Tatarahama Beach｜A beautiful beach located in Tokyo bay - Nature Nippon
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Tatarahama Beach is one of the hidden beaches located on the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture.
The clean ocean of the Miura Peninsula is famous for the Sagami Bay side around Misaki Town, but it can also be enjoyed on the Tokyo Bay side.
The Kannonzaki area, where Tatara Beach is located, was off-limits to civilians from the Meiji era until the end of the war, leaving the area untouched by nature. Japan’s first Western-style lighthouse, the Kannonzaki Lighthouse, is also located here.
Tatara Beach is a popular spot, and is not so crowded even during the peak season, making it a relaxing place to spend time.
The beach is not a pure white sand beach because of the iron sand mixed in. There are rocky areas where snorkeling can be enjoyed.
The length of the beach is about 100 meters, and it is a small, shallow beach. Both sides are rocky. The Uraga side (at the back of the screen) seems to be easier to dive. There are sharp rocks, so snorkelers should wear gloves.
This is an ideal place for those who is looking for few people, rich nature but still no that far from the city.
「陸軍桟橋」と「浦賀港引揚記念の碑」海外引揚者が第一歩を踏みしめた港（浦賀） (senseki-kikou.net)
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The number of Japanese nationals (Japanese nationals) who were overseas when the war ended on August 15, 1945, totaled more than 6.6 million, including both military and civilian personnel. After the war, designated ports for repatriates in various parts of Japan accepted repatriates, with Uraga Port, located at the entrance to Tokyo Bay, receiving approximately 560,000 people in particular, second only to Maizuru Port, which received approximately 670,000.
At the end of the war, there were approximately 6.6 million people overseas: 3.08 million in the former Army, 450,000 in the former Navy, and 3 million in the General Corporation.
With the “General Order No. 1 to the Government of Japan” issued by GHQ (General Headquarters of the Allied Powers, General MacArthur) on September 2, 1945, all Japanese in the outer regions were to surrender under the control of their respective military districts, including military personnel, civilian personnel, and civilians.
The Yokosuka Regional Demobilization Bureau of the Repatriation and Relief Agency of the Ministry of Health and Welfare was in charge of demobilization operations in Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Chiba, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Shizuoka and Nagano prefectures.
The “Hikawa Maru” and “Soya,” which are still preserved today, are also active as demobilized ships under the jurisdiction of the Yokosuka District Demobilization Bureau.
The “Uraga Repatriation Relief Bureau” was in charge of relief and quarantine operations for repatriates from November 1945 to May 1947. From May 1947, the “Repatriation Relief Agency Yokohama Relief Station” (renamed the Repatriation Relief Agency Relief Bureau Yokohama Relief Station in 1947) was established. The Repatriation Agency was abolished on July 11, 1955, and its operations were taken over by the “Yokohama Quarantine Station.
On March 29, 1946, cholera broke out on board a repatriation ship from Canton, China, and the ship arrived at the port of Uraga on April 5, 1946, with the outbreak spreading. The ship arrived at the port of Uraga on April 5, and was quarantined at sea.
The Uraga Repatriation and Relief Bureau establishes a “Cholera Quarantine Headquarters” and continues quarantine of repatriated vessels coming from China and Vietnam. 20 vessels anchor offshore for quarantine, and the number of quarantined patients reaches 70,000. Although there was a shortage of food and drinking water for patients and others, facilities and sanitary materials were rapidly improved, and by May 4 of the same year, the quarantined people on the anchored vessels were able to come ashore.
The number of contaminated ships in Uraga Port numbered 22, with 483 patients (including 72 deaths), 191 carriers, and 345 pseudo-patients.
The Uraga Quarantine Station of the Uraga Repatriation and Relief Bureau utilized the site of the former Navy Anti-Submarine School.
From the archives, 1978: 'Star Wars' star Mark Hamill visits Yokosuka alma mater | Stars and Stripes
This article first appeared in the Stars and Stripes Pacific edition, June 19, 1978. It is republished unedited in its original form.
YOKOSUKA NB, Japan — Mark Hamill, a shooting star success in the futuristic fantasy film, "Star Wars," rode a helicopter instead of a space vehicle Friday and flew straight into the nostalgic past. Hamill was picked up by a Navy chopper in Tokyo and landed near Nile C. Kinnick High School at Yokosuka NB, where he was hailed by Principal Douglas M. Spaulding as the school's most distinguished graduate. Less than a decade after picking up his diploma at Kinnick, Hamill is better known worldwide as Luke Skywalker, the intrepid hero who turns back intergalactic invaders in a film as successful as the 26-year-old actor himself.
