Night Street - Yokohama

Night Street - Yokohama
Originally uploaded by cocoip

PHOTO BY COCOIP, COPYRIGHT BY COCOIP

Japanese Roads

Japanese Roads
Originally uploaded by Jayel Aheram

On the 52 train on our way to the Sagami Otsuka train station.
photo by JAVEL AHERAM

Hikawa-maru

Hikawa-maru
Originally uploaded by KOM674

THIS VESSLE WAS HERE IN 1961. BROWSING THROUGH FLICKR, I SEE IT WAS STILL IN YAMASHITA PARK IN 1993. WILL IT SAIL SOMEDAY? OR HAS IT ALREADY SAID SAYONARA TO YAMASHITA AND ALL WHO VIEWED HER? THANKS TO KOM674 FOR THE PHOTO.

Nile C. Kinnick Middle School

Nile C. Kinnick Middle School
Originally uploaded by KOM674

Nile C. Kinnick Middle School
This was a High School in Yokohama in early 70s, then it became a Middle School when the new high school opened up in Yokosuka Naval base.

Bill Chickering Theater, Yokohama 1960s

Bill Chickering Theater, Yokohama 1960s
Originally uploaded by KOM674

Bill Chickering Theater, Yokohama 1960s
I watched the original "Planet of the Apes" at this theater. Back then, FREE admission with a Military I.D. Card. And the Cafeteria on the right had an awesome " Gravy-over-Rice!!; To the left of the theater was the Main Navy Exchange (PX); to the right of the Cafeteria was the Bowling Alley; behind the Theater was the Teen-Club. ($1.00=360yen)

THANKS TO KOM674 FOR THIS PHOTO FROM FLICKR PHOTOSTREAM...

old facade detail

old facade detail
Originally uploaded by flapjax at midnite

PHOTOGRAPHER HAS EYE FOR GEOMETRIC MASTERPIECES...COLORS ARE ZEN AND REFLECT AN INNER SELF THAT CAN BE SEEN BY PASSERSBY. CONGRATS ON MASTERPIECE WORKS......

facade with green awning

facade with green awning
Originally uploaded by flapjax at midnite

KAORING'S PHOTO OF A JAPANESE SMILE

Originally uploaded by @kaoring

THE BEAUTY AND THE ENERGY OF JAPANESE YOUTH IS MOST ADMIRABLE AND IS ONE REASON JAPAN IS A SUCCESSFUL AND JOYFUL NATION.

THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BLEND TRADITION OF THEIR LONG HISTORY INTO THE HIGHLY TECHNICAL TRENDS OF THE 21ST CENTURY.

JAPAN: TRULY ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL NATIONS ON EARTH. Congratulations to the photographer for capturing the smile of youth, the attitude of a new generation...

Robert L. Huffstutter

night at kouenji

night at kouenji
Originally uploaded by gopancholina

THIS PHOTO HAS PERFECT LIGHTING. CONGRATULATIONS TO gopancholina FOR A PHOTO THAT HAS MOOD ELEMENTS THAT ARE INTENSE.

Fuji & Pagoda

Fuji & Pagoda
Originally uploaded by Travel 67

ONE OF THE BEST PHOTOS OF MOUNT FUI I HAVE SEEN. THE CLARITY, THE PRISTINE QUALITY, THE ACCENTS OF RED FROM THE PAGODA--THEY CREATE ONE VERY APPEALING INVITATION TO JAPAN. CONGRATULATION...

U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION

U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION
Originally uploaded by roberthuffstutter

THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF SITES WITH HISTORIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE ATSUGI AIRFIELD BEFORE AND AFTER WORLD WAR TWO:

Japan-101 - Pictures of Japan - Atsugi AirfieldDescription: World, War, Two, Japan, US, troops, truck, convoy, Atsugi, Airfield. Posted By: Doug M (View all of Doug M's images), Dimensions: 640 x 293 ...
www.japan-101.com/photos/showimage.php?i=52541&c=12 - 37k - Cached - Similar pages -
A Pilot's Story - by Paul SchifferliTarget : Atsugi Airfield, Tokyo. Occupation forces were beginning to move in. Those at the airfield were to repair the runways for landings and I suppose ...
home.att.net/~sallyann5/b29/schifferli4.html - 43k - Cached - Similar pages -
General MacArthur arrives at Atsugi Airfield.Title: General MacArthur arrives at Atsugi Airfield. Date: August 30, 1945. Accession number: 98-2445. Return to Truman Library home page ...
www.trumanlibrary.org/photographs/displayimage.php?pointer=21782&people=&listid=2 - 12k - Cached - Similar pages -
General MacArthur arrives at Atsugi Airfield.Title: General MacArthur arrives at Atsugi Airfield. Date: August 30, 1945. People pictured: MacArthur, Douglas, 1880-1964. Accession number: 98-2445.
www.trumanlibrary.org/photographs/printDisplay.php?pointer=21782&rr=&people=&listid=5 - 2k - Cached - Similar pages -
More results from www.trumanlibrary.org »
Atsugi AirfieldDays after surrender, the three squadrons of the 49th FG in P-38s arrived at the airfield. Later, the US Navy also used the base. ...
www.pacificwrecks.com/airfields/japan/atsugi/index.html - 10k - Cached - Similar pages

THESE ARE GOOGLE SITES AND ARE NOT ALL INCLUSIVE...

