Yokosuka

Yokosuka, seaport, Kanagawa ken (prefecture), Honshu, Japan. It lies on the western shore of Tokyo Bay, about 15 miles (24 km) south of Yokohama. Its site on the Miura Peninsula was occupied by a small fishing village until a shipyard was established there in 1865. By 1884 it had become a major naval station and, after World War II, served as a base for the U.S. Navy and later also for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Yokosuka has become one of Japan’s important trade and fishing ports. In the east are the two fine harbours of Yokosuka and Nagaura. The main industries are shipbuilding and automobile manufacturing. Yokosuka also serves as a residential district for the Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan area. Pop. (2005) 426,178; (2010) 418,325.