Yokohama Navy Exchange was where?

I lived in Area 1 in 1953-55 and again in 57-59. I started 1st grade a Nasugbu Beach elementary in 1953. We lived in 64A next to seaside club and in 88D by D Avenue across from the PX and Chickering Theater. Looking for friends from that era.

Hi Eric - hope that this monster storm which caused so much damage was not near you and that you're all right. (My geography is shaky, so I don't know where Joplin is, exactly).

Also Wally - I know you said you were in the northern part of the state, so hopefully you're fine also.

I send you both my best and hope that you're unscathed by this catastrophe.

Steffi, thanks for your concern. I think the storm cell that hit Joplin went over Eric's place and just missed my town, although we had some pretty high winds which broke some big tree limbs. The storm wasn't the most powerful, but it was big, and slow moving. Joplin is in the Southwest corner of Missouri near the Oklahoma border, and I think old Route 66 used to run through it.

This is a correction to my earlier post, as it was initially reported that the tornado that hit Joplin was an EF-3 or EF-4 storm, but has now been upgraded to the deadliest storm in 60 years, an EF-5, with multi-vortex (one large funnel with several smaller funnels rotating around it) and winds over 200 miles an hour. There are currently 122 dead, with many still reported missing.

The Joplin tornado was more than 100 miles from where we live. We did have some wind. The top of an older redbud tree broke and I have some chainsawing to do as a result.
I was driving through NE Missouri yesterday near Lancaster on HWY 63 when I saw a funnel cloud to the east of the highway. I pulled over with a line of motorists to watch this thing. It was almost hypnotic; a long gray finger reaching down from the back of a wall cloud. It never did touch down, fortunately.

Eric, et al.:
Just returned from Yokohama a week ago and read your postings here written over a period of several weeks. Glad to hear the severe weather in Missouri did not seriously affect your lives and homes.
Here is an update: Mycal Monmoku, the shopping and housing complex that replaced Area 1 and Area 2, is no longer called that. The new name is "Eon" since a new corporation by that name bought out Mycal.
The place is not thriving as it once was, since there is a lot of competition from other shopping malls in Yokohama. The older commercial street that leads from the former Honmoku streetcar stop towards Sankeien Gardens remains much the same as it was 50 years ago.
St. Maur's seems to be thriving since they recently built a handsome new science building just up the steps from Chiyozaki-cho station.
No need to walk up the steep hill to get to Yokohama International School or to the Foreign Cemetery: there is a new elevator that will take you from Motomachi/Chinatown station (Toyoko Line) up to America Yama, a tiny square next to the Foreign Cemetery. When I took the elevator up, I had to wade through dozens of students from the international school, St. Maur's and Futaba. If you take the express, the Toyoko line will take you from that station to Shibuya in just 35 minutes.
There is a very good restaurant overlooking the cemetery, close to the Anglican church. It's called Ju-ban-kan, serves very good French cuisine, and their wine list is exquisite and inexpensive. I wouldn't be surprised if the building was once a home for one of my former schoolmates from St. Joseph College (once located right around the corner).
The best way to help Japan right now (besides donations) is to contribute to their economy--by visiting the country and spending. Hotels (I visited the Intercontinental and the one at Landmark Tower) are empty; foreign tourists have disappeared. I experienced a couple of tremors while in Yokohama but it was no big deal. And the worries about nuclear pollution have been minimized, at least on my part by rational thought (reading up on Chernobyl, etc.) although the authorities seem to do their best to keep the fear ongoing.
The highlight of my trip was a visit to a restaurant atop a hill overlooking the beaches of Shonan, from Kamakura to Enoshima. What a view! And the food was excellent, the price reasonable. It's called Amalfi de la Serra (there are three Amalfi restaurants nearby). Take Enoden from Kamakura or Fujisawa and get off at Shichiri-gahama station. It's a short walk towards Enoshima but a steep climb up to the restaurant. Yes, it does remind one of Amalfi, on the coast of southern Italy. Instead of Vesuvius, on a clear day you will see Mt. Fuji.

Thank you for the detailed report. It sounds like you are having a great trip - or are you back home by now? I'm sure those that remember the areas you describe are grateful to know what have become of their former haunts. My own recollections are of the Bluff - I didn't know about the elevator. I do know about St Mauer's which I attended only for a couple of years before moving onto St Joseph's. As for St. J's - I seem to remember they expanded a bit, then closed, and the building became some sort of private residence - maybe a condominium. This was perhaps around 2002 or so.

Hope everyone's having a nice holiday.

Here in NY it's sunny and warm, finally, and we're celebrating "fleet week." We have a dozen Navy and Coast Guard ships as well as ships from all over the world visiting New York Harbor. There was a parade of ships going down the Hudson River on Wednesday. Also there are ship tours, special events along the waterfront and at the Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum, and lots of free performances, demonstrations, and other activities everywhere. Very exciting.

O genki desu ka ?
Thanks for the post. I have been thinking a lot about Enoshima and value your post.
Bucket list...I want to have dinner at the same place that Honmokujin did. Siping a glass of wine and looking out at Sagami Bay and Mt Fuji..maybe they would let me build a house there...or I could buy The Enoshima Island Spa and live there....hey I can dream...
Happy Memorial Day...

