Yokohama Navy Exchange was where?

Bill..I've read your posting to and from some others and thru you...I have located my Lighthouse Kiddergarten...OMG!! Memories of childhood...My mother is Japanes and Father was/is always a Marine and to see the pic of memories in Japan....really cool and I'm passing it along to brighten up spirits in my family.......Thankyou...thankyou......TB

Hey!
So glad you were able to light the memory fires like the rest of us. I assume you found the http://www.yohidevils.net web site and looked at all the interesting info. I regret that I did not stumble on to the page until this year. It has been evolving since 1996. I was 9 and 10 years old when I lived in Japan and I don't remember the names of many people, but I do remember where I went to school and where I lived.

Hi, Yes my father was Commander of Maint and Supply Far East. Spent most of his time going back and forth to Korea and Viet Nam at that time.

Sorry it's taken so long to reply. The last name was Staley. I was there from 7th through 9th grades. I spent every Sunday of my 8th grade year horseback riding at Camp Fuchinobe. Of course, there were always the free summer activities--tennis and photography for me. I spent time with Susan Swigart, Mary Stevens, Ernie Moody, Nancy De Smet, Pat Duffy, Sarah Conover, and Jane Wilkinson.

How can I draw a visual map? Looking straight down on the housing activity, the high school (Yokohama High or YoHi as we called it was locatedon your left, then the teen club then the L shaped exchange complax. Walking from the high school to the exchance,the Navy exchange was on your left, the parking lot was on the right. there was a cafeteria at the corner of the L, then were some small stores I don't remember and at the end of the L was the bowling alley. I have tons of pics, but they are packed away in the basement. The School waslocated at the bottom of the hill where the officers families lived. My Dad was a Master Chief stationed out of Yokosuka on both the Providence and the Oklahoma City. We lived around the hill on the other side. There was a big street we had to cross to get to the enlisted mens club and the swimming pool. I remember swimming all summer and the Japanese kids who had to go to school all year would watch us having fun in the sun while they had to wear the (wool?) heavy black uniforms. Yohi colors were red and white and we were the Yohi devils :o)

YoHi was Nile C kennick , same school but we never called it Nile C. Kennick, lol would YOU?

Hey Sharon:
I still have my membership card to the Neet Nac Club. Its in a collection of stuff from that era (1951-1961)...
We went across on MSTS ships six times; two weeks each voyage.
In my time, the PX complex had a two story American style department store, the commissary, bowling alley, snack bar sandwitch shop, a 12 chair barber shop and movie theater called "The Bill Chickering". I think there was a liquor store in there somewhere...
When the Navy took over Yokohama in about '59, all the Army names were taken down and Navy names put in their place. Nile Kennick was a navy flyer lost in early WW II. He was an Iowa native and played football at Iowa.
Regards,

Kominato crossing, just across the street from the Yamate Police Station.

I found this site as I was doing some research online for a website I'm making for the Ricksha Room. A lot of the names like the Zebra Club are familiar to me from stories my father used to tell me. There are still a few people here in Yokohama who remember the '50s and '60s. If anyone is passing through Japan for a nostalgia tour, I can make some recommendations. e

Are you in Yokohama now?

http://www.j-area2.com/hama/honmoku/ricksharoom.html

I was stationed in Yokohama 1980-82, first lived in bayside and remember all the sites. I worked out at North Pier for Sealift Command. For years I've tried to locate some of my Japanese friends who all lived around the Heights area. I am especially interested in finding any information on my first true love, Miko Higo, who lived in the apartments near the back gate of the Heights, the name of the building was called Oshibadai Mansion, thats phonetic. I remember a Half greek/japanese friend whose parents owned that apartment building, I believe she modeled for a time. Any help or ideas would be fantastic. Nice trip down memory lane reading all the posts.

Hello all,
I stumbled across this site while looking for old photos of the Honmoku area. I'm living there now (previously Area 2, near the Sannotani bus stop) through the end of 2007.

Its' been interesting to read your posts about this area and the thing that amazes me is how completely the US influence has vanished from this area since it was returned to Japanese control (in the mid 80's if I have my history right).

If any of you have questions about what's in the neighborhood now, please post them here and I'll try my best to answer them.

Cheers

Just saw your note...

We lived at #91 Sannotani through 1961. It was a rented house with a cement slab fence around the yard.

What's there now?

Tnx,

Eric

My father was stationed there 1996-69. We lived in Area X across from the Grandstand on Race Track Road, and I attended Byrd Elementary 1st-4th grade. Lovely memories of my time in Japan. My father was an avid bowler, and played on a softball team. He passed away awhile ago...details of our time there are lacking, so perhaps someone out there can help me! I recall trips to D Avenue, a toy store called Shin Se (sp?) and a flower store where a myna bird said "ten yen for flowers!" Saw movies at the Bill Chickering Theater and attended summer school at the high school (I think that's where it was held). Anyone out there with info from that time frame (66-69)?