NEW NOVEL BY EARL R. STONEBRIDGE

NEW NOVEL BY EARL R. STONEBRIDGE
Originally uploaded by roberthuffstutter

ROOM WITH A VIEW: CHANNELING BACK TO YOKOHAMA 1962

ROOM WITH A VIEW: YOKOHAMA 1962
Originally uploaded by roberthuffstutter

THIS IS A ROOM WITH A VIEW. IT IS AN INDUSTRIAL VIEW. AS I GO BACK INTO TIME, THROUGH SOME INTENSE CHANNELING, I CAN SEE THE DETAILS OF WHERE THIS STRUCTURE ONCE STOOD. AS THE IMAGE FORMS WITHIN MY MIND, I EXPERIENCE A FAINT ELECTRICAL CURRENT WITHIN MY MIND, A VERY SENSITIVE FEELING; MY PULSE RACES. SUDDENLY, IT IS 1963 AND THERE IS A VACUUM SO INTENSE I BREAK INTO A COLD SWEAT. I WAS THAT CLOSE TO RETURNING AND REFRAINED. LET ME SAY THIS: THE SPOT NO LONGER EXISTS AS IT DID THEN. TODAY IT IS INSIDE OF A QUIET, UP-SCALE BAR AND LOUNGE WITH WIDE WINDOW VIEWS OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE RECONSTRUCTION AND PROGRESS DURING THE LAST FOUR DECADES. THERE ARE TWO FIGURES, A YOUNG COUPLE, THAT ARE SOMEWHAT GHOSTLIKE IN A CORNER. THEY ARE SMILING AND SIPPING WINE. THERE IS AN AURA AROUND THEM...

JAPAN 1961

JAPAN 1961
Originally uploaded by roberthuffstutter

NOT THE TYPICAL PICTURE SHOW AMERICANS LIKED...

WHEN I WAS GROWING UP...the movies were a big event for children between about 5 and 12; Saturday movies were cheap. They wasn't an economy back in 1949--you either had money or you didn't. Anyway, for one thin dime, I could escape the terrors of my Uncle's turkey pen for an afternoon at the Byam Theater in Fairmont. The movies were a thrill. I liked the cartoons, but it was the movie that I looked forward to. It was at the Byam Theater where I first saw The Sands of Iwo Jima. Forever a patriot afterwards. I will tell you this--I was terribly disappointed if the Three Stooges was playing. They were, in my six or seven year old opinion, totally ridiculous. No, it was not that I had no sense of humor. Felix was great; Mickey Mouse was okay. Porky was right good, but the essence of Saturdays was the featured movie. Let me see a Long Ranger movie at the old picture show just one more time; let me ride with the Cisco Kid and find the bad asses he always found. Who else do I want to see again? Hopalong was okay. He was a bit too finished for me. Okay, there were lots of gangster movies with everyone using Tommy guns. Us guys liked that kind of action. But it was the war movies, yes, the war movies with bodies scattered everywhere. We were eager to get home to the woods behind our neighborhood homes so we could play war and start killing Nazis and Japanese. We were sad that all the wars were over. "Shoot, we won't get to kill any enemies now that our dads and uncles have killed them all," whined my best buddy, Tim Duggins. We had no idea what war was about or how often they came around. It was not that we had not received some elementary education about wars. No, we knew all about the Redcoats and the war about the slaves; we knew about that war where mustard gas was sprayed in our grandfather's faces. We tried that one time with a jar of mustard and got in big trouble. Well, it was a bad idea; we knew nothing elementary about the First World War. Our teachers had not yet started the myth about The Arch Duke of Ferdinand being the one who started the first world war because it was a "shot heard around the world." No, we didn't favor the silly uniforms our guys wore in the First World War. The helmets were weird, odd, not at all cool like the U.S.Marine helmets in the Second World War. We laughed when we saw those leggings laced up. But that wasn't near as funny as the French helmets. There was a classic. Lots of them were lost in that war, another reason only a few were left for the second world war. Note how few of those archaic iron helmet are seen on the military channel's newsreel creations. Now I have strayed a long way from John Wayne. Let's see, I did not care for slapstick comedy, love stories or musicals. Musicals got better after I turned thirteen. I remember Shirley Jones in Everything is Okay in Oklahoma. Sexy was a word that was naughty. Damn and hell were bad words too. It was okay if they were said by John Wayne. So, there I was in Japan at nineteen. Talk about some easy duty. I didn't know how good I had it for awhile. Compared to what our troops in combat theaters of the Pacific Theater had to endure and compared to the Nazi stench that drifted throughout Europe, the service personnel in Japan had it good in the sixties. Where in the hell am I going to find any good movies in Japan? There was the base flick. Fairly good movies, but I can't recall any that I saw. There were other entertainments that drew my attention. Today, I look at the quaint cutout couple outside a Japanese Movie House in 1961 and chuckle. I was worried about the movies? I thought our dads and uncles had won all the wars. Youth is so naive. At least this youth was naive for many years. There was a storm brewing. We could feel its vibrations from within the hangar of our squadron. There was war and rumors of war. Security was gradually tightened. Naval Intelligence was beefed up. More than a few members of our squadron mysteriously disappeared after a visit from visitors from Washington D.C. The squadron was very Top Secret. I had decided, upon checking into the hangar when I arrived, to play the role of the three monkeys: Speak No Evil, See No Evil and Hear No Evil. It worked out well. It was not until years later that I discovered what was happening throughout the military in the Vietnam War. One thing leads to another. Things always lead back to places we have been and seen. And there finally comes a time, like now, when one asks what it all meant anyway? Evil still exists. Wars are still being won and lost. And cardboard cutouts and posters are still higly collectible items. We live in interesting times; we have lived in interesting times. May our children's children be able to enjoy an America that was as joyful as the one I grew up in during the 1950s. It was, no matter where one lived, a time of innocense and naivity. It was a time we remember as "good old days" just like they say in the picture shows.

