Yokohama Navy Exchange was where?

Today's Wall Street Journal has a nice article on the post war toy collection of Tokyo businessman Yoku Tanaka. The display is at the Japan Society in NYC.
Check;
www.japansociety.org/buriki_japanese_tin_toys.
These were among my first toys. They were made mostly from American tin cans that were rolled flat and carefully cut and folded together. I recall prying one of these little cars open and finding it had once held "Libby's Peas."

In the 60's the armed forses raido had a program called "The Balloon Farm" It was their attempt to get "hip" while not being hip. The music was folk and rock without the anti-war stuff. The announcer tried hard to be cool but tried to hard and it came off stilted and forced and was a parody in and to itself.. I gave them credit for trying. It reminded me of the movie " Good Morning Vietnam" with Robin Williams.
On PoW's the famous flyer Pappy Boyington of Black Sheep fame.. was a POW near Yokohama. At the end of the war the other internees painted" Pappy Boynington here" on the roof of the building hoping to get preferential treatment from the relief air drops. Boyington took cover when they started dropping supplies. saying " I came this far.. I don't want to get killed by a can of peaches". apparently at the end, the guards just vanished.

I lived there when I was 9 years old for 2 years 66-68.
They also had a bowling alley and a teen club. I went to school there. I may have something in my papers with the address. I'll get back with you soon.

Welcome to Yokohama Navy Exchange. We figured out where it was back about 1600 posts ago but some of us who were lucky enough to have lived in Yokohama years ago have been keeping up a lively discussion about our lives since then and sharing information about Yokohama now and the way it was years ago. Please tell us about yourself and what you remember of your time in Yokohama.
Dave-san

This chatter has been going on since July of 2004. I think someone suggested it might make the Guinness world book of records.

I add my voice to the greetings you've already received. Welcome! Why and when did you live in Japan? We are an intensely curious and responsive crowd of roughly a dozen people, happy to relive our experiences, reconstruct our lives in Japan, and delve into other issues as well. We can be serious or funny, and some of us have amazing memories of our respective experiences - we now come from all over the US. Happy you joined us.

When we lived in Yokohama we did a lot of traveling. Our friend Hidemisu Shibanguchi set up very cool exotic trips for us. One day we were planning our next foray, this time south to Kyoto, Nara and perhaps other places. I asked him about Hiroshima, maybe we should go there ? " why " he asked. Oh we love to visit the old temples and shrines. " You won't like Hiroshima" he said.. Oh I don't know.. why ? i asked .. "Its all new and modern" .. "so"..I wondered.[ still not getting it] "Its all been re-bilt" Then it all came clear. What the Japanese had to live with and deal with for so many years, us 20 year old Americans, barely had the where-with-all to appreciate what had happened. And how delicate and sweet that our travel-guide friend would couch his recommendations for us in a way that would in some way, continue to shield us from, the reality of the "little boy". I felt a little ashamed, that I had not been more atune to all of this as i was giddy in making our travel plans.
" your right" I said "this would not be the best choice for us. he agreed, and a continued awkyard moment was acknowledged and duly set aside.
In retrospect, I would have liked to have visited the museum in Hiroshima, but that would be about all.
Three years later, we were living in New Mexico and were traveling south on US 54 heading to Tularosa. it was a mild day for the dessert country. Somehow i knew we were getting close, and then there was the road sign.. Trinity site.. first atomic bomb. We stopped and looked out at the Jornada del Muerto.. the Journey of Death. A huge expanse of dessert, and reflected for a moment about all of that, and about life and death.
There is an HBO special running now called simply "White" which is a documentary that is not easy to watch but I found very interesting.
As a civilization we have done pretty well not to have had to use this weapon again.
Lets hope we can continue.

Steffi, Dave-san, and anyone else interested in the earlier zebra mussel conversation: The zebra mussels have cousins called quagga mussels, a concern at Lake Tahoe. See article below for "the rest of the story":

Invasive mussels can survive in Lake Tahoe
The Associated Press
Posted: 08/09/2009 04:58:22 PM PDT

RENO, Nev.—Scientists say a new study shows invasive quagga mussels can survive and possibly reproduce in Lake Tahoe. "This could potentially be catastrophic for the lake," said Ted Thayer, natural resource and science team leader for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. The study by scientists at the University of Nevada, Reno and the University of California, Davis suggests that the low calcium levels in Tahoe's water may not provide sufficient protection against the mussels as once believed. "It appears that for adults, that's not the case. They are able to survive," chief UNR researcher Sudeep Chandra said. "The hypothesis we were testing is there would be no survival. I was quite surprised." Quagga mussels were first discovered in Lake Mead in 2007 and have since overrun the lake's ecosystem. Scientists monitored eight mussels in tanks of Tahoe water over 51 days to study survival rates. Chandra said all but one survived—a rate of 87 percent. Forty-three percent of the mollusks showed the potential for reproduction. Scientists say the study did not examine the survivability of mussels in their larval stage. Chandra and co-researcher Marion Wittmann, an aquatic ecologist for the UC-Davis' Tahoe Environmental Research Center, say it's still possible that Tahoe's calcium levels could not support juvenile mussels. "It's going to take a little more research to determine if this mussel can really sustain in populations over time," Wittmann said. If established at Tahoe, quagga mussels or their cousin, zebra mussels, could cause profound changes to the alpine lake's sensitive ecosystem. The mussels could clog water intakes, cover boats and piers, and litter pristine beaches with sharp and reeking shells. A recent study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates a mussel invasion could cost Tahoe's tourism economy more than $22 million per year. "This is disappointing," Thayer said. "It would have been nice if it had come back that there wasn't that high a risk." TRPA and other agencies have taken steps over the past two years to prevent introduction of the mussels, including inspection of all boats launching into the lake. Chandra said he believes the inspection programs and other aggressive measures can be effective. "When you reduce the likelihood of transfer, almost always those ecosystems are protected," Chandra said. "Using sound science and good policy, the lake can be protected."

