Uraga Channel
Waterway connecting Tokyo Bay to the Sagami Gulf.
The Uraga Channel (浦賀水道, Uraga-suidō) is a passage that links Tokyo Bay with the Sagami Gulf. It serves as a vital route for vessels traveling from Tokyo, Yokohama, and Chiba toward the Pacific Ocean and farther destinations. The channel lies at the southernmost part of Tokyo Bay, which was called Edo Bay until 1868. Tokyo Bay is bordered by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a strict sense, the bay covers roughly 922 km² north of a line connecting Cape Kannon on the Miura Peninsula and Cape Futtsu on the Bōsō Peninsula. In a broader sense, the bay includes the Uraga Channel, with its southwestern boundary marked by a line between the Tsurugisaki and Sunosaki lighthouses, giving a total area of 1,320 km². The town of Uraga sits at the channel’s northern end on the Miura Peninsula. Because of its position at the entrance to Edo Bay, Uraga often served as the first point where foreign ships made contact with Japan. At its narrowest point, between Cape Kannon and Futtsu Point, the channel is 6 km wide. During the late Edo period, twelve artillery batteries on both peninsulas defended it against foreign vessels.
In 1846, U.S. Navy Captain James Biddle anchored two warships, the USS Columbus and USS Vincennes, in the Uraga Channel at the mouth of Tokyo Bay. This was part of an unsuccessful attempt to open Japan to American trade. On July 14, 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry brought his squadron—known to the Japanese as the Black Ships—to anchor near Uraga at Kurihama (now part of Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture) at the channel’s entrance. When Perry’s squadron returned in 1854, the ships bypassed Uraga and anchored closer to Edo at Kanagawa, the site of present-day Yokohama.
- location
- Southern end of Tokyo Bay, between Miura Peninsula (Kanagawa Prefecture) and Bōsō Peninsula (Chiba Prefecture)
- width_at_narrowest
- 6 km (between Cape Kannon and Futtsu Point)
- area_of_Tokyo_Bay_narrow_sense
- 922 km²
- area_of_Tokyo_Bay_broad_sense_including_
- 1320 km²
- key_city_on_channel
- Uraga, at northern end on Miura Peninsula
- historical_role
- First point of contact for foreign ships visiting Japan
Lore & Background
The Uraga Channel lies at the southern end of Tokyo Bay, which was known as Edo Bay prior to 1868. Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the line between Cape Kannon on the Miura Peninsula and Cape Futtsu on the Bōsō Peninsula, covering about 922 km². In a broader sense, the bay includes the Uraga Channel, with its southwestern boundary between Tsurugisaki Lighthouse and Sunosaki Lighthouse, totaling 1320 km². The city of Uraga sits at the northern end of the channel on the Miura Peninsula. Due to its strategic location at the entrance of Edo Bay, Uraga was often the first point of contact between visiting foreign ships and Japan. At its narrowest, between Cape Kannon and Futtsu Point, the channel is 6 km wide. During the late Edo period, it was defended against foreign ships by twelve artillery batteries on both the Bōsō and Miura peninsulas.
Reader's Guide
The Uraga Channel holds historical significance as the entry point for early American naval expeditions seeking to open Japan to trade. In 1846, Captain James Biddle of the U.S. Navy anchored two warships, the USS Columbus and the USS Vincennes, in the channel at the mouth of Tokyo Bay, an unsuccessful effort to open Japan to trade with the United States. On July 14, 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry lowered the anchor of his squadron—called the Black Ships by the Japanese—near Uraga at Kurihama, at the mouth of the channel. On the return of Perry's squadron in 1854, the ships bypassed Uraga to anchor closer to Edo at Kanagawa, where the city of Yokohama now stands. The channel's role as a maritime gateway underscores its importance in Japan's engagement with foreign powers during the late Edo period.
Did You Know?
- The Uraga Channel is at the southern end of Tokyo Bay, which was known as Edo Bay prior to 1868.
- At its narrowest, between Cape Kannon and Futtsu Point, the channel is 6 km wide.
- During the late Edo period, the channel was defended by twelve artillery batteries on both the Bōsō and Miura peninsulas.
- In 1846, Captain James Biddle anchored two U.S. Navy warships in the Uraga Channel in an unsuccessful effort to open Japan to trade.
More in Straits, Channels, And Seas 1-24
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