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The Miura Peninsula, on which Yokosuka City is located, is full of hills and valleys. This type of terrain is called: YATO (谷戸) -- 谷/YA = valley and 戸/TO = door; and combined together the characters have the meaning of "enclosed valley." There is not a lot of flat land in Yokosuka, and in the olden days it was mainly used for agriculture. Then, in the late-19th century, the Yokosuka east coast/harbor area was totally changed and enlarged by the Japanese government's decision to build a large navy base, iron works, and shipyards, etc.; so, it went from being a cluster of small farming and fishing villages to a city with tens of thousands of new residents. As a result, houses and apartments were built willy-nilly into the YATO areas: on top of bluffs, in small/hidden valleys, and on the slopes of hills. Also, in those days, most people did not have automobiles, and various narrow paths and stairways were put in place to allow access to their dwellings by foot. Many YATO-area homes are located in spots with beautiful and panoramic views, but as residents get older, walking up all the slopes and stairs becomes much more difficult. Over the years, Yokosuka also has made efforts to increase the size of flat areas through large landfill projects, such as Hinode-Cho, Heisei-Cho, and Mabori Kaigan -- which are now filled-up with many houses, stores, and businesses. Another construction method was to grade-off the tops of hills and create suburbs such as Shonan Takatori, Kurihama Highland, and Iwato. One negative result of Yokosuka's YATO housing areas is that many "inconvenient" houses have been abandoned by elderly residents who pass away or move downhill into more convenient dwellings. This is a problem which has yet to be solved. However, the YATO areas are full of trails and scenic green areas which are excellent for nature strolls, power walks, and hiking -- and nowadays with smart phones you don't have be concerned about getting lost. We hope you may have a chance to explore Yokosuka's unique YATO geography!

written by Goodfield