I've read all the entries posted to this particular forum (whew!) but have only recently discovered the ever-changing pictures in the upper left hand corner of this forum. When you click on one, it becomes somewhat larger and the name and location of the particular scene is provided. These beautiful pictures are fascinating and make you want to revisit this beautiful country! The pictures are a welcome respite from tiger and quagga mussels, as though the world doesn't have enough problems. Has anyone else payed the pictures any attention?

Hi Barbara:

Yes, I've been looking at the photos. My favorites are the little neighborhood pix where the houses and stores are close together, the streets are washed and swept clean and if a single leaf were to fall, someone would pick it up to keep things tidy. Its a far cry from the gravel and dust of my old Japan.

Hi Barbara
I too have seen these pictures, I love them. You have read all the posts. So much for summer reading! You probably know more about us than we do ourselves... so you know bad my spellling is eh ? Did you see " Last night in Matsushima" photo?

Hi Barbara - thanks for posting the interesting article on the quagga - we also have been very concerned about this creature which seems to be a cousin of the zebra. I read that it's even more destructive because it seems to be more adaptable to its surroundings, which I guess is the point of the article, and breeds even more effectively. It also is now found all over the US, as far west as Nevada. That beautiful lake - Tahoe - I used to climb those hills surrounding it, filled with gorgeous pine trees, on visits years ago. What I did read, though, is that zebras need calcium for the newborn larvae to form their shells. If there's no calcium in Tahoe, or not enough of it, it's quite possible that the adult population of quaggas will eventually die off, or at least not inundate the lake as they might otherwise. Because the zebras and quaggas have been in this country for just over 20 years, we don't yet know the full long term results. What we're seeing now is the short-term effects, which are terrible enough. We're trying to research what the effects have been on European lakes, where they've had this problem for over 200 years. I do remember while visiting there that no one seemed to be swimming anywhere in these large Europ. lakes - in Geneva, or example, which sits on this beautiful large lake - they just seem to use it for boating. And I don't remember seeing fishermen, either, in fresh water waters. But, my memory may be faulty.

On a pleasanter note - I've also been looking at all the lovely pictures on this site - and all the interesting information about them. I especially like the "historical" preserved areas, since that is what I remember. My son, Jeff, by the way,leaves for Japan on the 25th and plans to tour for 2 months. It will be an amazing trip - lucky guy!

Hi Steffi
What a wonderful experience for him.. if he's single..
Wally has some suggestions for him.

Barbara-san: Thank you for pointing out the photos. I haven't been paying much attention to them but I will start. The ones I just looked were interesting. Don't know how I overlooked them. I've been meaning to ask you if you've been in contact with any of the kids you and I rode the school bus with? Except for you, I've never run across anyone.
Peter-san : I did visit Hiroshima in 1973. It was just as friendly as Yokohama. The only problem I had was that all the Japanese tourists in Peace Park wanted to get their picture taken standing next to an American.
Steffi-san: Tell your son Jeff that we envy him and would appreciate pictures and a report if he visits Yamate-cho. If he visits the Yamate Italian Hill Garden he will standing in the place where I once lived.
All: Yokohama walking tours. http://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/naka/english/wardoffice/... shows all the tours.
http://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/naka/english/wardoffice/...
From Motomachi to the hills of Yamate is of special interest to me.
12. Yamate Italia Hill Garden - The Italian Consulate was formerly located on this site from 1880
to 1886, so this area is called as Italia-yama (Italian hill). The garden in Italia-yama commands
a panoramic view of MM21 and Kannai.
13. Bluff Residence18 - The Bluff Residence 18, a European-style building of the Taisho period (1912-
1926), has been relocated to the garden. This house sits where I lived in quarters 8-599 in 1954.
14. Omarudani-zaka - This area, already called Omarudani-zaka when Yokohama was incorporated
as a city, was known as the street where sailors gathered to enjoy themselves. This street, located directly below our front yard, was known as Cherry Hill when I lived in Yokohama and was a street where soldiers enjoyed themselves. Unlike Four-and-a-half Street and the entertainment district in Honmoku, Cherry Hill was pretty quiet. Some of the buildings that were formerly hotels are still there and are now residences. Google Earth street view will take you down Omarudani-zaka.
Dave-san

Dave-san - Jeff's now in the final stages of getting ready to go - a hair-raising process to watch for his Mom since he leaves everything to the last minute! - so I haven't spoken to him, but I have passed along your message via email regarding the Yamate area. Actually I had given him the sites you had unearthed a few weeks back - but this is a good reminder. I think his intention now is to actually spend a few days in Yokohama instead of just seeing it on day-trips from Tokyo, so I think he'll have nice opportunities to see the places we all love and remember, even though much will have changed. He will also send along pictures - I'll have to get help on how to pass these along - or maybe he can post them on this post himself, I'm not sure how all that works. But thanks again for all the suggestions - you too, Peter - Jeff is a single guy and I know he'll be interested in any of your or Wally's ideas.