READING THE MAINICHI DAILY NEWS IN 1963...RIGHT!

READING THE MAINICHI DAILY NEWS IN 1963...RIGHT!
Originally uploaded by roberthuffstutter

"It was one of many trips to the Hakone Lake and Atami area that I remember with a special fondness," stated Earl . Stonebridge. Earl's latest novel, Daughter of a Burma Soldier" is scheduled for publication in September. "Yes, it is a romance," Earl stated.

MOTOMATCHI CHARM

MOTOMATCHI CHARM
Originally uploaded by roberthuffstutter

A QUIET AND CHARMING JAPANESE INN IN THE MIDDLE OF YOKOHAMA'S MOTOMACHI DISTRICT, IT BECAME A HIDEAWAY FOR WEEKENDS OF CREATIVE ART. THE SMALL HOTEL WAS OWNED BY AN ELDERLY COUPLE. THEY WERE SOMEWHAT APREHENSIVE ABOUT MY INITIAL REGISTRATION, HOWEVER WE GREW TO BE RESPECTABLE FRIENDS WHEN THEY REALIZED THAT MY LIFESTYLE WAS QUIET AND DEDICATED TO TEACHING AND LEARNING ENGLISH AND JAPANESE. ONE OF ITS CHARMS WAS THE TRADITIONAL HOT BATH. IN THE WINTER, THE SCENT OF CHARCOAL ON HIBACHI STOVES WAS FREQUENTLY ENJOYED. IT MUST HAVE HAVE BEEN A LOCAL CHARCOAL BECAUSE I HAVE YET TO EXPERIENCE THE EXACT SMAE AROMATIC SCENT THAT I REMEMBER SO INTENSELY. IF I RECALL, THE PRICE OF A ROOM FOR TWO WAS ABOUT 1000 YEN, A LITTLE LESS THAN THREE DOLLARS. AT THE TIME, THE DOLLAR WAS WORTH 360 YEN.

YAMASHITA PARK, YOKOHAMA 1963

YAMASHITA PARK, YOKOHAMA 1963
Originally uploaded by roberthuffstutter

MANY HOURS OF ROMANTIC CONVERSATION AND ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS WERE ENJOYED IN THIS PARK. THIS WAS TAKEN ONE EARLY DAWN WHEN I WAS ALONE. THE PARK WAS FULL OF LIFE IN ALL OF ITS CONVENTIONAL WAYS DURING WEEKENDS. STUDENTS WERE STUDYING THEIR ENGLISH AND I WAS A WILLING TUTOR. ONE VERY BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY SMILED AND TOLD ME THAT SHE LOVED MY SKETCHES. SHE TOLD ME THAT LEARNING ENGLISH WAS SO MUCH EASIER THAN LEARNING JAPANESE. "I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ENGLISH," SHE TOLD ME. I REPLIED THAT I WOULD TRY VERY HARD TO TEACH HER SOME ENGLISH IF SHE WOULD PROMISE TO TRY AND TEACH ME HOW TO SPEAK ENOUGH JAPANESE TO GET AROUND YOKOHAMA. OUR FRIENDSHIP BEGAN AND LATER, WE SHARED WINE AND COFFEE AT AN ESTABLISHMENT CALLED THE "WEIN COFFEE SHOP" SOMEWHERE NEAR THE MOTOMACHI AREA OF YOKOHAMA. AS TIME WENT BY, I LEARNED THAT HER FATHER WAS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY IN BURMA. SHE HAD NO MEMORY OF HIM. NEITHER OF US HAD ANY HARD FEELINGS ABOUT THE WAR THAT WAS ONLY SIXTEEN YEARS DISTANT FROM OUR PRESENCE. IT WAS A SUBJECT WE NEVER HAD TO DISCUSS AGAIN.