That, Hamill said as he toured his alma mater and a Navy destroyer, was just part of the story. Spending his high school years in Yokohama, where his father was Navy Exchange officer, Hamill told of leaving Kinnick in 1969 and heading for Los Angeles, where he started on the bottom rung of show business and slowly fought his way up. All during his last student years, Hamill related, he had secretly aspired to an acting career and did his best to background himself. He took parts in several school plays, worked in the audio-visual department and was a member of the drama club. He also picked up poise and confidence as president of the student council during his senior year. King for a day at Yokosuka, Hamill was modest and quiet-spoken about it all, dwelling on the lean, slow years instead of his sudden success.
"I became a professional interviewee and auditioner," Hamill said, relating that it took 130 interviews before he landed his first part — a two-line bit on Bill Cosby's show. There were 73 more roles, little more than flashing vignettes, before he landed the big one in the film that has grossed $216 million and surpassed "Jaws" as the most successful movie in history. Hamill returned to Japan on a kind of business trip — a publicity junket for the July 1 opening of "Star Wars" in Tokyo and Osaka. But he wasn't above a sentimental detour to his old campus, where he shook hands, signed autographs and recalled some happy — sometimes mischievous — days at Kinnick.
At an assembly in the Teen Club, Hamill told how he and several other seniors violated a curfew on prom night and wound up in Shore Patrol headquarters — in tuxedos and formals. He had once tried out as a lifeguard, but Special Services thought a youngster only 5-foot-7 would be miscast. But they let him sit at the edge of the yacht basin and dive in after anybody who fell overboard.
Hamill called himself "a plain Joe whose main hobby was girl hounding." While he kissed 18-year-old Melanie Shriver, a Kinnick graduate of a few weeks ago, Hamill showed no signs of backsliding into his old ways. He was traveling with his girlfriend, Marilou York, who kept a hawkish eye on him all the way. Hamill also toured the destroyer Hammond, patiently scrawling his signature many times for a mob of adoring kids — some of whom wore "Star Wars" T-shirts. All the while, he appeared to be taking sudden fame in stride — definitely not one of the affected performers who is "on" all the time. But he did confide that this appearance was a bit too public. "One day soon," he said, "I'm going to don dark glasses and slip in here unnoticed to visit my old home." But that likely won't be soon. Hamill was to leave Monday for Ireland where he'll co-star with Lee Marvin in a war film, "The Big Red One." And, he told youngsters at the assembly, there will be a sequel to "Star Wars."
“Sukajan”: Yokosuka and the Roots of Japan’s Dazzling Bomber Jackets | Nippon.com
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Intricately embroidered silk bomber jackets first appeared in Yokosuka in the postwar years and quickly gained popularity as souvenirs among US servicemen stationed in the area. Blending Japanese artistry and American fashion, sukajan continue to win fans at home and abroad. We visited Dobuita Street, the birthplace of the iconic jackets.
Yokosuka Original
Emblazoned with intricately embroidered images of fierce tigers, glowering hawks, smoldering dragons, and myriad other creatures, Japan’s iconic satin bomber jackets are eye-catching items. Known as sukajan, their distinct designs—an amalgam of Japanese and American fashion—have garnered generations of loyal fans and inspired versions by the likes of Louis Vuitton and Gucci.
Sukajan have evolved to become their own fashion genre, but their roots can be traced back to a shopping arcade in the Honchō district of Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture. It was along Dobuita Street, which sits at the doorstep of a major US naval base, that “Yokosuka jumpers”—later shortened to sukajan—first appeared in the early postwar period.
During the prewar period, Yokosuka, which is located on the shores of Tokyo Bay just south of Yokohama, housed shipyards and other facilities vital to the Imperial Japanese Navy. After World War II, the Allied Forces took control of the site, and today it is home to several important US Navy installations. In the postwar years, the US military presence attracted an array of businesses, from tailors to souvenir stands to restaurants, that set up shop along a 300-meter stretch just off the main highway, transforming it into a thriving shopping arcade.
