Kotsubois a small fishing village in Zushi

Zushi, Kanagawa

is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 58,793 and a population density of 3,390 persons per km². The total area was 17.34 km².-Geography:...

, Kanagawa Prefecture

Kanagawa Prefecture

is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. It is half way between Zushi

Zushi, Kanagawa

is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 58,793 and a population density of 3,390 persons per km². The total area was 17.34 km².-Geography:...

 and the old Japanese capital of Kamakura

Kamakura, Kanagawa

is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...

. It is on Sagami Bay

Sagami Bay

Sagami Bay , also known as the Sagami Gulf or Sagami Sea, lies south of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū, central Japan, contained within the scope of the Miura Peninsula, in Kanagawa, to the east, the Izu Peninsula, in Shizuoka Prefecture, to the west, and the Shōnan coastline to the north, while the...

 and just over one hour by train from Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

.

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 or early April, from where one can view the whole surrounding area. Across Sagami Bay can be seen Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji

is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...

 immediately behind Enoshima Island. Yuigahama

Yuigahama

is a beach near Kamakura, a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The relation between the beach and its neighboring areas is complex. Although Yuigahama is in fact the entire 3.2 km beach that goes from Inamuragasaki, which separates it from Shichirigahama, to Zaimokuza's Iijima cape, which...

 Beach runs the whole way from Kotsubo up to the outskirts of Kamakura. On a clear day Shimoda

Shimoda

Shimoda can mean:* Places in Japan:** Shimoda, Shizuoka, a city in Shizuoka Prefecture** Shimoda, Aomori, a town in Aomori Prefecture* Treaty of Shimoda , between Japan and Russia* Shimoda Toyomatsu, an early Japanese Scouting notable...

 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.

On the surrounding hills there are many small Shinto shrines and Buddhist tempples

Buddhist temples in Japan

Along with Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples are the most numerous, famous, and important religious buildings in Japan.The term "Shinto shrine" is used in opposition to "Buddhist temple" to mirror in English the distinction made in Japanese between Shinto and Buddhist religious structures. In...

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

Activities and facilities

The village is famous for its fish markets from where many of the local sushi

Sushi

is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...

 shops buy their daily supply of tuna

Tuna

Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...

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.

Transport

Kotsubo is easily accessed by bus from either Kamakura or Zushi. 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 because beaches are visited by thousands of people every day.

Weather

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