DAWN IS BREAKING IN YOKOHAMA: A SNAPSHOT FROM 1961

DAWN IS BREAKING IN YOKOHAMA: A SNAPSHOT FROM 1961
Originally uploaded by roberthuffstutter

MANY MEMORIES OF JAPANESE FISHING BOATS FILL MY MIND WHENEVER I REFLECT ON THE JOYFUL TIME I SPENT IN THIS MOST UNIQUE NATION. ONE WHO FREQUENTLY TRAVELED BY MYSELF INTO ALL AREAS, I MUST COMMENT THAT NEVER, NOT ONCE, WAS I ASSAILED AS AN "UGLY AMERICAN" OR AN UNWELCOME GUEST. YOUNG AND NAIVE, I THOUGHT LITTLE ABOUT THIS ASPECT AT THE TIME. I ENJOYED THE PEOPLE WHO SPOKE TO ME WHILE I SKETCHED OR TOOK PHOTOS. I ENJOYED THE ATTENTION OF THE STUDENTS WHO WANTED TO PRACTICE THEIR ENGLISH WITH AMERICAN BOY-SAN (ME). I MUST THANK THE PEOPLE FOR THEIR POLITE AND FRIENDLY ATTITUDE. THEIR HOSPITALITY CREATED A LOVE FOR JAPAN THAT HAS EXISTED THROUGHOUT THE MANY DECADES SINCE THE SAD SAYONARA AT YOKOSUKA...

Memories of a Japanese fishing village. Back in the 1960s, one could journey down the coast that was passable and note all types of fishing boats and equipment. I was never met with any rudeness or impoliteness. I was always acknowledged with a smile and some curiosity. What was a young American doing wondering far off the beaten path, down into the sleepy fishing villages from centuries long passed? In retrospect, I realize how extremely polite the Japanese were. My memories of the time I spent are full of warmth. I wonder how many of those tiny villages remain? Someday, I might return, but in some respects, it is probably best that I don't; the memories of that tour are too valuable to return and realize that I have grown so much older while Japan has grown so much younger and so much more Western. One fact we must all face: in our memories, those we saw for the last time long ago will always remain young and beautiful. Returning to Japan would make me face a reality that I do not want to face, that time has passed and things shall never be the same.

A FAVORITE MOVIE AS A Y0UNG BOY

THERE ARE FEW MEN MY AGE WHO DID NOT PLAY WAR BACK IN THE LATE 1940s. We had dads, uncles and aunts, cousins and friends of the men and women who fought in World War Two. There were few women in combat at that time, but their pesence in combat was isolated; womens contributions in World War Two were volinimous: medical personnel, training, supplies, ferrying aircraft (fighters and bombers), so they did get in the picture. Our neighborhood games were mostly Japanese war games. We had no idea there would be more than enough wars to last. I think we figured the U.S. had won the war of wars and it was a matter of memory. So, we played war....and we shouted war slogans that make me ashamed as I recall them today. There is always the shame factor in the games we play. If we don't admit it, the media will unleash it. Since the time Jimmy Carter served his long four years as President, text books changed and we were suddenly the cause of all dearth and depression in all of the thrird world nations. But getting back to John Wayne and the Sands of Iwo Jima. We played war. It was always the Japanese we were fighting, never the Germans. And certainly not the Russians. Nobody but a few wise men like my Uncle Jim realized that Joe Stalin was a number one ass hole. Okay, maybe the top brass knew it. Yes, they did. Ike sure as hell knew it. Did us kids in the neighborhood know it. No, not until the Korean War began. So, John Wayne will forever be the eternal soldier and Marine fighting those.......Japanese. But strangely enough, most of us never felt any hatred for the Japanese. I believe it was because, in the end, they did the right thing, they really did surrender. It is so much different than the wars we have fought since. Of course,we have not dropped any atomic bombs on our enemies lately. Somehow, those two bombs made all of the Japanese realize we weren't joking. You know what I suddenly realized? Boys and girls just don't play war games anymore. But I do know some areas where they do. They call us the same names us boys called the Japanese...."You, blankety blank, blank blank. Scarry? It is not comforting, especially since the Homeland Security is going to do combat with hurricanes and acts of God. Acts of God? God, I hope Homeland Security does not declare war on God instead of the terrorists.

