Classic Cars Available for Rent

Yokosuka: Classic Cars Available for Rent - The Japan News (yomiuri.co.jp)

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Vintage cars are lined up along a prefectural road near the coastline on the Miura Peninsula in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Auto Shop Cat is a shop that rents classic cars which were popular in the Showa (1926-1989) and Heisei (1989-2019) eras.

In front of the shop, you can see cars that symbolize those times. Among them, three are available for rent: two Nissan Sunny Trucks, small bonnet trucks that were launched in 1967, and a Mazda Eunos Roadster convertible. These vehicles remain popular to this day.

The company has sold and repaired used cars for about 30 years, including classic cars. It started the car rental service last year as Kazuki Sato, 57, the president of the company, wanted to make it easier for people to get to know the appeal of classic cars.

He tries to make the cars look cool and stylish even though they are for rent. One of the Sunny Trucks has a part that looks like a third-generation Nissan Skyline on the front, which is the kind of customization that enthusiasts once coveted. The other truck mostly maintains the state of its initial shipping conditions while having carefully selected wheels and adjustments to its interior. Sato also modifies the cars so that beginners can drive them more easily. “Making adjustments to these cars to make them easier to drive is one of the required skills,” Sato said. The Roadster for rent is an automatic car.

Not only do generations reminiscing about the good old days get behind the wheel of these cars but an expectedly large number of people in their 20s also rent them, according to Sato. Some young people drive along the nearby beaches and post photos of these cars on Instagram and other social media. For young people, classic cars not only offer them an extraordinary experience but they also look great on social media. The shop also contributes to the revitalization of the local community by distributing a driving map of the Miura Peninsula to customers.

Sato plans to increase the types of cars for rent. “Driving a stylish classic car along the beautiful coast is a simple but fun experience. I would like to offer such an experience going forward.” Sato said.

Yokosuka Iris Garden

Yokosuka Shobuen (iris garden) | kokosil Yokosuka

Yokosuka Shobuen is one of the renowned iris (shobu) gardens in Japan. It boasts 140,000 irises of 412 varieties in the area of 3.7 hectares. It holds "Hana-shobu matsuri" (Japanese iris festival) in June, featuring live performance of Koto (traditional stringed musical instrument) on every Sunday of the month. In addition, it also features 250 Japanese wisteria (fuji) of 11 varieties; their flowering season is from late April to early May.

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Kanagawa's Yokosuka Shobuen Iris Garden: Wisteria Fuji Festival, Enjoy Stunning Blossoms - Yokosuka Travel Guide (guidoor.jp)

Yokosuka Shobuen is one of the largest iris gardens in Japan. From late May to late June, 412 varieties and 140,000 irises bloom on the garden’s 3.8-hectare grounds.

In June, the “Hana Shobu Matsuri” (Iris Festival) is held to celebrate the iris blooms. Every Sunday during the festival, a “koto” (Japanese harp) concert is also held.

In addition to irises, there is a “Wisteria Garden” with 11 varieties and 250 plants, a “Weeping Cherry Blossom Garden,” and other flower gardens that can be enjoyed throughout the year.

The visitor center has a restaurant that can accommodate up to 100 people, an exhibition room, and a rest area (where visitors are allowed to bring their own lunch).

The complex maze-like Upper Town Yokosuka

 http://www3.koutaro.name/machi/yokosuka.htm

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The military port city of Yokosuka had two city centers with very different landscapes.

One was the labyrinthine townscape up on the hills and bluffs.

It is a town where houses are lined up so as to cover the intricately detailed hillsides, and the alleys continue like a maze.

It is an old urban area that expanded rapidly as it developed as a military port city after the Meiji period (1868-1912).

The other is a rectangular townscape on the seaward side of the city.

It is a town of the reclaimed land that was built in a planned manner with high-rise buildings neatly lined up on a wide straight road.

After the war, the urban area of Yokosuka was expanded by reclaiming the coast.

The Keikyu Main Train Line separates these two towns.

