Great Generals of Japan: Miura Osuke Yoshiaki

(Art by: Utagawa Yoshikazu 1858 (Ansei 5))

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Miura Yoshiaki was a warrior who was a lord of Kinugasa Castle at Miura county of Sagami Province (current Yokosuka City) during the late of Heian period. 

In 1180, when the surviving child of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, Minamoto no Yoritomo raised his army, Yoshiaki decided to join Yoritomo’s army and raised his army constructed by his whole clan. However soon after he left the Kinugasa Castle, news that Yoritomo was defeated at the battle of Ishibashi-yama arrived, then Yoshiaki returned to his castle and fought from the castle. 

However, soon the army of the enemy led by Hatakeyama Shigetada attacked this castle. Yoshiaki fought back desperately with all of his army, but soon the situation turned bad and all the arrows to shoot the enemy were running out. Then he decided to die by protecting the castle, after he let his clan to escape to the Awa Province. 

He died when he was 89 years old. 

During Edo period, he was known as a veteran with the righteous and compassionate personality. 

The poetry on the background is “When you are old, and you have already attended upon your master for a long time, think of his master in the same way as you think of your children ”.

The Dockyard That Drove Japan’s Modernization

Metal One Corporation / METAL CULTURE / Yokosuka Works [Yokosuka]

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The Yokosuka Iron Works was the largest construction project in the final years of the Edo Period (1603–1868), and powered the modernization of Japan. Built 150 years ago, it incorporated a dockyard that now serves as part of a U.S. Navy base.

Admiral Perry came to Japan in 1853 and forced the Edo Shogunate to open the country to the outside world. This revealed the nation’s relative lack of strength compared to other countries, so the shogunate hastily began to build up its military. The shogunate planned the construction of a modern dockyard to build warships, and put Commissioner of Finance Oguri Tadamasa (who was also the assistant governor of Kozuke Province, equivalent to present-day Gunma Prefecture) in charge of the project.

Oguri was a member of an 1860 delegation the shogunate sent to the United States. He was astonished by the high level of steelworks and metalworking technology at the Washington Navy Yard, and reportedly took a screw back with him. Upon his return, he was ordered to construct the dockyard. He sought help from the United States, but that country was embroiled in the American Civil War, so he enlisted the cooperation of France instead. French engineer Léonce Verny visited Japan and helped choose the Port of Yokosuka for the site due to its deep waters.

In 1865, the shogunate gave the dockyard the name Yokosuka Iron Works, since it would be used to process iron. In 1871, construction was completed on Dry Dock 1. Before World War II, six docks had been built. “Ogura and the other officials at the time were very good at what they did,” says Yokosuka City Museum Curator Katsuhiro Kikuchi with admiration. “Rather than leaving the construction of the dockyard up to France, they went to Europe themselves and procured the necessary equipment and human resources, employing several different languages. What they did was much like the job of an employee at a modern trading company.” A steam hammer imported at that time has been preserved at the Verny Commemorative Museum.

The Yokosuka Iron Works was known for its shipbuilding technology as well as its human resource development, and had a major impact on Japanese engineering research. It also served as an integrated mill, and manufactured things like the Kannonzaki Lighthouse, Japan’s first Western-style lighthouse, and mining equipment for the Ikuno Silver Mine. It achieved a world-class level of technology, such as manufacturing things like the aircraft carrier Shinano in 1940, the largest such craft in the world at the time. The Yokosuka Iron Works laid the foundation for Japan’s development as a technological powerhouse, and was the starting point for manufacturing that continues to this day.

Designer Manhole Covers...?

DVIDS - News - NAVFAC, PWD Introduce CFAY Designer Manhole Cover

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Yokosuka’s Naval Facilities, or NAVFAC, Far East unveiled a designer manhole cover last week carrying on a modern Japanese tradition that’s grown in popularity over the last 50 years.

The Public Works Department Production Team fashioned the cover after the Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka command crest with the hiragana for “osui,” or sewage, near the cover’s edge.