Amid this bustling commercial atmosphere, jackets by local tailors decorated with ornately embroidered pictures caught the eyes of US military personnel stationed in Yokosuka. “Sailors and soldiers would take them home as souvenirs of Japan,” explains Hitomoto Kazuyoshi, proprietor of the sukajan specialty shop Mikasa, which first opened its doors on Dobuita Street in 1950.
Hitomoto together with jacket designer Yokochi Hiromichi founded the Dobuita-dōri Sukajan Club, a local group dedicated to preserving the history of the jackets. Over the years the pair have collected vintage sukajan and embroidered items from around Japan and overseas, displaying part of their collection at the shopping arcade’s information center.
Exotic Embroidery
Hitomoto explains that almost from the start of the US occupation, soldiers and sailors eagerly sought out traditional Japanese designs to personalize jackets and other items. “It was popular at first to sew on embroidered badges,” he says. “As the fad picked up steam, people began ordering customized jackets boasting intricately stitched designs.” Popular motifs included Japanese-styled tigers and dragons along with American symbols like the Stars and Stripes and bald eagles. Recognizing the business opportunity, local entrepreneurs started offering jackets geared toward the GI clientele at souvenir shops.
Yokochi has a number of these vintage jackets in his collection that he says illustrate the imagination and expertise of the designers. One from 1949 features a motif incorporating Mount Fuji, the US flag, and bald eagles. “The customer likely asked for a simple design that included Mount Fuji and a bald eagle,” he explains. “But the maker took creative license and produced something amazing.” Yokochi notes that there are examples of embroidered souvenir jackets from other countries, but that Japan’s sukajan stood out for their quality and designs.
Early makers of sukajan took to using yokofuri embroidery, a traditional technique employed to stitch intricate patterns into kimono and sashes. Using specially built sewing machines with leg and foot levers to control sewing speed and the width of stitches, they moved the fabric under the needle to effectively “draw” the pictures with thread, producing images with depth and detail that American soldiers found irresistible.
Many well-known artisans skilled in the yokofuri embroidery plied their trade on Dobuita Street—one such veteran, Matsuzaka Ryōichi, still runs the order-made sukajan store First Shop, although he is now in his nineties. However, Hitomoto notes that most were located in Kiryū to the north in Gunma Prefecture, a town with a long history of producing high-quality textiles. Kiryū became a major producer of embroidered jackets in the 1950s, and today continues to make limited-production, high-end items.
Along with their eye-catching designs, sukajan drew fans for their use of silky, satin-weave materials made from semi-synthetic fibers like rayon and acetate, which were readily available in Japan. Sukajan were similar in design to American bomber and varsity jackets. But while these were typically made from wool or leather, sukajan presented glossy sheens, which Yokochi suggests appealed to American servicemen’s liking for silk. “Japanese silk items were popular souvenirs,” he explains, “so it makes sense that they found the satin sheen of sukajan similarly alluring.”
Some sources even suggest that early jackets utilized silk salvaged from surplus US military parachutes, but the chaotic environment that dominated the immediate postwar period makes this claim hard to verify. While there might be a kernel of truth to the story, it is more likely a tale that early vendors concocted as part of their sales pitch to customers.
From Souvenir to Fashion Statement
From the 1960s, sukajan steadily infiltrated the Japanese fashion scene, particularly among Japanese youth influenced by American trends in clothing. The jackets came to be associated with the rough-and-tumble crowd in part through Imamura Shōhei’s 1961 film Buta to gunkan (Pigs and Battleships), which is set in Dobuita Street and features a young gangster sporting a sukajan. This rebellious image deepened when several well-known rock bands of the day took to wearing the jackets.
Hitomoto says that around this time, his shop Mikasa switched from selling souvenirs to US servicemen to catering mainly to Japanese clients. Today the store boasts a clientele spanning all ages and nationalities. Yokochi explains that the once rebellious image of sukajan has faded over time, and that today people from all walks of life have embraced the jackets purely from a fashion standpoint.
While sukajan are enjoying greater interest than ever, Hitomoto and Yokochi are concerned that Dobuita Street’s connection to the jackets is in peril of being lost in the buzz. Sukajan emblazed with “Japan” and “Yokosuka” were once common sights, but shoppers today can browse a multitude of designs online that give no hint to the origins and history behind the garments. When major fashion brands started coming out with their own lines, the pair knew that something had to be done.