From the Keikyu Main Line stations such as Shioiri, Yokosuka Chuo, and Kenritsu Daigaku, one step into the mountain side and the labyrinthine town spreads out, while on the sea side, the flat land and the shaped townscape spread out like a different world.

This is because the Keikyu Main Line was laid along the edge of a hilly terrain.

This gap between the two urban areas, old and new, is a characteristic of Yokosuka's townscape.

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In the hills and bluffs areas, including Shioiri-cho, Uwamachi, Tadodai, and Fujimi-cho, there are hills where narrow ridges and deep valleys intersect like folds in a complex. There are no roads of any kind, and houses are built to the best of one's ability on narrow flat lands with cliffs.  There are narrow, winding roads along the ridges and valleys, but the roads that branch off from these roads immediately come to a dead end, and 10 to 20 houses are located along the roads, forming a cluster at each dead end. The narrow, winding roads are so steep that it is impossible to drive on, and it is a maze to walk up and down.  First-time visitors will probably need a map to find their way out.

The labyrinthine town also had a main street.  The road from Yokosuka to Misaki is called Misaki Kaido, and Uemachi-dori, the street line, is a wide straight road with arcades on both sides.  Many signboards can still be seen in the shopping streets along the street.

BMX Bike Cup Competition in Yokosuka

Japan Cup BMX meet set to welcome international riders - The Japan Times

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YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA PREF. – 

The Japan Cup BMX freestyle meet, held from June 2 to 4, 2023, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, was upgraded from a domestic to an international competition, with the aim of attracting riders and spectators from overseas, organizers said Friday.

The top Japan Cup finishers at Umikaze Park earned points for the Union Cycliste Internationale rankings needed to qualify for World Cup events, according to the Japan Freestyle BMX Federation and the city of Yokosuka.

"The event will be more exciting if riders come from overseas," Rim Nakamura, who won the men's park competition at the urban cycling world championships last November in Abu Dhabi, told a news conference in Yokosuka. "I want to show Japanese riders are strong."

Yokosuka hosted the Japan Cup last July for the first time and is aiming to vitalize its local communities through urban sports.

"I hope to see athletes make this meet a stepping stone toward the world stage," said Katsuaki Kamiji, the mayor of Yokosuka.

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BMX Freestyle Mynavi Japan Cup Yokosuka 2023: The Ultimate Showdown and Results - Yokosuka Travel Guide (guidoor.jp)

The “Mynavi Japan Cup Yokosuka 2023” took center stage as the All-Japan Championship, under the auspices of the Japan Freestyle BMX Association. The event transformed the vibrant city of Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, into a canvas for BMX talent.

Although the inaugural day didn’t go as planned due to weather conditions, the skies cleared on the afternoon of the second day, allowing the event to proceed without a hitch!

Over the course of two days, the competition drew a crowd but also a myriad of event booths. With children from Yokosuka City at the heart of the approximately 20,000 spectators, the venue was buzzing with excitement.

Perry Park

This park commemorates Perry's landing. There is a monument commemorating Perry's landing and the Perry Memorial Hall. Historical materials and dioramas related to Perry's arrival in Japan are on display.

The Perry Landing Monument was built to commemorate the landing of U.S. Navy Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry on July 14, 1853 (Kaei 6) on the Kurihama coast, who came to Japan seeking the opening of Japan to the outside world. The unveiling ceremony of the Perry Landing Monument was held on July 14, 1901, the same day Perry landed.

The Kurihama coast was a scenic beach until the 1950s, but the construction of the Kurihama branch of Nichiru Fishery and the construction of the Yokosuka Thermal Power Station of Tokyo Electric Power Company in the 1960s caused a series of land reclamation projects that greatly changed the appearance of the coastline. From the sandy beach in front of Perry Park, one can see the Tokyo Bay Ferry that passed between Kurihama Port and Kanaya Port, which opened in 1960, and the large smokestacks of the power plant.

The Perry Memorial Hall in the park exhibits many historical materials and models related to Perry's arrival in Japan. The Kurihama Perry Festival is held every year in mid-July. The highlight of the festival is the fireworks display at the finale.

