Yokosuka Navy Base's Fourth & Famous American Commander

CAPT Benny Decker took command of Yokosuka Navy Base in April 1946, and continued his duties there until June 1950.

Here he is, standing in front of a flooded Dry Dock No.6 (largest one in the base -- where the Imperial Japanese Navy super-carrier "SHINANO" was built):

Here is a description of what he did:

"Captain (later Rear Admiral) Benton W. Decker, who commanded the former Imperial Japanese Navy base at Yokosuka, barely forty miles distant from Tokyo, wanted much more. He set out to clean it up, reform the surrounding city’s government, and implant American-style citizen voluntary associations in the community. Decker instructed his staff to act as if the United States Navy would remain in Yokosuka for ten, or maybe even fifty, years. To that end he invited Japanese dignitaries, American celebrities, journalists, and virtually anyone else who would look and listen to Yokosuka. By 1948 his efforts netted an article in Reader’s Digest, the most widely read magazine in America, that dubbed Yokosuka “the Gibraltar of the Pacific.” It demonstrated how Americans and Japanese were working together in Yokosuka for the benefit of both. Decker’s efforts helped convince his navy superiors and the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the need to retain a base at the heart of Japan long before war in Korea made that truth obvious."

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Here is another interesting tidbit about CAPT Decker's personal beliefs:

"Among MacArthur’s senior aides was Rear Admiral Benton W. Decker, Commander of the Yokosuka Naval Base, who opened several Masonic lodges. He wrote in a letter to an overseas Masonic lodge:

"Under the wise and benevolent leadership of General MacArthur, defeated Japan has found new hope. The Occupation has given that benighted country the start toward a Christian culture and a democratic form of government…I have energetically and loyally followed the policies of my superior officer and brother Mason, General MacArthur, who has always been guided by Christian principles and the tenets of Free Masonry” 

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His statue was originally placed downtown, in front of Yokosuka City Hall ..... but, years later, it was transferred to a more distant/isolated spot up on a bluff overlooking the City and Tokyo Bay, within Yokosuka Central Park (Chuo Koen)...

In 2010, on a tropical day in August, when the cicadas were singing in full voice, I hiked up to Central Park to take a look:  Ode to Benny Decker

Yokosuka Power Spot No. 1 -- Where Godzilla First Stepped Onto Land

I will provide some more details later, but in the original 1954 film, "Godzilla", the monster (created by the bad effects of a Pacific Ocean nuclear weapon test) emerged from the sea in Tokyo Bay, in an area off-shore Yokosuka.

According to local legend, the actual spot where Godzilla stepped ashore is on Tatara-Hama beach ( 多々良浜 ), which is part of Kannonzaki Prefectural Park ( 県立観音崎公園 ) --- in case you don't believe it, Godzilla left a footprint...

Here is Godzilla, emerging from Tokyo Bay, off Yokosuka's Kannonzaki Coast...

I also found out that Godzilla fought other monsters in Yokosuka, documented in the 1975 movie: "Terror of MechaGodzilla" ----  When Yokosuka actually became a monster battleground.

Several decades ago, a T-Rex/dinosaur slide was built for kids to play on, along Kannonzaki beach (it has since been removed.)  This soon started being called the "Godzilla" slide, and added to the local legend about the monster coming ashore in that area,  Here is what it looked like...

Horses Which Made The Ultimate Sacrifice

The road going from Keikyu Shioiri Station and climbing-up a slope to Sakamoto-Cho (used by many who drive towards Hayama), was originally built in the 19th Century to enable the transport of weapons and supplies for a Japanese Imperial Army Heavy Artillery Regiment to the heights overlooking Yokosuka Harbor.

In those days, transportation of large cargo was done by horse-drawn wagons.  And, due to the steep slope of the Sakamoto Road, accidents would occur where the horses were injured and/or killed.