ONE DAY IN DECEMBER OF 1963

ONE DAY IN DECEMBER OF 1963
Originally uploaded by roberthuffstutter

ONE OF MY MAIN REGRETS IN LIFE IS NOT BEING BORN WITH A CAMERA IN MY HAND. THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY EXPERIENCES I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE PRESERVED, SO MANY PEOPLE I WISH I HAD BETTER PHOTOS OF--SO MANY MOMENTS OF YOUTH THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRESERVED WITH MORE DETAIL FOR WHATEVER PURPOSE. BUT LIFE, BEING TRANSIENT, WILL ONLY PERMIT SO MANY EXPERIENCES, SO MANY MOMENTS OF JOY...

JAPAN 1963

JAPAN 1963
Originally uploaded by roberthuffstutter

JAPAN 1960S

JAPAN 1960S
Originally uploaded by roberthuffstutter

FredsPixLocalHomesAshiya, Japan53

FredsPixLocalHomesAshiya, Japan53
Originally uploaded by wa7oec

IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT THE ROOFS. BILL MUST HAVE LIKED THEM TOO. OF COURSE, THEY ARE MUCH DIFFERENT NOW, BUT WHAT ISN'T. THEY WOULD STILL BE BEAUTIFUL IN SPRING, COVERED AND SMOTHERED WITH CHERRY BLOSSOMS. I MUST RETURN SOMEDAY. BILL, ARE YOU PLANNING ON GOING BACK SOMEDAY? HOW MANY OF US WILL EVER GO BACK, REALLY, EXCEPT IN OUR MINDS. AND THERE ARE SO MANY OF THOSE WHO WILL NEVER GO BACK OR NEVER COME HOME. NEVERTHELESS, WE ARE FRIENDS TODAY. IT WAS A SAD CHAPTER FOR BOTH OF OUR GRANDCHILDREN TO READ, BUT TIME HEALS.

FredsPixDownTownAshia1953

FredsPixDownTownAshia1953
Originally uploaded by wa7oec

YOU WERE THERE IN THE 50S; I WAS HERE IN THE EARLY 60S. THERE HAD BEEN SOME PROGRESS MADE IN THE TEN YEARS THAT SEPERATES OUR DUTY, BUT BASICALLY, IT LOOKS ABOUT THE SAME. JAPAN WAS STILL IN THE RECONSTRUCTION ERA. AND LOOK AT IT TODAY. BILL, DID YOU EVER RETURN?

ChinaShopAshiaJapan1953

ChinaShopAshiaJapan1953
Originally uploaded by wa7oec

HAVING BEEN STATIONED IN JAPAN, I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO SEND NORITAKE BACK HOME TO THE STATES. IF ONE DID NOT SEND MOM OR GRANDMOTHER A SET OF NORITAKE, YOU WERE DEFINITELY ON HER S.... LIST. THANKS TO BILL FOR SHARING HIS TOUR OF DUTY IN JAPAN AND KOREA BACK IN THE 1950S...............

FredsPix1954FredHisCamonaJapan

FredsPix1954FredHisCamonaJapan
Originally uploaded by wa7oec

THANKS TO BILL FOR SHARING THESE PHOTOS OF HIS TOUR OF DUTY IN THE U.S. AIR FORCE IN KOREA AND JAPAN BACK IN THE 1950S. THESE ARE THE TYPE OF PHOTOS THAT ARE WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN COLD BUT SO OFTEN ARE LEFT IN DUFFLE BAGS, IN STEAMER TRUNKS OR ARE IN THE CORNER OF A DUSTY AND UNOPENED DRAWER MARKED "MEMORIES OF LONG AGO." ROBERT

FredsPixSquadronHangOutAshiaJapan1953

FredsPixSquadronHangOutAshiaJapan1953
Originally uploaded by wa7oec

THANKS TO BILL FOR SHARING THESE PHOTOS OF HIS TOUR OF DUTY IN THE U.S. AIR FORCE IN KOREA AND JAPAN BACK IN THE 1950S. THESE ARE THE TYPE OF PHOTOS THAT ARE WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN COLD BUT SO OFTEN ARE LEFT IN DUFFLE BAGS, IN STEAMER TRUNKS OR ARE IN THE CORNER OF A DUSTY AND UNOPENED DRAWER MARKED "MEMORIES OF LONG AGO." ROBERT

FredsPixAT6JapanAF53

FredsPixAT6JapanAF53
Originally uploaded by wa7oec

japanese matchbox label

japanese matchbox label
Originally uploaded by maraid

IF YOU HAVE BEEN TO JAPAN, YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE JAPANESE MATCHBOXES THAT ADVERTISE ALMOST EVERYTHING, BUT ESPECIALLY COZY LITTLE BARS WHERE THE LIGHTS ARE DIM AND THE PERFUME IS HEAVY. IF YOU HAPPEN TO DRINK TOO MUCH SAKE, YOU WILL MISS SOME OF THE MEMORIES; IF YOU DRANK MODERATERLY, YOU WILL RETAIN SOME WARM MEMORIES. BUT FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, MUCH CAN BE TOLD BY THE PICTORIAL MATCH BOXES. WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE, CHECK OUT THE GROUP, VINTAGE JAPANESE ADVERTISING. CLICK ON THE IMAGE PROVIDED BY MARAID AND YOU WILL BE CONNECTED TO THE SITE.