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Perry Memorial Hall

• The Perry Memorial Hall is a museum that illustrates the Perry Expedition (1853－1854), which paved the way to the opening of Japan, and the history leading to it through dioramas and historical documents.

Description

In 1853, Matthew Calbraith Perry, who was Commodore of the U.S. Navy, landed on the Kurihama beach, which paved the way for opening Japan. 

In order to make Perry's arrival and the history of the opening of Japan widely known, the city of Yokosuka built the Perry Memorial Hall in 1987, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the city's founding as a municipality. 

The entrance to the museum is free of charge, and inside the museum, important historical documents that portray the scenes of those days are on display, such as diorama models, picture scrolls depicting the commotion right before Perry's landing, and old books chronicling the overview of the ”Black Ships.”

 The first floor is an exhibition hall displaying the diorama models reproducing the spectacles on the arrival of the black ships; on the second floor is a document gallery. 

The Perry Memorial Hall is situated within the premises of the Perry Park, where the monument commemorating Perry's landing constructed in 1901 stands. It is a 20-minute walk from the Kurihama Station on the JR Line or the Keikyu Kurihama Station on the Keihin Kyuko Line. It is a 10-minute ride on a bus bound for Nobi-kaigan from the Keikyu Kurihama Station on the Keihin Kyuko Line. The museum is close when you get off at the Perry Kinen-hi bus stop.

Yokosuka's "Hidden" Soccer Park

An interesting and unique park, combining a soccer field and walking/jogging track with scenic greenery, is located in the middle of a residential area with narrow streets (Iriyamazu-Cho).  In a way it is "hidden", located off the beaten track, so to speak.

The name of the park is Hamayu Koen (はまゆう公園).

The reason for its unusual/isolated location is because the park was developed on what used to be the site of a large Japanese Imperial Army hospital.  In fact, the Iriyamazu district, back in the pre-World War II years, was the location for a large number of Army artillery and other units which were deployed to Yokosuka for coastal defense of Tokyo Bay.

The site was first used in 1890 for medical facilities which supported an Army Heavy Artillery Regiment.  The facilities were improved and expanded in 1907, and in 1936 construction of a large full-service Army Hospital was completed.

After the end of World War II, the hospital was used by civilian medical organizations until 1966.  Afterwards, the old Army Hospital building were torn down and plans were eventually made to build a public park on the cleared land.  Hamayu Koen was opened in 1988.

There are many places/parks in Yokosuka which have been converted from military to civilian use...

 

 

   

        

 

Yokosuka Story 1977

‘Yokosuka Story‘, Miyako Ishiuchi, 1977 | Tate

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Yokosuka Story 1977, by the Japanese photographer Miyako Ishiuchi, comprises forty vintage black and white prints which are typically displayed in a large grid. As the title suggests, the work depicts the town of Yokosuka, a small port in Japan where Ishiuchi grew up during the 1950s and 1960s, when the town was the site of a large American naval base. In these years of military occupation the town was infiltrated by American culture and in turn the visual landscape reflected this struggle between local and foreign, past and present and the uncertainty of Japan’s future identity. Like other slightly older Japanese photographers associated with the ‘Provoke’ movement, such as Shomei Tomatsu and Daido Moriyama, with whom she worked, Ishiuchi was part of the post-war generation who used their cameras to record and explore what it meant to be Japanese at this pivotal moment in history. The Provoke movement experimented with photographic techniques in order to offer a more subjective and radical vision of society in Japan post-Hiroshima, focusing on the alienation and disaffection characterising urban life.

Shot in 1977, Yokosuka Story was followed by two other series, Apartment 1979 and Endless Night 1981, which together later came to be known as a trilogy of early works. They were revisited in the publication Sweet Home Yokosuka 1976–1980 (PPP Editions, New York 2010). Photographed in the winter, the images that make up Yokosuka Story are deliberately grainy and dark, printed with high contrast. Ishiuchi documents various aspects of the town, from narrow streets of residential housing, to the architectural details of commercial buildings and views of the port and ocean. Often shot from a moving car, the images are sometimes set at a diagonal, with tilted horizons and cropped framing. This aesthetic is characteristic of photography associated with the Provoke movement. Unlike the two later series, Yokosuka Story is the only work from this early period in Ishiuchi’s career which contains images of people. The citizens of Yokosuka are depicted going about their daily lives, not necessarily aware of the presence of the photographer. Ishiuchi is also present in one of the photographs, in which she captures her shadow while photographing a dog.