Peter, I smiled when I saw your comment about bad spelling because in my post I had misspelled "paid" and had also referred to zebra mussels as tiger musssels. Well, both zebras and tigers have stripes anyway. But the lesson here for me is to be careful about sending messages late at night with a tired brain. Regarding the "Last night in Matsushima" photo that you mention, I don't recall having seen that, but typed "Matshushima" into the forum's search box and found some beautiful pictures of a lovely, exotic-looking place. Unable to read Japanese, I don't know anything more about it. Do you?

Eric, like you I enjoy the little neighborhood pictures with the narrow streets and small houses and shops close together. Those as well as the pictures of Japanese gardens and Japan's natural wild beauty are my favorites because they remind me of the 1950s Japan that I remember. My selective memory doesn't recall gravel, dust, or pollution -- maybe I was too young then to be conscious of anything but the foreign beauty that I found everywhere we traveled.

Steffi, I think we are all so jealous of your son's forthcoming two-month visit to Japan! My grandson just returned from a semester of study in Kyoto while living with a Japanese family. Before leaving, his Dad joined him there, and together they celebrated Dad's 50th birthday by climbing to the top of Mt. Fuji. They sent us a video of themselves buffeted by a howling wind, shouting about what they could see, etc. It was such an exhilirating experience to see them and hear their voices from the top of Mt. Fuji almost instantaneously, thanks to the benefits of high technology and the World Wide Web. I look forward to hearing about your oh-so-fortunate son's experience in Japan. While he is looking for the place where you once lived on the Bluff, if he sees a tennis court along Yamate-cho, that is where I once lived. Keep us posted!

Dave-san, like you I'm not sure how I overlooked the japan-guide forum pictures for so long. The one that first caught my attention was a picture of a lighthouse in Japan. It looked exactly like the lighthouse that my family lived across the road from on Navy Hill in Saipan. We called it the German lighthouse then (the German's occupied Saipan before the Japanese), but the picture caused me to do a little research, and as far as I can tell, it seems our "German lighthouse" was actually built by the Japanese. They must have had a one-size-fits-all pattern because the two lighthouses, in Japan and Saipan, are identical. What an interesting world it is! Great tropical pictures, by the way, when you google Saipan! And the an internet search even brought up a video of young adults cleaning up and painting the Saipan lighthouse in 2005.

Regarding your question about the kids on our Bluff Road school bus, I think you have a much better memory than I do, but here are some names I recall: twin brothers Dick and Jon Shaw, Tom and Molly Nock and their two younger siblings, Susie Conland, and George Godsey. Although I've not been directly in touch with them, I see some names pop up occasionally in a Yo-Hi newsletter I've been receiving since 1995. It started as a printed monthy newsletter sent via USPS, but is now sent via e-mail. If you are interested in receiving it, contact Larry Rowe at [email removed]. and mention that you attended school at Nasugbu Beach. There's no cost involved. I have a roster of names, so if you have names you want to know about, I can look them up for you. Yo-Hi alumni are fairly active with annual and semi-annual reunions scheduled regularly. I haven't attended any but have stayed in touch with Mike Swofford '56, Area 1, and Maraleta Ellertson '56 Yamashita Park for many years.

This summer I attended my 50th class reunion at Penn State -- hard to believe! Three of us who attended the reunion had lived in Japan during high school. Kathie Briggs was a very good friend of mine at Yo-Hi. She had three younger sisters, one of whom may have been in your class. Kathy was "Basketball Queen" at Yo-Hi and one of the Penn State "Belles" in our 1959 yearbook. Anyway, we had a great time at the Penn State reunion reminiscing about Yokohama!

I tried your Yokohama walking tour links but everything was in Japanese. Do you read Japanese? I think I'll try locating Omarudani-zaka using the Google map. Thanks for the information.

Steffi
I really have only one recommendation for Jeff, and no its not from one guy to another. [ been a while since I was there. Anyway what I would think he might want to do would be to go to Kamakura in the morning and visit the temples there and see the Great Buddah, then from there continue down the coast to Enoshima and visit the caves in the late afternoon and at sunset have a beverage at one of the cafes on the end of the island. From there, if lucky, he could see Mr Fuji at sunset. He will no doubt go to Kamakura anyway so this is not too far out.
Barbara.
Matusshima is a beautiful area about[ what] 100 miles up the coast. I had the joy of camping on an island there. The photo is not a big deal, was my last night there with some Japanese friends and we had a drinking contest.[I lost]