Aburatsubo in Miura Peninsula

Aburatsubo is an area that juts out like a cape on the western side near the tip of the Miura Peninsula. From the Kamakura Age (1185 - 1333) to the middle of the Muromachi Age (1336 - 1573) , Arai Castle, the residence of the Miura clan, who were powerful retainers of the Kamakura shogunate, was located in this Aburatsubo area.

It is currently known as a scenic tourist destination.

After getting off the bus at Aburatsubo from Misakiguchi Station on the Keihin Kyuko Railway, you will see Aburatsubo Bay to the south. To the north, you will see Koajiro Bay, beyond which the coastline of the Miura Peninsula continues.

Aburatsubo Bay on the south side of the cape could be seen in its entirety.

This area was within the grounds of Arai Castle, the residence of the MIURA Clan. In 1516, the MIURA Clan was attacked by HOJYO Soun (1432 - 1519) , and after a three-year battle, the MIURA Clan was destroyed.

When the MIURA clan was destroyed, it is said that so much blood of the fallen soldiers flowed into Aburatsubo Bay that it looked as if oil had been poured into it, hence the name Aburatsubo, which means "oil pot".

I walked down from the high ground along the walking path to the water's edge.

At the back of the indented Aburatsubo Bay, there is a yacht harbor, and cliffs continue along the entrance side of the bay.
Walking along the promenade around the cape, I came to a beach near the tip of the cape.

This is Arai Beach, which becomes a swimming beach in the summer. The sea was very calm.

I headed from Arai Beach towards the northern side of the cape. In the photo below, the elevated area on the left is Moroisozaki-Cape, located at the tip of the cape one bay to the south. There is also a lighthouse in the sea off the tip of the cape.

I went around the cape, walking along the rocky shore from the west to the north side. The land opposite is the plateau on the other side of Koajiro Bay.

I visited in April. Cherry blossoms were blooming on the hills of Aburatsubo.

Aburatsubo has beautiful coastal scenery, but it also has a gruesome history from the Middle Ages. In the middle of Aburatsubo Cape, the ruins of Arai Castle are located. Arai Castle was one of the castles of the MIURA clan, a powerful retainer family of the Kamakura Shogunate in the Kamakura Age.

The area of Arai Castle is now the Marine Biological Laboratory of the Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo. Entry into the University of Tokyo facility is prohibited, so I looked at the castle ruins from a walking path adjacent to the facility.

Arai Castle was attacked by HOJYO Soun from 1512 to 1516, and was destroyed after a three-year siege. On the northern side of Aburatsubo Cape, there is the grave of MIURA Yoshiatsu (1453 - 1516) , the last lord of Arai Castle. This is the grave of MIURA Yoshiatsu, quietly standing in the dense forest.

Fighting a three-year siege without reinforcements must have required an incredibly strong will. I quietly offered my respects at MIURA Yoshiatsu's grave.

How to get there
From Shinagawa Station, take a Limited Express on the Keikyu (Keihin-Kyuko) Line to Misakiguchi. Take a bus from Misakiguchi Station to Aburatsubo.

Other Historical Sites near by:
Uraga Area
Fukujyuji Temple
Cape Tsurugisaki
Misaki
Jyogashima Island