Ishiuchi’s work is often referred to as stoic and unsentimental; she appears not to be concerned with the documentary process, but interested in capturing the passing of time and the experience of a place while photographing. This also holds true for her processing of images in the darkroom. For Ishiuchi this work is an integral part of realising the photograph and bears much more significance than simply producing high quality prints. In Yokosuka Story she often exposed the photographic paper for long periods of time, sometimes up to thirty minutes, turning skies that would usually appear white into a dark and grainy grey. This long exposure time can also be seen as related to her desire to transfer onto each image the entire memory of the experience of shooting the picture.

Brief Historical Overview --- Uraga and Yokosuka

横須賀 History ～人物編｜横須賀市 (city.yokosuka.kanagawa.jp)

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During the Edo period, Uraga flourished as a port town with many dried sardine wholesalers and shipping agents. When the magistrate's office was moved from Shimoda to Uraga, it became a base for monitoring marine transportation in and out of Edo Bay. Furthermore, at the end of the Edo period, when foreign ships began to appear in Japan's neighboring waters, the Uraga Magistrate's Office became important as a base for sea defense in Edo Bay.

The officials of the Uraga Magistrate's Office, who were considered modern-day self-defense officers and diplomats, were well versed in world affairs and were highly competent. When four black ships led by Perry arrived in 1853, the officials of the Uraga Magistrate's Office were put in charge of the practical affairs and dealt directly with Perry's fleet.

The best personnel from the Uraga Magistrate's Office were dispatched to the Nagasaki Naval Training School and other institutions to further absorb their skills. The efforts of these people resulted in the successful completion of the historic voyage of the Shogunate warship Kanrin Maru, which left Uraga in 1860 as an escort ship for the ratification of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States and Japan.

In 1865, construction began on the Yokosuka Ironworks, one of the largest shipbuilding facilities in Japan. Many of those who were once active in the Uraga Magistrate's Office moved their activities to the Yokosuka Works and made great contributions to the development of modern industrial technology in Japan.

After the Meiji Restoration, the Yokosuka Iron Works was taken over by the new government and continued to develop further. On the other hand, in 1884 (Meiji 17), when the Tokai Naval Station command in Yokohama was moved to Yokosuka, Yokosuka became a military base for the Navy, and many naval facilities were subsequently built there. The Yokosuka Iron Works continued to develop further, changing its name to Yokosuka Shipyard and Yokosuka Naval Arsenal. The technological innovations were remarkable, especially around the time of the Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War, and Yokosuka became a pioneer in the modernization of Japan.

Tadodai Former Imperial Navy Admirals' Qurters

JMSDF's Tadodai Guest House (Annex), overlooking Tokyo Bay, was built in 1913 as the Yokosuka Naval District Commander's official quarters.

The Commander the Yokosuka Naval District at the time was Baron Uryu Sotokichi, a Vice Admiral general in the Imperial Navy who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, and he and his wife were among the first students sent by the Japanese government to the United States for study in 1871.

Furthermore, Mr. Kotaro Sakurai, who was in charge of planning and designing this official residence, graduated from the Department of Construction at the University of London in 1890, and was the first Japanese to be awarded the title of "Chartered Architect".

The Tadodai building is the result of the combined knowledge and creativity of VADM and Mrs. Uryu and Mr. Kotaro Sakurai ... and its unique architectural design incorporates both Western and Japanese styles.

The first resident of the Tadodai Flag Quarters was VADM Yorinobu Higashifushimi of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and from that time until the end of the war in 1945, 34 generations (31 people) of successive Yokosuka Naval District Commanders resided there.

After the end of World War II, Tadodai was used as U.S. Navy Flag Officer quarters until 1969, when it was transferred to the Japan Defense Agency and has subsequently been managed by the Commandant of JMSDF's Yokosuka District.