A FEW OF MY PHOTOS AND MEMORIES...

I HAD EXPECTED HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY TO BE A BIT MORE IMPRESSIVE...

ACTUALLY, THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN IN MISSOURI CITY, MISSOURI, A SMALL AND SLEEPY MISSOURI RIVER TOWN, SUMMER OF 2007.

MY WATERCOLOR ON THE BOTTOM IS A CHANNELING EXPERIENCE, A PICTORIAL IMAGE OF THE JAPANESE LANDING ON TARAWA BEFORE WORLD WAR TWO BEGAN. I HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED IF THE RESIDENTS WELCOMED THEM WITH OPEN ARMS OR SPEARS. THERE IS SO MUCH HISTORY THAT HASN'T BEEN RECORDED.

FredsPix NoseArtJapan53

FredsPix NoseArtJapan53
Originally uploaded by wa7oec

Hotel NEW GRAND

Hotel NEW GRAND
Originally uploaded by blackteaj.justice

IT IS SAID THAT THIS HOTEL WAS THE OFFICE OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER, GENERAL DOUGLAS MAC ARTHUR, DURING THE OCCUPATION...

RECALLING SPECIAL TIMES TO REMEMBER By R.L.Huffstutter

IT WAS A VACATION TO REMEMBER. IT WAS ONE OF THOSE SPOTS OR SPACES IN TIME THAT ONE WOULD LIKE TO KEEP ON FILE FOR AN IMMEDIATE RECALL WHENEVER ONE CHOSE TO RELIVE A SPECIAL TIME IN ONE'S LIFE. UNFORTUNATELY, NOTHING LASTS FOREVER EXCEPT THE MEMORIES. AND WHEN AND IF THE MEMORIES ARE EVER ERASED, THE MIND WILL BE A BLANK SLATE, EITHER ASLEEP OR WATING FOR NEW CHALK AND NEW ASSIGNMENTS. NOBODY THAT I KNOW KNOWS THE ANSWER TO THIS ONE. WE CAN ONLY HOPE AND HAVE FAITH. By R.L.Huffstutter

20090209_154750

20090209_154750
Originally uploaded by Sato244

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

THE FAMOUS BRIDGE NEAR IWAKUNI

THERE WAS A JAPANESE INN NEARBY THAT WAS A MOST UNIQUE EXPERIENCE...

A PHOTO FROM LONG AGO, A DIFFERNT TIME AND PLACE...

YAMASHITA PARK WAS A GREAT PLACE FOR MEETING NEW FRIENDS. THE PARK WAS FULL OF LIFE IN ALL OF ITS CONVENTIONAL WAYS DURING WEEKENDS. STUDENTS WERE STUDYING THEIR ENGLISH AND I WAS A WILLING TUTOR. ONE VERY BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY SMILED AND TOLD ME THAT SHE LOVED MY SKETCHES. SHE TOLD ME THAT LEARNING ENGLISH WAS SO MUCH EASIER THAN LEARNING JAPANESE. "I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ENGLISH," SHE TOLD ME. I REPLIED THAT I WOULD TRY VERY HARD TO TEACH HER SOME ENGLISH IF SHE WOULD PROMISE TO TRY AND TEACH ME HOW TO SPEAK ENOUGH JAPANESE TO GET AROUND YOKOHAMA. OUR FRIENDSHIP BEGAN AND LATER, WE SHARED WINE AND COFFEE AT AN ESTABLISHMENT CALLED THE "WEIN COFFEE SHOP" SOMEWHERE NEAR THE MOTOMACHI AREA OF YOKOHAMA. AS TIME WENT BY, I LEARNED THAT HER FATHER WAS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY IN BURMA. SHE HAD NO MEMORY OF HIM. NEITHER OF US HAD ANY HARD FEELINGS ABOUT THE WAR THAT WAS ONLY SIXTEEN YEARS DISTANT FROM OUR PRESENCE. IT WAS A SUBJECT WE NEVER HAD TO DISCUSS AGAIN.

