Dobuita, Commercial district in Yokosuka, Japan.
Dobuita is a shopping street in Yokosuka that runs for about 300 meters and is filled with shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues. The paved pathway is lined with stores where visitors find clothing, souvenirs, and local food options.
Before World War II a drainage stream ran down the middle of the street; the naval arsenal supplied thick steel plates to cover it so people and vehicles could pass, giving the street its name. The stream and plates were later removed. The area had flourished as the temple-town of the Yokosuka Naval District, and after the war souvenir shops, portrait studios, bars and tailors served US occupation and base personnel.
The street blends American and Japanese influences, with shops selling military clothing, Yokosuka Navy curry, and traditional embroidered jackets called Sukajan. This mixture grew from the area's long naval history and shapes how the district looks and feels today.
The street runs parallel to National Route 16 near Honcho 1-3-chome. It is about 3 minutes on foot from Keikyu Shioiri Station, 10 minutes from Yokosuka-chuo Station via the Mikasa-dori shopping arcade, and 10 minutes from JR Yokosuka Station through Verny Park. The Yokosuka IC exit on the Yokohama-Yokosuka Road is close by.
Handprints of celebrities connected to Yokosuka are set into the street surface, and on weekends the street hosts flea markets, street live performances and busking. Four times a year the Dobuita Bazaar fills the street with crowds.
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