Well, at last I've been to Jougashima, having wanted to go there for a couple of years at this time of year! Actually, I was really too far at the end of the narcissus season, but it was such a lovely day, and I still found one path that had narcissus at their best.
For those living in or near Tokyo, Jougashima is well worth the visit on a sunny day. It's going to be especially beautiful in mid January to mid February, because lots of narcissus is planted there - not only in the park but also along many of the paths and roads. It seems to have a mild climate - admittedly I was wearing a heatec top, two jumpers and a scarf, but I did take my coat and gloves off, and felt that it was mild!
You get there by going to Misakiguchi Station, and then taking bus number 9 from stand 2 just outside the station. Buses are about every half hour. Take the bus for 30 minutes to the last stop Jougashima Bus Terminal. Walking back up the road past the souvenir shops leads you in a couple of minutes to some metal stairs up to the lighthouse (apparently the 2nd oldest Western style lighthouse in Jaan, built in 1870 - you can't go into the lighthouse, but there's a great view all the same! Going past the lighthouse, you go down some stairs to the road, and turning left after a little while you get to a path to walk around the coastline on the rocks. This is such a beautiful rocky beach. From the black sand to the volcanic looking rocks, it was just my kind of beach! It was easy to sit on some rocks by the sea and just muse for a while... Following the beach around to the Horseback Cave or Eyeglass Rock (you can see the Boso Peninsula in Chiba from here), you can go up some narcissus lined stairs/path around the cliff to Jogashima Park (go right when you get to the road). OK, for my own records, the narcissus along this path were already dead by today (20th February), at least a couple of weeks earlier would be better...
After wandering around the park and down to the other lighthouse on the beach, I went back the same way, out of the park and down the road to the short bridge back to mainland Miura Peninsula. Just before the toll bridge you get to a gap in the fence which doubles back on itself to a short sharp flights of steps down to the port! Turning right leads you onto a road that after a little while has restaurants and shops on it, most selling very fresh tuna in some form or other. At the end of the road, follow the road around the port (see picture at top), and then bear off right again until you reach the port bus stop (Misakiko?) From here there are several buses that go back to Misakiguchi Station. With a lot of sitting and wandering, I spent about 4 hours here, not including lunch.
I had intended to get up early from Yokohama, but didn't in the end - decided I needed the sleep more, being put next to the lift didn't help! It would have been lovely to be there when it was still early morning, rather than arriving at about 10am with everybody else! Still, it was a Saturday and not too busy.
Jougashima is beautiful. There were times when the sea looked as turqoise as it does in Okinawa, and its rugged coastline on the south side is wonderful.
More pictures at the link on the right.
I went to Kairaku-en in Mito last weekend. I went after work on Saturday and stayed overnight in the Toyoko Inn. The next morning I got up really early and walked along the river to the garden, getting there at about 7:30. Even though it was so early, it was already pretty busy.