I BOUGHT A NEW PETRI AND STARTED TAKING PHOTOS OF YOKOHAMA AND TOKYO

My previous post was all about my flight from San Francisco to Tokyo, the stopover in Hawaii, the sight of Midway island pointed out by the Captain. The significance of that battle would not really make an impact on me until I was much older. Sure, I knew there was one major air battle there, but what was important at that time was that America had won the war and Japan was reputed to be one great duty station. As a 19 year old youth, the thought of enjoying the excitement of the Orient had created some exciting images in my imagination. And now, many years afte that tour of duty ended, I realize that those images were, in fact, exciting in a way that only those who spent time stationed in Japan would ever be able to imagine. Sure, there were the stories the sailors who sailed into Japan told. Most were pretty exciting, but their time in Japan was limited to the time their floating duty station spent. There was always a massive amount of sailors from the various carriers and tincans that were tied up at the Yokuska Naval Station. Their duration of time spent in Japan was usually about two weeks. They were called "Westpac cruises." Being stationed at a permanent station was really the envy of most of the ocean-going navy. Looking back, I realize exactly what a great opportunity it was; looking back, I have regrets that I didn't spend more time learning about the country, taking tours and shooting many more photos and slides. Nevertheless, I had a great time. The twenty-eight months spent in Japan has supplied me with a lifetime of fond memories.

This is a woodblock print I found on the internet. It's old. Sure, I wished I had the original to post, but I did manage to collect a few old prints. Where they are now, I'm not sure. I still have some storage spots with old artifacts and memoirs I have yet to open. Hopefully, they will be unharmed by the fifty plus years they have been stored in the cedar-lined trunks. I will be posting photos of these items as I find them. And I still have many slides to look at and sort. While I was stationed in Japan, I did a lot of sketching and painting, mostly tempra paints. Some of them are pretty decent; some are simply magic marker type of expressions of sake shops and sake bottles, drawings of bar scenes and people in general. There was a time while stationed in Japan when, just for the fun of it, I painted the outside facades of favorite bars, bought a frame, framed the picture and presented it to the owner. There was a real feeling of glee when I walked in a few days later and saw my painting on the wall behind the bar. I wonder how many are still hanging there? Honestly, I doubt there is one bar of the many I entered that still remains open. The group photo above is an official U.S.Navy photograph of those in our squadron who were advanced to E-5 on the 16th of November 1962. I am in the middle of the first row. I felt pretty good, advancing to E-5 at only 20 years of age. It meant a lot more responsibility, more pay, and a lot more privileges.

MY ENCHANTMENT WITH THE NIGHT SPOTS QUICKLY WANED AND I FIGURED I NEEDED TO SPEND MY TIME IN A LITTLE MORE WORTHWHILE MANNER.

It all depends on who a guy hangs out with that matters. This begins early in life and continues right on through the elder years. Upon my arrival, I met a lot of different guys from all over the USA. "Where you from, Huff?" was the initial question. Back in the 60s, where one hailed from seemed to make a bigger difference than it does in today's armed forces. How do I know this? Simply through conversation with a few guys who have been fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE WHERE ONE IS FROM IN THE SERVICE?

Why did it make a difference where a guy was from? I thought about this while writing and reflected on this question. It is a question that most likely goes back into our primal beginnings. Speaking from a contemporary view back in the 60s, where one was from probably reflected one's assumed values and standards about just about everything that affected life in the USA fifty years ago. So where was I from? Actually, I had two answers for that question. To go back to my basic roots, I was born in Colorado, a native Coloradian (Coloradoian?). "Born in Colorado, grew up in Kansas City and joined the Navy in California.

I MADE A LOT OF FRIENDS WHILE I WAS IN THE NAVY. I DIDN'T REALLY FIT INTO ANY CERTAIN GROUP BUT SEEMED TO BE WELCOME IN WHATEVER GROUP I WAS WITH AT THE TIME. My first liberty in Japan was spent with some guys from the south; there was Blankenship from Tennessee, Crow from Mississippi, Guillory from Louisiana and a guy named Lambert. He hailed from West Virginia--not Virginia!It was a rip-roaring liberty, a little too roudy for me. There was way too much chatter about the Confederates, Dixie and all of the other subject matter that accompanies conversations of this genre. Nevertheless, I drank my share of Suntory Whiskey and Kirin Beer and probably agreeded with most everything that was said. Mostly, the conversation gradually went from bad to worse; once the political text of the chatter ended with a loud rebel yell or two, the main subject became the difference between American women and Japanese women. It was usually at this point in the conversation that I bowed out and sought the company of one of many of the young and appealing ladies. The dollar had a lot of purchase power in 1961; there was 360 yen to the dollar. Friendship was easily purchased for short-term relationships. And I got really too bored to remain with my buddies for the rest of the night. Besides, midnight was the hour we had to be back to base on weekday liberties; weekend liberty was another matter. Usually, one could leave on Friday at 1600 hours and not have to return until 0800 Monday mornings. Now, about that Petri camera I purchased at the Navy PX. It was a dandy and had an automatic setting. It also had an electric eye that helped me shoot some pretty decent shots without worrying about F-stops and speeds. Somewhere in my stuff from a tour of duty from long ago are boxes of slides I took; I am hoping they will still be good. Fifty years, however, is a long time for a slide to sit in a yellow kodachrome box. I must check on these soon. Yes, I loved my Petri and began shooting pictures of lots of different subjects. Pagodas became tiring; shrines became too numerous. And at the time, shooting shrines didn't seem right. Was it a religious conflict? It might have been. Isn't it odd we have some weird ideas about false idols and forget about the sins of the flesh.? It could be rationalized and blamed on youth and the fires of Spring. The Fires of Spring was a James Mitchener book I read. But Sayonara was another one of his books. It would be awhile before the Sayonara stage of my tour began.