Therefore, Japanese people involved in the transportation business erected Buddhist stone-tablet memorials to commemorate the souls of the poor dead horses.  "Hayagriva" -- also called "Bato Kannon" -- was invoked, as it was the guardian deity of horses.  ( Note:  Bato = 馬頭 = Horse Head. )

If you walk from Keikyu Shioiri Station, head up the Sakamoto hill road, and stay on the left hand side, you will come across the Bato Kannon memorials, which are nested in small cave built into the containing wall which runs along the road.

Here are a couple of pictures...

25,000 Years Ago

Yokosuka City's web-site states that the earliest human footprint discovered in the Miura Peninsula was from 25,000 years ago.  So, the land upon which Yokosuka exists is truly ancient, in terms of people living and dying on it.

Flash-forward to 300-600 AD, or so (I'm still leaning about this), and it was a time when agriculture (rice farming) was becoming wide-spread, and replacing the hunter-gathering livelihoods of the "Jomon" era.

Those family groups who had good luck with harvests and invested & concentrated their wealth, also developed political powers.  When their top members died, those family groups (or tribal leaders) were able to convince (coerce?) others to join-together to build large burial mounds called: "Kofun" ( 古墳 ) --- and the most famous Kofun are located elsewhere in Japan and associated with the Imperial family.

But, there are also Kofun located in Yokosuka.  One of them is at Otsuka-Dai (up the hill from Keikyu Kita-Kurihama station), and has been turned into a small park.

Japanese link about the Otsuka-Dai Kofun park.

Japan Imperial Navy Base Entrance, Right After WW-II 国威顕彰 記念塔

The monument, inside the circular fence, is called "Koku-I Ken-Sho Kinen-To" ( 国威顕彰 記念塔 ) --- Its meaning is something like: "Monument Honoring Japan's National Prestige."

It was erected in the late 1930's, and was officially established/opened on 27 MAY 1938,
which was "Navy Day" (also anniversary of the Battle of Tsushima Strait, where the
Japanese won a great victory over the Russian Fleet in 1905.)

The main design of the monument was based on the shape of the superstructure and
bridge of the Takao-class heavy cruiser...

This monument symbolized Japan's abandonment of treaties and cooperation with the U.S.
and UK, and emphasized the intent to "go it alone, and win against the odds"...

Japanese sailors entering the Navy Base, were supposed to look at it and be reminded
of the serious international challenges Japan was facing, and the Imperial Navy's 
crucial role in leading things towards a successful result.  

The monument has now been moved to a boundary area in Verny Park.

Originally, there was a "Yatagarasu" (mythical 3-legged crow) statue/ornament on
the very top, but it was removed sometime after WW-II, and its current status
and location is unknown.

FYI --- the Yatagarasu is also used on the emblem of the Japanese national soccer team:

Several panels, which apparently showed scenes of past Japanese naval heroics, 
have been stripped off of the monument, leaving it with a sort of forlorn aspect... 
  


日本語：ここです。

Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Yokosuka is a historic place, within a world of lots of other Japanese historical locations and activities, which go back, deeply, for many centuries, and beyond...

There is a lot to know about Yokosuka City.  It is located on the Miura Peninsula, where human beings have lived fro over 25,000 years.  The peninsula is named after a powerful samurai family/clan, which held power in the area from the 12th-15th centuries.  Here is the Miura family crest:

    　  















Yokosuka is also where Japan came into contact with the West, with the connection to William Adams (whose life was novelized by James Clavell in the book: "Shogun" -- and also was turned into a 1980 T.V. mini-series.)  And then there is the U.S. Navy relationship, which started when a squadron of "Black Ships", under the Command of Commodore Matthew C. Perry, arrived off of Yokosuka in 1853 to open Japan to commerce & modernity --- and then, the U.S. Navy came again in August 1945, as part of the "second opening" of Japan to a more liberal form of freedom & democracy.  More on these subjects as I keep adding to this Blog...      

This Blog will explore the special legacies, memories, and power-spots in Yokosuka.