Today, it is used as a venue for various meetings and for the reception of dignitaries and dignitaries from Japan and abroad.

SHOGUN has returned...

Link from 2019:

Discover Yokosuka 横須賀奥旨: Shogun mini-series being reborn at FX (deepyokosuka.blogspot.com)

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Further to the information in the above link...

Over 5 years later .... The new SHOGUN miniseries is arriving...!

'Shōgun' Review: FX/Hulu Version Is Big, Beautiful, Slightly Bloodless (hollywoodreporter.com)

Shōgun (2024 TV series) - Wikipedia

Shōgun is an upcoming historical drama television limited series based on the 1975 novel of the same name by James Clavell. The novel was previously adapted into a 1980 television miniseries. The series is set to premiere with its first two episodes on February 27, 2024, on Hulu and FX, with new episodes of the 10-episode series then releasing weekly.

Shōgun follows "the collision of two ambitious men from different worlds and a mysterious female samurai; John Blackthorne, a risk-taking English sailor who ends up shipwrecked in Japan, a land whose unfamiliar culture will ultimately redefine him; Lord Toranaga, a shrewd, powerful daimyo, at odds with his own dangerous, political rivals; and Lady Mariko, a woman with invaluable skills but dishonorable family ties, who must prove her value and allegiance".[1][2]

Clavell's Shōgun is a fictionalized version of real events and history. The character of Blackthorne is loosely based on the historical English navigator William Adams,[3][4] who in Japan rose to become a samurai under the strongest powerful daimyo and later the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu whose life and reign lasted from 1543 to 1616 and on whom Shogun's character Yoshii Toranaga is based.[5][6]

Trailers:

Shōgun - Official Trailer | Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai | FX (youtube.com)

Shōgun Limited Series First Look (youtube.com)

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With the 19th Century opening of Yokohama port and the beginning of the Meiji Restoration, curiosity about (long forgotten) William Adams revived. In particular, Englishmen in the foreign concession wished to know more about the first Englishman to arrive in Japan.

In the June 1872 issue of The Far East, an English language publication born in the foreign concession, an article appeared describing an unsuccessful search in (Yokosuka's) Anjin-cho for information about Adams.

James Walters, a Yokohama businessman, showed early interest in Adams. Upon hearing that Saris had reached The Great Budda of Kamakura, he set off to visit this site himself, and there obtained clues that Adams lived in a small Yokosuka village called Hemi, and later died there; and that relics of Adams remained at Jodoji temple in Hemi.

Excited, Walters proceeded to Jodoji, where the high priest showed him to Adams’ grave. The high priest also reported that other foreigners had visited the site before, and one had even made sketches of the surrounding area.

When Walters’ findings appeared in The Far East, Hemi became a widely visited destination. Walters himself continued to visit Hemi, always dining in the Fujisan Hotel, thought to be the first hotel in Yokosuka.

Walters was saddened by the dilapidated state of the Anjinzuka area, and in 1874 he began working to restore it. Anzai Zenroku, owner of the Fujisan Hotel, learned of his efforts and contributed 50 yen (modern-day 2,000,000 yen) to support them.

About 15 years later, an article appeared in the Tokyo Mainichi Newspaper reporting on the ruined state of Anjinzuka and opining that the British residents in the Yokohama foreign concession should transfer Adams’ remains to the Gaijin Bochi, or cemetery for foreign residents.

Upon reading this article, Suzuki Fukumatsu, a person of local influence in Hemi, took initiative and called for the help of regional governors including Ogawa Shigechika of Miura and neighborhood leaders in Yokosuka. As the Japanese leader, Suzuki also spoke with Walters and Hall, the British Consul, and reached an agreement that each party should provide 250 yen (modern-day 10,000,000 yen) for restoration.

In 1902, with the signing of the British-Japanese Alliance, interest in Adams arose once more. Restoration of Anjinzuka restarted, with Suzuki yet again making valuable contributions; enough donations were collected to attract the attention of the governor of Kanagawa and the British ambassador. 

