Kotsubo

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Kotsubo is a small fishing village in the Kanagawa prefecture, Japan. It is half way between Zushi City and the old Japanese capital of Kamakura. It is on Sagami Bay and just over one hour by train from Tokyo.

Contents 1 Location and Scenery 2 Activities and Facilities 3 Transport 4 Weather

[edit] Location and Scenery

The little fishing village is backed by steep hills, on top of one is Osaki Park, famous for its cherry viewing in late March and early April, from where views of the whole area are possible. Across Sagami Bay can be seen Mount Fuji immediately behind Enoshima Island. Yurigahama Beach runs the whole way from Kotsubo up to the outskirts of Kamakura. On a clear day Shimoda and Odawara are visible. The southern vista looks over the beach of Zushi and the ancient coast running down to Hayama and its Imperial Summer Palace.

The hills also have many tiny Shinto Shrines and Buddhist Temples, some over a thousand years old. Most of the housing is also very old but there are two large modern housing developments one called Cosmos Milos which dominates one hill and designed to look like an old Greek village. On the sea-front there is a large apartment complex with the well know yachting port of Zushi Marina.

[edit] Activities and Facilities

The village is famous for its fish markets, from where many of the local sushi shops buy their daily supply of tuna and other fresh catches. The area has now become popular as a retirement resort and has an abundance of small specialist hospitals and clinics, many restaurants and exercise facilities. There is also relatively good surfing.

[edit] Transport

Kotsubo is easily accessed from either Kamakura or Zushi by bus. It normally takes about 15 minutes. Taxis from both places take about 10 minutes, except in July and August when sometimes travel can take an hour, when the beaches are visited by thousands of people every day.

[edit] Weather

The summer months are very hot, well into the thirties (degrees celsius), but for the rest of the year it is more temperate.