My father was stationed there 1966-69... (not 1996-69)!

Hi Eric,

Sorry I haven't answered sooner, but your question needs a bit of detective work since Japan's address system has changed since you lived here. The current system uses neighborhood - block # - house # (e.g. Sannotani 23-1), so Sannotani #91 can't be found on current maps.

Anyway I did see a map which seems to show the old addresses as well as the new ones (unfortunately hardcopy only). If I'm right, this puts #91 on Honmoku-dori (Avenue D), across the street from Area #2 and about 50 yards from the Sannotani streetcar stop (in the direction of downtown). It's part of today's Sannotani 23 and is in the center of the map in the link below.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=yokohama&z=18&om=1

Does this sound familiar? If not, please post a map link or some description of where your house was.

Anyway, the location I have in mind now has maybe 4 buildings on it (I guess housing density has gone way up since the 1960's). Facing the street are 2 apartment buildings and behind them are another apartment and a free-standing house.

The area of Avenue D around the streetcar stop is now a quite nice kind of neighborhood commercial area with some restaurants, bars, small shops, etc. There is also a Denny's (seems strange since it must have been built after the US service families left). The entire avenue in this area has been planted with cherry trees, so there's quite a spectacular display of cherry blossoms in the spring.

What used to be the Area 2 playground #9 has been enlarged to make a park which runs down to the avenue and up to the hillside, where a large shrine has been built (Shin-Honmoku shrine). As other posts have noted, the "bluff" area is now a large walking park. All in all it's really a very nice neighborhood. The only downside is that the "beach" no longer exists - the view from the hilltop at Sankeien is now docks and oil tanks extending out into the bay as far as the eye can see.

Anyway ... I hope this answers your question - if not, please let me know.

Hi Kathe! Hope I spelled your name right. I was one of your Jazzercise students in 1981. Our classes were held in the gym in the (then) new community support facility in Negishi Heights. After my husband was transferred back to CONUS, we lived in Eureka, California and I took Jazzercise classes there from an instructor named Mary Gunderson. I even got to meet Judy Sheppard-Missett (sp?).
We were back in Japan for approx. 9 months 1985-86, so I got to see some old friends and went to look at the changing Honmoku area. Made me sad.

Now my husband has been retired from the Navy for almost 18 years and we live in Washington state. I would dearly love to hear from you. Please e-mail me at swick75009@comcast.net

Lori Wickett

You identified the location of our house perfectly. It was on Avenue D, between the middle gate to Area 2 and the Sannotani streecar island. Is this street now called Highway 357 or some other number now?
The house was owned by a single Japanese lady who insisted we pay the rent in Yen to her personally each month, which we did. It had been built by an American officer (her boyfriend) sometime in 1948 or 49. When we moved in in about '55, it had a wooden fence around the house and garden/yard. The fence was destroyed in the big typhoon of 57 or thereabouts.
Behind our house was an apartment house with five or six Japanese families. The kids played baseball with a hard rubber ball and I was always the catcher and part time teacher of English.
In the spring of 55 or 56, my dad had to be in Korea for some business and my mom made the mistake of leaving our big Packard parked in the street. The following day was May 1, or May Day, and the Zengakuran Students Federation staged a riot and snake dance from the PX down to the Area 2 fire station on Ave. D. The "students" spotted the Packard and succeeded in flipping it over on its top and setting it on fire (right in front of our house.) They topped off the job by painting a hammer and sickle on our front door. Our maid, Masako, made a dash for the dormitory early in the morning. Fearless as usual, Mom stood on a ladder and took pictures of the demonstration in full view of everyone involved.
When dad got back from his trip, he walked right by the big scorch mark on the pavement and his first words were; "What the hell happened to the Packard?"

If you are trying to research all the areas the U.S. Military had possession of from the occupation after WW2 until now, I know of a person who could help you. She has been playing piano and organ for the American Military Christian Worship services at Base Chapels for MANY years, and in many locations. She showed me some former sites of American Military Chapels in Yokohama when I lived in Negishi in 1980-81 and part of '82. The best way to contact her would be at or through the chapel in the Negishi Heights Navy housing area called ''Chapel of the Rising Sun''. (The base operator at that facility would be able to connect you the the office in the chapel. I will check another website to get the phone number and post another message here.))

The name of this Japanese lady who could be of great help is Ikuko Matsudaira. Hopefully she still plays piano/organ at Chapel of the Rising Sun, and you can make contact with her. If you contact her, please tell her hello from me.