In 1906 the gigantic area renovation was complete, producing Tsukayama Park as it can be seen today. The tomb itself was investigated at this time, and it was found that Adams’ remains had not actually been buried there.

Before World War II, an “Anjin Festival” had been held annually at the park, though this ceased after 1935. With the war over it was held in June 1948, it has been properly honored by Yokosuka City ever since. It now occurs on April 8th of every year, as one of Yokosuka’s four international ceremonies.

An Apocalyptic Aircraft Produced In Oppama, Yokosuka

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/meet-ohka-japans-flying-bomb-kamikaze-plane-208578

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== Meet the Ohka: Japan's 'Flying Bomb' Kamikaze Plane

-- The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka made its first unpowered flight on March 21, 1944, and its powered maiden flight in November of that same year.

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The Ohka was a desperate attempt by Japan to use terror weapons to win World War II. It failed.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” the saying goes.

And arguably nowhere else in the history of warfare was this more starkly and morbidly demonstrated that the kamikazes, Imperial Japan's WWII suicide pilots who – drawing their name from a “divine wind” that destroyed Kublai Khan’s would-be invading fleet of Mongols twice in the 13th century – embarked en masse on their one-way missions in an ultimately vain attempt to defeat the U.S. Navy as the latter entity closed in for the kill against the Japanese home islands. 

Most of the warplanes used in the kamikaze attacks were improvised for that purpose, such as the famous Mitsubishi Zero fighter. But at least one such warbird was specifically designed from the ground up as a suicide plane, in essence, a flying bomb. Say “ohayo gozai masu 、 sayonara (Good morning and goodbye)” to MXY-7 Ohka kamikaze plane. 

The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka (桜花; “cherry blossom”) made its first unpowered flight on March 21, 1944, and its powered maiden flight in November of that same year. The aircraft was officially introduced into operational status with the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) Air Service in 1945. Designed by IJN officer Ensign Mitsuo Ohta, it was a rocket-powered human-guided aircraft. 

It wasn’t unique, Japan designed an additional rocket-powered warplane during the war, the Mitsubishi J8M Shūsui [“Autumn Water/Sharp Sword’], but that one was not designed as a kamikaze craft. The Ohka was manufactured by the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal in Yokosuka, Japan, which, plays host to United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka in modern Japan. 

The plane was nicknamed a “Baka Bomb” by the Americans, after the Japanese word for “foolish” or “stupid.” “Stupid” or not, the flying bomb mounted a large warhead in the nose and – owing to its inherently limited range – was intended to be carried to the target area by a Mitsubishi G4M2e “Betty” bomber; upon release from the mothership (so to speak), the Ohka would engage its rocket motors to make a high-speed dash to the target, usually a ship.

Specifications included a crew of one (no sense in wasting a twofer in a flying bomb), a fuselage length of 19 feet 11 inches, a wingspan of 16 feet 10 inches, an empty weight of 907 pounds, a gross weight of 4,718 lbs, 2,646-lb warhead, and a maximum airspeed of 615 miles per hour (Mach 0.80) in a powered dive, boosted along by Type 4 Mk.1 Model 20 rockets with a total of 1,764 lbs. thrust. 

There was also a trainer version called the MXY7-K1, which had a landing skid and flaps, and in lieu of the warhead and rocket motors of the operational version, used water ballast that was expelled before landing. It still challenged novice pilots with its 130 mph landing speed.

-- Combat Performance, i.e. Too Little, Too Late for WWII

Unfortunately for Imperial Japan, but fortunately for America as well as the then-captive nations suffering under Tojo’s so-called “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere,” the Ohka, along with the kamikaze campaign in general, was not enough to turn the tide in the mikado’s favor. Only 50 of the “Baka Bombs” saw actual combat, and their kill tally was a mere three enemy ships, none of which were capital ships. Then, of course, the timing of the atomic bomb raids and resultant Japanese surrender prevented the Ohka from making a more meaningful impact (either literally or figuratively).

-- Where Are They Now?