Local retailers have joined forces with city officials to promote Yokosuka and Dobuita Street as the birthplace of sukajan. Their efforts have won support of fans, many of whom now only purchase authentic Yokosuka jackets.
Along with initiatives like collecting and displaying vintage items, Hitomoto and Yokochi are tapping into technology with the aim of building a lasting legacy for sukajan. The duo are considering making one-of-a-kind jackets that incorporate NFTs (non-fungible tokens), unique cryptographic tokens based on blockchain technology. The “NFT sukajan” represents a combination of real-world jackets and virtual design.
Together with local retailers and fans, the pair are committed to preserving the history of Dobuita Street and sukajan for future generations.
There are three main attractions for sightseeing in Yokosuka.
The first is that you can experience the history and culture of Japan’s modern navy. Yokosuka has many spots where you can feel the history of the former Japanese Navy, such as Mikasa Park, where the battleship Mikasa that was active in the Battle of Japan Sea is on display, and Kannonzaki Lighthouse, Japan’s oldest Western-style lighthouse. There are also tours that allow you to see Maritime Self-Defense Force ships and aircraft up close, allowing you to experience the latest technology while enjoying the impressiveness of these vessels.
Second, you can enjoy the beautiful nature. In Yokosuka, you can enjoy the coastline facing Tokyo Bay and the rich nature of the Miura Peninsula. Sarushima is an uninhabited island floating in Tokyo Bay. The ruins of former army and navy forts that have been incorporated into nature are a sight to behold. In addition, Akiya’s Tateishi Coast is a scenic spot with Mt. Fuji and huge rocks.
The third is gourmet. Yokosuka is home to a naval base, so Western food culture has taken root there. Yokosuka Navy Burger is a hamburger that originated in Yokosuka and is popular for its filling and filling taste. Yokosuka Navy Curry is also famous. Yokosuka is a city that has lived together with the navy and has been a place with ties to the navy. It is said that the origins of curry and rice becoming popular in households can be traced back to the former Japanese Navy. Each restaurant in Yokosuka sells its original Yokosuka Navy Curry, and we recommend eating it while walking around.
Near the U.S. Navy Yokosuka Base is Dobuita Street, a shopping street with a unique atmosphere that fuses American and Japanese culture, and is home to a variety of shops, including military shops, American goods stores, and Sukajan specialty stores. It is connected. There are many restaurants and bars with an American atmosphere, so you can fully enjoy the exotic atmosphere.
Through a Quality Based Selection in 2002, which was the first trial run by the city of Yokosuka as a Japanese municipality, we were chosen to plan a museum. The design started from scratch, and was developed through discussions with many people, including museum curators, for over 2 years.
Facing the sea to the north and surrounded by mountains, the site has the valley topography typical of Yokosuka. We buried most of the architectural volume in the ground to create a museum in communication with the natural landscape. The interior space is planned as nested boxes: the edge part is for open public facilities such as restaurants and workshop rooms; the central part is for sensitive facilities for exhibition and collection. This system solves the severe environmental problems associated with the seaside site.
DVIDS - News - CFAY Joins in Celebrating the Return of the Yokosuka Mikoshi Parade (dvidshub.net)
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(29 October 2023)
Downtown Yokosuka came alive with tradition and jubilation on Sunday, October 29, as the 44th Yokosuka Mikoshi Parade made its long-awaited return to Chuo Odori, also known as Blue Street. Among the participants was the mikoshi from Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY), marking a significant presence in this time-honored event.
This year’s parade was particularly special, not only for its storied history but also because the beloved event had been on hiatus for four years. The streets buzzed with excitement as thousands of local community members and visitors converged to witness the spectacle.
Volunteers from CFAY proudly took their place alongside 43 other teams in the parade. While some teams hoisted ornate mikoshi on their shoulders, others showcased their talents, playing taiko drums and other traditional Japanese musical instruments. The synchronized beats of the drums, combined with the sights of the mikoshi, created an atmosphere that was both electric and nostalgic.
Dmitry Kaminsky, a volunteer who helped hoist the CFAY mikoshi, said the experience was unforgettable. “It was such an amazing experience for me to participate in while in Japan, and one I will not forget. Coming together from different commands and building a team while also being part of the larger group of mikoshi teams allowed us to further build the community amongst all of us in Yokosuka. It was a huge honor to participate in a tradition that honors and celebrates Japanese culture. I definitely look forward to participating in future joint celebrations here in Japan.”