Satomi Furuno is a Production Control Specialist at NAVFAC. She said her team believe the manhole covers are a good item to help build deeper relationships within the community because it can go beyond language barriers and cultural differences. It was also fun project.

The covers being replaced were nearing the end of their service life and “NAVFAC was looking for a manufacturer who could provide products in a timely manner,” Furuno said.

“I knew that designer manhole covers were very popular in Japan because my sister-in-law enjoys collecting cards of manhole covers produced by Japanese cities and had actually gone out to take pictures of them,” Furuno said.

Japan’s designer manhole covers began in Okinawa’s Naha City in 1977. The covers were crafted with “happy fish in water that had been cleaned by the new sewer system,” according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan article. The initiative promoted the infrastructure’s installation and helped to bring awareness to the sewage system’s need. Other cities soon followed and, by 1981, city government’s added fluorescent and reflective paints to the covers for safety and aesthetics. Today, it’s estimated more than 90-percent of Japan’s municipalities maintain at least one designer manhole cover.

The customized covers have become more elaborate over the years and highlight the area’s claim to fame. They feature castles, local crops, sports teams, anime characters, ancient battles, and anything else imaginable. They’ve become so entrenched in Japanese society, that there are enthusiasts – like Furuno’s sister-in-law – who travel the country to visit each one and build large photo galleries in their phones. These hobbyists are called “manholers” and many local governments have taken notice. Cities will occasionally retire manhole covers and auction them off to collectors interested in owning a heavy piece of local culture. National organizations devoted to the metal art coordinate annual conventions. In Kansai, a region famous for raising wagyu cattle, it’s possible to find vendors at festivals who grill steaks on replica covers to sear the street ornament’s unique patterns on each cut.

NAVFAC and Public Works plan to install at least three of the colorized manhole covers outdoors “somewhere around the Main Gate and Kosano Park,” Furuno said.

The monochromatic versions will be installed at random and finding them will be like an “Easter Egg Hunt around base,” she said.

The one that was first installed is in a spot that is about as random as possible on Main Base. The monochromatic version of CFAY's designer manhole cover is tucked away behind the Yokosuka Base Water Treatment Plant on the edge of Mitscher Street, and down a narrow side street only accessible via E Street.

The installation's Public Works Officer, Cmdr. Tyler Scharar, said that he hopes the covers can "help deepen the our relationship with our neighbors in Yokosuka City."

"Fleet Activities Yokosuka Public Works Department is proud to bring this Japanese cultural tradition to our base for the enjoyment and enrichment of our 26,000 tenants and visitors," he said. "This effort was led by our PWD Japanese teammates who are totally committed to the success of the U.S. Navy and the many Sailors and families who get to call Yokosuka their home."

Port Market

Yokosuka Port Market a foodie paradise in Japan | Stripes Japan

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(October 26, 2024)

If you are on or around Yokosuka Naval Base and looking for a pleasant local food experience or some nice souvenirs for your friends, head to the Yokosuka Port Market. 

The market reopened in October after two years of renovation and is only a short 7-minute walk from Yokosuka Naval Base’s Womble Gate. Shoppers are treated to a one-stop-shopping experience with many shops selling fresh produce and other groceries from Miura Peninsula. Grab some seasonal local vegetables, fresh seafood, meat and other souvenirs. 

Head to the spacious food court area for a nice lunch with a splendid view of Tokyo Gulf and Sarushima Island. 

Hungry? Sample the “Miura Fish Bowl” packed with local tuna, yellowtail, sea bream and horse mackerel sashimi for 1,800 yen ($12). Another must-try is the Tokyo Bay Fisherman’s Noodle with clam broth for 950 yen. Drop by the Yokosuka Beer Taproom for some great craft beer and roasted meats from the Butcher’s Table. Other stars include Buoscano’s lasagna and a soft serve from Yokosuka Gelato Factory. 

Shop some of the great souvenirs like t-shirts, baseball caps and Yokosuka Navy Curry pouches at the Yokosuka Souvenir Shop. 

Make plans to check out the new Yokosuka Port Market for your own pleasant local food experience!