MEZAME VALLEY (大矢部みどりの公園 MEZAME VALLEY), a Park-PFI project of Yokosuka City in Oyabe, Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, has launched its official brand site at https://mezamevalley.jp/. The park is scheduled to open in April 2028. Ahead of the opening, a Miura clan "storyteller" training course is now open for applications, with an information session planned for October 24, 2026.
A Park Built with Many Specialists
The park is being developed by the Oyabe Open Gate Project (大矢部オープンゲートプロジェクト), led by Hibiya-Kadan (株式会社日比谷花壇), together with companies and specialists in architecture, environment, history, design, and food. dot button company (dot button company株式会社), a partner company, is in charge of planning the park's overall concept and experiences, as well as creative direction and production.
The planning draws on the land's history, its nature, and the way local people live, and aims at experiences that connect visitors with learning, food, and interaction. From the park's concept to experience design, content planning, and ties with the local community, the goal is a park that people can keep engaging with even after it opens.
Opening the Valley to the Future After 89 Years
The site covers about 19 hectares in Oyabe, Yokosuka. It was acquired by the national government in 1939 and has been used as an ammunition depot since then. Because public access has been limited for many years, historical resources tied to the Miura clan, such as the Fukaya Yagura Group (深谷やぐら群) and the site of Entsuji Temple (円通寺跡), remain alongside the natural environment.
Living Better Alongside the Remaining Nature
Ahead of the opening, experts are surveying the biodiversity and natural environment inside the park. The surveys have shown that diverse nature, including rare species, remains, while also revealing issues such as the presence of invasive species and the drying of wetlands.
The park is currently aiming to be certified as a Nature Coexistence Site (自然共生サイト) under "30by30," an international target to conserve at least 30% of land and sea by 2030.
The park plans to turn the process itself into learning and experiences for visitors: protecting nature, learning about its value and challenges, and thinking about how people can get involved to pass on a better environment to the future.
Miura Clan "Storyteller" Training Course
As one of the first efforts to grow the park together with the community before its 2028 opening, the Miura Clan "Storyteller" Training Course (三浦一族「語り部」養成講座) is being launched. It is a 24-session program for people who want to be able to tell the story of this land in their own words, through learning about local history, including the Miura clan, along with on-site visits and guiding practice. Participants are being recruited to share the story of the land together with MEZAME VALLEY, including not only history lovers but also people who want to learn more about the area and those who want to pass this land's story on to the future.
- Information session (free): October 24, 2026, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM at ヴェルクよこすか (Conference Room 1)
- Course period: From December 6, 2026 (first session) to mid-December 2027 (24 sessions in total)
- Fee: ¥20,000 (¥10,000 for those aged 22 and under)
- Eligibility: People interested in history, culture, or community activities. Students and working adults are both welcome.
- How to apply: https://mezamevalley.peatix.com
- Application deadline: Scheduled for mid-November 2026
Program details and schedules may change.
Instructor
The course is supervised and taught by Mutsumi (山城ガール むつみ), a history and mountain-castle navigator. Born in Yokosuka, she serves as vice president of the Miura Clan Research Association (三浦一族研究会), deputy director of 一般社団法人城組, and Furusato Ambassador of Nakagawa Town (那珂川町ふるさと大使). She gives history lectures, works as a guide, and writes, and she also works on town revitalization and regional development that make use of history in various parts of Japan.
Connecting Different Expertise into One Park Experience
MEZAME VALLEY is a project in which companies and experts with different specialties, such as architecture, environment, history, design, and food, take part. Their knowledge and ideas are being connected to the experiences of park visitors. People who have learned history become storytellers, visitors learn about the value and challenges of nature, and people encounter the land through farming and food. Through each of these experiences, the project aims to widen the circle of people involved with the park.
What kind of scenery, culture, and community will emerge from a valley where access has been limited for so long remains to be seen. The project plans to keep sharing that process ahead of the April 2028 opening.
Park Information
- Name: Oyabe Midori-no-Koen MEZAME VALLEY (大矢部みどりの公園 MEZAME VALLEY)
- Address: 2-15 Oyabe, Yokosuka, Kanagawa (神奈川県横須賀市大矢部2-15)
- Website: https://mezamevalley.jp/
- Opening: April 2028 (planned)
- Opening hours, closed days, and admission fee: To be decided in spring 2028
- Access: From Kita-Kurihama Station on the Keikyu Main Line, take a bus and get off at "Oyabe 3-chome" (大矢部三丁目), then walk 4 minutes. On the Yokohama Yokosuka Road, the park is 5 minutes from Sahara IC or Kinugasa IC.
- Operator: Oyabe Open Gate Project (大矢部オープンゲートプロジェクト), led by Hibiya-Kadan (株式会社日比谷花壇)
- Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mezamevalley/
Partner Companies and Specialists
- dot button company: Planning of the park's overall concept and experiences, creative direction, and production
- 株式会社苗目: Agriculture and environment, landscape design advisor, and content supervision
- Mutsumi (山城ガール むつみ): History, content supervision
- AFFORDANCE inc.: Visual identity, signage, exhibition, and graphic design
- FARMER YOU INC.: Food and beverage, tenant recruitment and production
