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The only remaining naturally-formed island in Tokyo Bay is located right offshore the eastern coast of Yokosuka City.  It is called "Saru-shima" ( 猿島 ), which means Monkey Island.  There used to a number of other small coastal islands, but over time, they were all "swallowed-up" by the numerous landfill projects around Tokyo Bay.  In recent years, Saru-shima has become a leading tourist attraction for Yokosuka.  There is a small ferry boat service which makes several trips each day, taking visitors to & from the island. The boat-landing area on Saru-shima has a small shop selling food and drinks, as well as renting barbecue gear.  The beach area is clean and the sea water is clear.  The other attraction of Monkey Island is its natural beauty and there are numerous trails and tunnels for hiking & exploring.  Back in the olden days, local fishermen would use the island as a base for their activities.  Then, during the late-19th century, Saru-shima was developed into a military coastal fortress, with many brick and concrete structures being built (most of which remain today).  Monkey Island, despite its name, does not have any monkeys, and it is also uninhabited by humans.  There is an old legend that a famous Buddhist priest got lost in a storm while trying to cross Tokyo Bay by boat.  Then a white monkey appeared out of the fog and guided him to safety on a small island, which was thereafter called Saru-Shima.  We hope you will get the chance to visit Yokosuka's Monkey Island, while you live in Japan.  More information is available at the links below.

Written by Goodfield

Links:

Uninhabited Island / Sarushima ＜Official＞ | 【TRYANGLE WEB】YOKOSUKA Military Port Tour / Uninhabited Island Sarushima / YOKOSUKA BBQ Tryangle Inc. (tryangle-web.com)

Discover Yokosuka 横須賀奥旨: Saru Shima (deepyokosuka.blogspot.com)

Discover Yokosuka 横須賀奥旨: An Island, a Monk, and a Monkey --- SARU-SHIMA (deepyokosuka.blogspot.com)