we have maps and such if you like...

 

[pipokun]

The ship in the Miskasa Park is one of oldest, more than 100yrs old, a British product here, though it is a remodeled one. I've been inside the ship once when I was a kid.
And you can find a lot of pouched Japanese curry there now. Yokosuka is trying to attract more tourists as a birthplace of Japanese curry or caree there.

 

[Carlson]

nani

lol birth place of japanese curry... hmmm good to know...

 

[misoppa718]

Dobuita St.

Don't know the game and this reply is almost five years after the fact, but Dobuita St. became famous when the Japanese Pop-Rock group Tensaw, not only made it a single, but an album that was named Dobuita St.

Before they were they disbanded, I believe in 1982, they use to play at bars on the honcho. Also, saw them at Yamashita Park in Yokohama and various other venues. Have never seen them since.

A friend of mine, who's parents ran a T-Shirt and hat place on Yokosuka Navy Base made me a hat with the Tensaw logo on it.

Retired now and living near Kyoto .