Out of the 852 “Baka Bombs” built, 15 survive today. That includes one in India, three in Japan, four in the UK, and seven in the U.S. To provide a more specific location from each country, military history tourists can choose from: the Indian Air Force Museum in Palam, New Delhi; the Usashi Heiwa Museum in Usa, Ōita Prefecture; the  RAF Museum Cosford in Cosford, Shropshire, England; and the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio.

U.S.Navy cooks up Yokosuka's Bespoke Curry Rice

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/457337/cfays-club-alliance-serves-up-yokosukas-local-cuisine-kaigun-curry

Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka wrapped up a celebration of its friendship with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, or JMSDF, with a version of the city’s famous local cuisine: kaigun curry.

The installation’s Club Alliance, served Kizuna 111 curry Friday, July 28, to Yokosuka base community members.

Kizuna 111 is a recipe inspired by an actual recipe used by a local JMSDF ship. 

“We decided on the word kizuna, which in Japanese means, a bond that connects us,” said Capt. Les Sobol, commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka. “It’s really the perfect word to describe our relationship with the JMSDF. Our alliance is an amazingly strong bond of friendship, partnership and professionalism.”

Each ship in the JMSDF has their own curry recipe uniqueness to that crew. No two curry recipes are the same. Kizuna 111 recreates that tradition of exclusivity through it’s preparation techniques using
equipment typically seen in JMSDF galleys. 

Every JMSDF ship’s curry recipe “is a point of pride,” said Capt. Les Sobol, commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka. “Each chef is extremely proud to
perfect – and safeguard – their ship’s recipe.”

JMSDF curry recipes are a closely guarded secret and final products are generally only shared with the public at special events. The City of Yokosuka, never shy to self-proclaim itself as Japan’s curry town, traditionally hosts an annual curry festival often highlighted by various kaigun curries inspired by JMSDF ships based in Yokosuka. In the City of Kure, an important JMSDF port city in Hiroshima Prefecture, festivals occasionally invite local ship crews there for friendly cooking competitions and local establishments serve festival attendees kaiji curry, a very closely related naval dish that is so faithful in it’s reproduction of real JMSDF curries, that they’re worthy of being awarded the force’s certification of authenticity.

Club Alliance’s chef, Takashi Watanabe, follows cooking techniques used in actual JMSDF galleys as instructed by JMSDF culinary specialists from JS
Onami to make his Kizuna 111 curry. He also only uses ingredients JMSDF food service officers are able to procure. 

“I was only able to practice once with the Onami chefs,” Watanabe said after searing a small batch of beef and beginning to braise it in red wine for an hour. His kitchen, located in the back of Italian Gardens has some of the most high end equipment available to restaurant staffs. But Watanabe and his team limited themselves to equipment available on
JMSDF ships. “It was very interesting and fun working with Onami chefs because I learned why their process works.”

After an hour stewing, Watanabe poured the beef into a large pressure cooker with a combination of curry powder, garam masala, ginger, honey, butter and other secret spices.

Kaigun curry, or Navy curry, is Yokosuka City’s signature dish and a nod to its rich naval history according to previous articles written by CFAY's historian, Ryo Isobe, and only found in the Seahawk-Umitaka physical archives. 

Kaigun curry traces it’s origins back to the late 19th Century. Japanese sailors’ poor nutrition combined with the navy’s improving technology that allowed ships to stay at sea for longer periods of time unintentionally created deteriorating health conditions from a lack of protein. These issues were not previously documented when sailors weren’t able to be at sea for longer durations. Through trial-and-error, it was discovered that adding meat to standard rice rations would nearly instantaneously improve sailors’ health.

Another 30 minutes passed. Watanabe then added carrots, restarted the pressure cooker and prepared some caramelized onions to stir in once the carrots softened.

That’s pretty much all there is to Kizuna 111, although, like any great soup or curry, “it’ll taste better tomorrow morning,” Watanabe said.

When the customer orders the curry, Watanabe will fry some potatoes, put them on top of a serving of garlic rice and a serving of coffee rice, then pour the curry on top.

“If we add the potatoes now, they’ll be too soft later,” Watanabe said.

