After a long break, I went for a proper cycling trip.
Destination: the Miura Peninsula.
Took Keikyu Line to Misakiguchi, folded the bike for the train (rinko), then started from Misakiguchi Station.
The finishing point ended up being Kanazawa-Bunko Station.
Total distance: 51.3 km. Riding time: 3 hours 30 minutes.
【Start: Misakiguchi Station】
Set off with some concern about the afternoon forecast for showers.
Keikyu is fast — about 70 minutes from Kamata.
The atmosphere around the station was mostly day-trippers heading to Jogashima — most were waiting for the bus.
【A: Jogashima】
You reach Jogashima by crossing Jogashima Ohashi Bridge.
Cars pay ¥100, but pedestrians and cyclists cross for free.
Jogashima Lighthouse is on the west side, Jogashima Park on the east.
First stop: the lighthouse.
The cliff-side terrain is rugged and rocky. The sea out here is much cleaner than Tokyo Bay.
Some blue sky started breaking through, and I stopped worrying about the weather.
The area is known for tuna, and seafood rice bowl restaurants were everywhere.
So I stopped for lunch. The restaurant I walked into — Maruka — had walls covered in celebrity signatures: Hiroshi Itsuki, Shinzo Yamashiro, Sumiko Nishioka, Hidenori Ishizuka, Kageki Shimoda, and more.
Next: Jogashima Park.
A large, well-maintained park — probably because of the parking fees it charges.
Lookout points all over, with sea views and dramatic cliffs that looked like something from the climax of a mystery TV drama.
I’d started to feel more like a sightseer than a cyclist, so I refocused and got moving.
The stretch toward Miura Beach was relentless climbing and descending. Pretty tough.
The pattern was: coast down to a fishing port, then climb over the hill to the next one.
Still a long way to go, so I took occasional breaks and pushed through.
【B: Kinda Bay】
The hills start thinning out around here.
I later thought: good thing I went northward — if I’d done it in reverse, the harder part would’ve come at the end.
A nice stretch running along the coastline, and it felt good to ride. Almost no elevation change — very easy going.
【C: Kurihama】
Spotted a Komeda Coffee inside a Jusco near Keikyu Kurihama Station.
Tired and needing a recharge, I went in without hesitation.
First time having Komeda iced coffee in a while.
From Kurihama to Yokosuka the footpath was well developed and easy to cycle. A decent distance, but I kept a good average speed so it didn’t take long.
【D: Yokosuka】
First thing that came to mind for Yokosuka: Navy curry. So I stopped at Yokosuka Kaigun Curry Honpo and tried the black curry.
Navy curry apparently comes with milk because it’s spicy.
Maybe because it was only 5 p.m., there were only two other groups in the restaurant.
There was a curry soft serve at the counter that looked tempting, but over-eating didn’t fit the cycling ethos so I held back.
【Goal: Kanazawa-Bunko Station】
By the time I left Yokosuka it was already dark, so I was looking for a convenient station to end at while riding.
Night cycling on roads is dangerous, especially on the road itself.
Fatigue and fading focus meant Kanazawa-Bunko made sense as a stopping point. Arrived around 6:40 p.m.