THE UMBRELLAS OF ENOSHIMA

HOTEL MISS IWAKUNI AND THE KINTAI BRIDGE

THERE WAS A COMMENT ABOUT THE MISS IWAKUNI HOTEL stating it had a reputation for being somewhat nefarious. That might have been true.

It could have been one of the transient type of hotels that didn't reflect traditional Japanese Inn customs or standards. Nevertheless, nefarious or infamous, there is no denying my feet treaded around the tatami mats of the Miss Iwakuni Hotel. Some memories are profound and lasting while others are fleeting images that end with the rising of the sun. Thanks for the reminder. Rob

MY FIRST DAY IN JAPAN, AUGUST 1961

THE BUS RIDE FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE NAVAL AIR STATIONAT ATSUGI WAS LONG AND FULL OF STRANGE AND EXCITING AROMAS. ONCE WE ARRIVE AT THE NAVAL AIR STATION, I SAW MT FUJI IN THE DISTANCE. IT HAD BEEN A LONG DAY, A LOT OF FLYING WITH ONLY A ONE HALF-HOUR STOP IN HAWAII FOR REFUELING--AND SENDING POST CARDS OF DIAMONDHEAD. THE PILOT POINTED OUT MIDWAY ISLAND, THE KIMONO-CLAD HOSTESSES SERVED COLD BOTTLES OF KIRIN BEER. THEY FURNISHED US WITH HOT TOWELS FOR REFRESHING OUR FACES. IT HAD BEEN A JOURNEY OF MORE THAN FIVE-THOUSAND MILES. I LOOKED AT MT FUJI AND WONDERED WHAT MY TOUR OF DUTY WOULD BE LIKE. WOULD I BE HOMESICK FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS? WOULD I LEARN TO SPEAK JAPANESE AND HAVE THE KIND OF EXPERIENCES I HAD HEARD ABOUT FROM MY NAVY FRIENDS WHO HAD BEEN TO JAPAN? MY MIND WAS FULL OF MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE. MY COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF WAS PRESIDENT KENNEDY; I KNEW HE HAD IT ALL UNDER CONTROL.

HOW I SPENT A LOT OF MY SPARE TIME

FRIENDS AND ALLIES FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS

THE FIRST CAPTION THAT ENTERED MY MIND FOR THE PAINTPROGRAM IMAGE BELOW WAS

TORA, TORA, TORA

but after awhile I thought about a caption that would be less intimidating and dramatic , a caption that would express the general attitude that exists today, more than 50 years after the war. As time passes, the memories of Pearl Harbor and the war fade away; time has a way of healing the scars of war when generations change. I needed a caption that would indicate that those days of hate and anger are, for the most part, gone. It was with much peril and sacrifice that many of our deceased family members made it possible for Japan and the USA to build a bonds and freindship. To illustrate the obvious, I came up with the following caption:

"Somehow, I think we are making a big mistake, Abe."

MY FASCINATION WITH JAPAN BEGAN EARLY IN LIFE

WELCOME TO THE JAPAN OF THE EARLY 1960s

For some reason, I always knew that I would go to Japan. From the time I was a small boy I sensed a fascination with Japan. Some might say it was because I heard so much about Japan when I was a young boy. Sure, that had an impact on the subject, but there was more to my interest in that faraway island empire than a war. The war ended when I was almost four years old. At that age, I had no concept of hate or vengeance but there were war games being played in the neighborhood. As a boy, we played outdoors with toy guns. We played cowboys and Indians and we played war. For whatever reason, the war games involved Japan and the USA rather than the Germans. I believe there were numerous reasons for this. One reason might be the propaganda I was exposed to during and after the war. One reason was the stories the returning GIs told us boys. Most of us had a dad or relative who served, so our take on the war was somewhat influenced by the tales we heard. There were numerous movies that continued to punish the Japanese long after the surrender. We continued to find new movies and new comic books about World War Two as we grew older and taller. The John Wayne movie, Sands of Iwo Jima, was the movie that we liked the best. There are many reasons why we chose to play war games against Japan and it is a subject that I want to mention in depth in future posts. To focus on the subject, the Japan of the 1960s, let me state that my hint of the future became a reality in 1961 when the Pan American Boeing 707 landed at Haneda Airport in Tokyo in August of 1961. My first day in the Japan was one that was pleasant and one that I will always remember.