JMSDF crews traditionally eat curry every Friday. The routine gives sailors something to look forward to after a hard week’s worth of work and helps sailors at sea keep track of time. The routine adds to the legend of kaigun curry and makes it very special when the JMSDF invites the community to share a piece of their culture.

“When you get to break bread with somebody and you get to eat something that they’re very proud of and they’re proud of making, it’s really something magical,” Sobol said.

Club Alliance intended to model this tradition by also serving curry on Fridays, though it might be a last Friday of the month menu item rather than an every Friday schedule with different varieties eventually rolling out to all of the base MWR clubs including the Chief’s Club, the Officer’s Club, Club Takemiya in addition to Club Alliance.

A Bell Returned

Bell symbolizing Japan-US friendship rings at Yokosuka temple for 1st time since WWII - The Mainichi

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(May 31, 2023)

YOKOSUKA, Kanagawa -- An event was held in this east Japan city to reflect on the history of a temple bell returned to Japan after its confiscation by the United States at the end of World War II.

After being brought back to the country 62 years ago, the bell is considered a symbol of friendship between the U.S. and Japan. Around 60 people representing both nations attended the event at Jodoji temple in Yokosuka to commemorate peace and recall the forgotten history of its return as it was sounded.

The hanging bell was made by famed craftsman Kimura Shogen and others in 1747. Made of bronze, it measures 60 centimeters across, 1.2 meters in height and weighs about 272 kilograms.

The bell was looked after with care at the family temple for William Adams (1564-1620), the first Englishman to land in Japan, who later became one of very few "Western samurai," taking the Japanese name Miura Anjin. Miura played an important role as diplomatic advisor to the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.

The bell was handed over to the Japanese Imperial Army in July 1945, after which, it was taken by U.S. forces as a spoil of war and kept in the city of Atlanta, Georgia.

However, when the city of Atlanta discovered upon research that the bell belonged to Jodoji, the mayor decided the right thing to do was to return it to its origins. With the cooperation of the U.S. Embassy in Japan and Rotary International branches from both countries, the U.S. Navy brought the bell back to Japan on a vessel, and its return was officiated on May 30, 1961. However, as the temple's bell tower had been torn down, there was not yet an opportunity for it to ring.

Hearing about its history from the temple's chief priest Michio Hemmi, 69, at a celebration honoring Miura this April, Carl Lahti, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Japan, was deeply moved. The temple and Lahti's headquarters coordinated to celebrate the bell's restoration by ringing it on the anniversary of its return.

At the event, a high-pitched sound rang out as Lahti and Hemmi struck the bell with a wooden mallet as it hung within a makeshift bell tower on the temple grounds. The two shook hands in front of the bell. Lahti said that the bell is a symbol of their mutual respect and that the gathering tells the tale of their deepening bonds since the bell's return.

After first striking the bell, Hemmi said, "This is the outcome of many decisions that, one by one, have led to the restoration of the bell. Hearing its tone, I feel the weight of history. I wish to continue our connection through this sound."

Yokosuka Coal Power

JERA starts operating Yokosuka coal-fired plant ahead of schedule - The Japan Times

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(December 23, 2023)

JERA, Japan's top power generator, said Friday its new No. 2 coal-fired power unit at its Yokosuka thermal power station in Kanagawa Prefecture has started commercial operation ahead of schedule to meet the peak heating demand during the winter season.

The move comes despite mounting criticism from climate activists and some investors over its continued use of power plants that are fired by the dirtiest fossil fuel.

The launch of the 650 megawatt unit, initially slated for February next year, follows the commencement of the No.1 unit with 650 MW output capacity at Yokosuka in June this year.

Both units use an ultra-supercritical (USC) power generation system, the company said. The USC has higher efficiency than older systems in coal-fired plants, making it less polluting.

JERA, a joint venture between Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings and Chubu Electric Power, said it will continue to steadily replace aging equipment with modern power plants to contribute to stable electricity supply and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Japan has built a series of new coal-fired power plants over the past several years as it struggled to restart nuclear power stations, which remain largely offline in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster in 2011.