Mamonzan Cemetery Monuments (1)

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Discover Yokosuka 横須賀奥旨: 馬門山墓地　Mamonzan Cemetery　　 (deepyokosuka.blogspot.com)

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The Imperial Japanese Navy warship KAWACHI was Japan's first dreadnought battleship of 20,800 tons displacement, built at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal in 1902. 

On July 12, 1918, she sank off the coast of Tokuyama, Yamaguchi Prefecture, due to an explosion in her powder magazine.  This was the year after the explosion and sinking of the battleship TSUKUBA. 

The monument was erected in February 1919, the following year, and was inscribed by Gita Masaki, who was the captain of the Kawachi at the time of the sinking and later became a Vice Admiral in the Navy.

Around the pedestal are inscribed the names and ranks of the missing among those who lost their lives.

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This monument is a memorial to the 152 lost crewmembers of the Imperial Japanese Navy warship TSUKUBA, which sank near Hakozaki in Yokosuka Naval Port on January 14, 1917.  The monument was erected in April 1919.

TSUKUBA was a cruiser battleship completed at the Kure Naval Arsenal in 1905, and was a large ship with 12-inch guns and a 13,750-ton displacement (Japan's first 10,000-ton class).  She sank due to an explosion in the powder magazine.

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Japan Imperial Navy "Special Mission Vessel" KANTO was originally a Russian naval vessel captured during the Russo-Japanese War. 

On December 9, 1924, she left Kure Military Port to transport supplies to Maizuru, but on December 12, due to a storm, she struck Futaguri Rock on the Nunaura coast of Fukui Prefecture, ran aground, and sank. 

It is said that 96 or 97 crewmembers were killed in the disaster.  Sixty-eight pillars are enshrined in this monument, which was erected in April 1925.

Regarding the KANTO disaster, a cenotaph has been erected in a memorail park in Kono Village, Nanjo-gun, Fukui Prefecture, where the ship was lost.  Additionally, a monument “Special Mission Vessel KANTO Distress Site” has been erected on the Nunaura Beach in the same village.  A “Monument for the Victims of the Special Mission Vessel KANTO” was also erected at the Maizuru Naval Cemetery.

The "Army Pier" in Uraga

Army Pier (Nishi-Uraga Harbor Green Space)

This wharf conveys a sense of history under the name of "Army Pier".  It is now a gathering place for fishing/anglers.

A commemorative marker reads as follows:

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This coastline area is the maritime gateway to the port of Uraga and is an important spot in the history of the city.

The L-shaped wharf, commonly known as the "Army Pier", was built during the 1930s.

After the end of the Pacific War, hundreds of thousands of Japanese repatriates from the overseas areas landed at this pier, marking their first step back home.

This area was also the location of a ship guard station, a main office operating under the Uraga Magistrate's Office, which was established in 1721.  It was a checkpoint/ barrier where the crew and cargo of all ships entering and leaving Edo Bay were inspected.  Those inspections were conducted to stabilize the Edo economy, and also contributed to the prosperity of the port city of Uraga.

Note: This harbor green space was developed as part of an environmental improvement project by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

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