Walley where do you live? I now live in edwardsville ks, use to live in kirksville Mo. Bernie

I live in a small town called Centralia, Missouri, which is north of Columbia. The University and a couple of other colleges are located in Columbia. I am in an agricultural area, although we do have a factory that makes electrical highline equipment. It is an exciting place to live, if you consider watching corn grow exciting!

Hello Michael,

Your comment about your father being in the Naval Security Group caught my eye. I was a Marine in the NSG and stationed at Kamiseya from '63 until Sept '65 at which time I left for a year's tour in Vietnam.

I had been an Air Force dependent in Japan at Yokota from '57 to '60 and played against Yo Hi many times. As a Marine I well remember the area in Yokohama you were commenting on. The 60's were an absolutely wonderful time to be in Japan. I made several of the '64 Olympic games including the US - Russia gold medal basketball game. Also tons of fun running the streets in Tokyo around Roppongi and Shinjuku as well as Chinatown in Yokohama.

Honmokujin san:

I read that because of the electricity shortage and resultant lack of air conditioning in office buildings, some corporations are allowing their staffs to wear open neck, Hawaiian shirts to work.

Did you see any evidence of this during you recent visit?

Eric,

I'm not sure about Hawaiian shirts in particular, but the annual Cool Biz campaign where offices set the air conditioners lower and encourage their employees to go tie-less and open collar has been practiced by some companies since 2005. You can read more about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool_Biz_campaign

My friend bought this giant slice of wood coffee table from Yokohama navy exchange wholesale in 1964 approx. Looks like Nakashima style it is 60yrs old. Does anyone have information on artist or maker?

Steffi and All,

I extended my stay in Japan and just recently returned. I do find the trip back is more tiring than the trip over and it has taken me several days to recover.

In summary, aside from some small air-conditioning inconveniences, reduced lighting and escalators in the major department stores and daily news updates on the ongoing challenges for those on the northeast coast, I found life was quite normal in the Kanto area. In fact if one was to judge by the sheer volume of shoppers at SOGO on a Sunday afternoon, I would think things are going quite well for most. This is a good thing of course. I have found that life goes on with you or without you, and the pace of things doesn't take long to pick up once the dust has settled.
Yokohama is vibrant and interesting as always. I spent a lot of time on trains, buses and my feet and visited Kamakura on four different occasions to take in Temple architecture. I left a bit too early to see the hydrangeas in full bloom however.
As reported earlier, I visited the grave of Steffi's father. I have some photos and the inscription, I just need to know how to post it. Steffi, please advise.
I also rode the Enoden Line and will surely visit the restaurant on the hill during my next trip over in November. Thanks to the two gentlemen who mentioned it here on the forum. While at Sankien one Sunday, I walked over to Honmoku. Itis growing and becoming more crowded, but without train or subway service it is always going to languish. I did see that the Rickshaw Room has re-opened in the area. Some of you might remember that from back in the day.

I also visited the tomb of the crew of the USS ONEIDA at Honmoji Temple in Tokyo. They don't get much attention, but they are not forgotten. My wife and I spruced up the stone and laid some flowers. We also had a wonderful tempura lunch at a small family shop on the street leading up to the Temple. All in all a good day.

The CO of the ONEIDA has a colorful history. His name was CDR Edward P. Williams. I recommend a google search of him. You will find him to have been quite an extraordinary naval officer.

Many Blessings to all of you.

Tracy

Tracy - I have finally gotten online again, and was surprised by your very lovely message. Forgive us for not responding sooner. It sounds like you and your family had a meaningful and interesting visit to Japan. Thank you again for taking the trouble to visit my father's grave and take pictures. Unfortunately, not being eager to post my email address on a public site such as this one, I have no idea what or where you can forward the pictures to me. If I can figure it out, I'd be happy to see them.

I wish you well - and hope that everyone on this site is having a good summer. We're up in our Mass. summer cottage finally, and aside from a recent "microburst" storm with accompanying "wind sheers" that caused much damage, loss of power and water and fallen trees - and a wariness of storms we didn't have before - we are happy to be here. Fortunately there was minimal damage to houses in our area - a real bit of luck.

We also are happy to report that we recently had Peter and Janet as visitors for a couple of days - conversations way into early morning hours didn't seem to exhaust the many things the four of us had to talk about! It is good to include these fine people as our newest good friends.

I would suggest you two communicate on AIM or Facebook or Twitter in order to exchange e-mail or snail-mail addresses so Tracy can send pictures to you.

I would like to extend my 4th of July Greetings to all of my good friends on the forum. From New Hampshire !!

LIVE FREE OR DIE !!

ps no snow

Hello, all -- I receive a newsletter that's sent out to Yokohama High School alumni, and in the July issue there is a link to an interesting short video about "How Japanese Art Was Meant to Be Seen." In it you'll see beautiful art and, perhaps like me, you'll learn something about Japanese art that you didn't know before. Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N43KxroZV2g&list=PLD0043A18D0679DF9

Hi, Barbara and all.

Happy 4th!

Kano school's Painters drew those pictures. This is details of Kano by Wiki.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kan%C5%8D_Eitoku

Arigatou