Charles and Mieko traveled back to Yokosuka, Japan during the month of July 2002. While Mieko had been back several times since Charles' last assignment there with the Navy, this was the first time back for Charles since 1979. The changes in the City of Yokosuka and on the Naval Base was quite remarkable. We made a trip to Oyabi, south of Yokosuka, where we lived in a rented house for about a year and could not find the house. We came to the conclusion that supports for the Yokosuka-Yokohama Expressway made cause for the house and others to be removed. Then on Base, we could not find the house that we had on B Street. The photographs in this web site will show why.
The photograph at left was not taken at Yokosuka but at Kamakura. A little known temple in a city of many temples and shrines. The bamboo and other garden plants were particularly beautiful and I want to share this photo with those visiting this site.
The photos presented here are in the order taken. Some are rather ordinary and perhaps meaningless. You, the viewer, have a choice as to what to look at, if any. All the small images will enlarge with a left click. To get back to the page from which you came, click on your browser “Back” button. These images may be down loaded for personal use such as desktop wallpaper. All images are copyrighted to Charles R. Simon, November 2002 and may not be distributed.
This was taken from the hill above Shioiri train station, that was the station behind the old Club Alliance. The tall building on the left with the funny top is the Prince Hotel and the other condos. Look closely between these two buildings in the enlarged view and you will see some very tall buildings which are in Yokohama.
Some Scenes of Yokosuka city.
Before getting to the photos from inside the Base, a few words about just outside the Base along Route 16. The enlisted men's club, Club Alliance, was located on this street. It was a famous club among the enlisted, loaded with lots of entertainment features. The Club itself was relocated to a newly constructed building that staddle the Main Gate. By that I mean it is accessible from both inside the Base and outside. With the Club relocated and the building demolished, the area was opened for the Prince Hotel and the high rise condo building.
In the first image below I was standing about directly across from where the old Club Alliance was looking back toward the gate. There is still some on going construction on the left of the street. The next three images are the condo and Prince Hotel directly across the street. Where the street made a swing to the right as one travel away from the Base, there is now a mall on the Base side of the street.
The anchor store is Daiei. You will see from these three images that Yokosuka has gone up scale. The Daiei Duck greets you on entering the building. Upstairs and to the right is a court where I stayed (it had pretty good air conditioning) and listened to some singers perform.
Downtown Yokosuka on Mikasa Street has taken on a new look. My impression was that the City of Yokosuka has come into a lot money. It is very nice and it is clean. The streets are bordered with pavers, the pavement is of a recycled material that has blue and white chips. The streets have nice trees.
Scenes of the Yokosuka Naval Base
This is the new Club Alliance at the main gate. It is open below the part that juts out to the right and all walking enter and exit the Base. The guards US, Navy not Marine, and Japanese are stationed about half way back. The gate itself was shifted to align with the street across Route 16. To us old timers that gives a different look but it is a more logical intersection.
I had occasion to go through this gate about 7 p.m. just before we left to come home. It was either a Friday or Saturday night. The foot traffic entering and leaving the Base was amazing. Very busy with many talking on cell phones. There were even a couple of sailors pulling a wheeled cooler, with Special Services written on it, that was about the size of four six packs. A very different time from when I was in the Navy.
The Kitty Hawk, CV-63. This is what the Navy is all about. First carrier I had seen up close since we left Hawaii in 1983. A beautiful ship! It made me proud to have once been part of the Navy. She was tied up at the wharf opposite to where the carriers parked during the 1960's and 1970's. This wharf was on the side where Ship Repair Facility is as opposed to the other side nearest Navy Supply Depot.
All these next photographs were taken on a self initiated walking tour and it was a very, very hot morning. Unbelievably hot!!
First image -- a parking garage! This one was near the Ship Repair Facility but probably sited to serve the crew of the Kitty Hawk. Very much a surprise to see but I think I counted three others.
First image above was taken from a small park area along where some private boats would tie up. To my back would have been in my days there the Disbursing Office. Back in the early 1960's there was a drive-in here where milk shakes and fried chicken could be bought. Looking across the water is where the BOQ was. A very nice location for officers' quarters.
Immediately to the right of this first image would be the hospital grounds. The second image is of the new hospital. The Officers' Club is also located in this area; however, I did not go there.
The next two images are of Kinnick High School. This new school is built almost on the same spot as where the old school was located.
Now here is where I start having a bad feelings about what was done to the Base. The image to the left has the Navy Exchange on the far left and the Commissary is close by with high rise housing dominant in the picture. These high rises are located where the officers' residential area of B and C Street was in up until this construction took place. The area was all duplex housing with lots of trees many of which were cherry trees.
The image to the right is almost a duplicate of the last one. The inviting friendly atmosphere of the old housing as been replaced with sterile look alike high rises packing families with children in confined hot with no shade concrete buildings. One or two of the parking garages that I saw were located in this area. During my walking tour the only ground level housing that I saw were duplex and were occupied by Captains and Colonels. The single units on top of the hill were still there and probably assigned to the same positions. While I was a part of the transformation of the Base, I am sorry, but I do not feel that it is an place I would want to live again.
Going on, the photograph on the left is Sullivan School. I do not share the same feelings for the schools as I do the housing. Both schools, at least from the outside, are a big improvement over those they replaced.
The Public Works Center, Building F-60, has had a face lift, new exterior finish, new windows and doors. For the first time in all my trips to Japan, I decided that Cathy Suzuki would not be inside therefore there would be no one there that I that I knew. I indeed was getting old. I later confirmed that Cathy had retired and was living somewhere in the area.
Reuniting With Friends
It is always good to see old friends when you visit someplace after a long absence. All three of the women below I first met the last day or so of 1960. It so happened that I married one on them. Those reading this who know me will know which one I married.
Mine-san, left image, spent a career working in the offices of the Officer in Charge of Construction Far East. She became the senior contract specialist. Middle image, Mieko and Mine-san after a very nice lunch somewhere south of Yokosuka. Right image, Kazuko-san and Mieko at Hachiman Shrine in Kamakura. Amazingly, Kazuko-san has not changed. She too spent a career in OICC Far East in program management.
I opened with a morning shot looking toward Yokohama, I close with this one in the evening.
An interesting web site by the City of Yokosuka
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