Mikoshi parades have deep roots in Japanese culture, traditionally believed to transport deities between shrines during religious festivals. Parading the mikoshi is both a form of entertainment and a sacred ritual, signifying the sharing of divine blessings with the community. For Yokosuka, this parade has also been a symbol of unity and cultural exchange, especially with the presence of CFAY and other international participants.
For CFAY, participating in the parade was not just about representing the U.S. Navy but also about strengthening the bond between the U.S. military and the Japanese community.
Events like these underscore the mutual respect and friendship fostered over the years.
“Participating in this parade is very important to our bilateral relationship between CFAY and the City of Yokosuka,” Kaminsky said. “It highlights our friendship between the two and signifies that we are all together as one team, participating in traditions together and making history together.”
The parade’s four-year absence made this year’s event all the more sentimental. Past participants and first-timers alike felt the weight of the occasion and the sense of community spirit needed to ensure a parade like this was successful.
“It was not possible to hold the event for three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so organizations that carry the local mikoshi were looking forward to this parade being held for the first time in four years,” said Yuji Yasuda of the Yokosuka Tourism Association. “We were able to hold the event successfully because of everyone’s cooperation.”
Mikoshi parades are also regional and sometimes national tourist attractions, where local neighborhoods, groups, and organizations can display their pride and spirit for all to see.
While Yokosuka City is already a popular tourist location, the parade is the perfect opportunity to visit and see the city up close.
“Recently, the number of visitors to Yokosuka City for sightseeing from other areas has been increasing,” Yosuda said. “The Yokosuka Mikoshi Parade, while held as a local community event, also turns out to be a great tourist attraction.”
An estimated 40,000 community members, visitors, and tourists passed through Blue Street during the celebration. As the celebration drew to a close, the sounds of taiko drums faded, and the mikoshi were returned to their resting places.
Still, the memories of the 44th Yokosuka Mikoshi Parade will remain. For many, it was a day of reconnection — with tradition, community, and each other.
For members of the CFAY community, the parade is an annual tradition that they circle on their calendars that will continue to bring joy, cultural exchange, and a shared community spirit to the streets of Yokosuka for many years to come, reaffirming the ties that bind them together.
For more than 75 years, CFAY has provided, maintained, and operated base facilities and services in support of the U.S. 7th Fleet’s forward-deployed naval forces, tenant commands, and thousands of military and civilian personnel and their families.
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YOKOSUKA, Kanagawa Prefecture--Mayor Katsuaki Kamiji readily admits he is hopeless at English, but that hasn’t deterred him from addressing the city’s many foreign residents in that language.
He is able to do that courtesy of a video of an avatar created with artificial intelligence in April that is posted on the Yokosuka city government website.
It is the first such attempt by a local government in Japan.
Confessing that he is “basically unable to converse in English,” Kamiji watched his avatar talking fluently in English.
“I was impressed because I felt as if I, myself, was speaking,” he said. “This will surely pluck at viewers’ heartstrings.”
Kamiji has good reason to want to get his message across in English as the city is home to the Yokosuka Naval Base, where thousands of U.S. personnel are based.
The mayor is seeking to impart important information in English, for example, if a natural disaster strikes.
Eventually, Kamiji hopes to convey local information in fluent English at his news conferences with the assistance of his computerized representation created by generative AI.
As of May, the city government said there will be a time lag of 10 days or so from when Kamiji gives a news conference to until the AI version is shared on the city’s official YouTube channel in English.
Officials said the primary aim of the exercise is to beef up the municipality’s ability to convey messages to the city’s many non-Japanese residents in a language they understand. The issue takes on heightened urgency in view of the heavy U.S. naval presence.
To make the postings appear more authentic, footage of the mayor talking in Japanese will be inputted so AI can better grasp his appearance, way of speaking, mannerisms and voice quality to complete his CG alter ego.
The avatar’s facial expressions and English language will reflect the emotions in the Japanese words and speak in a voice almost identical to his. The avatar’s mouth will move as if he was actually speaking English.
“We plan to use the system to convey not only information on disaster preparedness and emergencies but also message of peace to the rest of the world,” a city official said.
