Buck (DD 761) - Naval Cruise Book

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JAPAN ™™ With a long voyage of the vast Pacific behind us, we approached the Island of Honshu, and entered Yokosuka Harbor. A new chapter was about to unfold. Newcomers to Japan, we relaxed and felt at home after venturing out the main gate and into the city a few times. Many new sights and strange customs were re- vealed to us in Yokosuka, although we didn ' t know much about them at the time. We didn ' t know why hot baths were so popular, nor that Ohio meant good morning. Who ever heard of sukiyaki and what were hibachi pots? Questions and more ques- tions; but they were to be answered in a short time in one fashion or another. The first sight to meet our eyes was the many small shops that cater to mili- tary trade. One may obtain fancy cigarette lighters, curios, material of many fabrics, Japanese paint- ings, ivory figurines, cameras, leather goods, and numerous other articles. The native foods, sukiyaki, raman, and dried squid were sampled. The EM I Club with its American music, meals, and drinks, was popular with its Stateside atmosphere. Modes of transportation included taxi, rickshaw, and bi- cycle. We became accustomed to seeing cars be- ing driven on the wrong side of the streets. Tours were organized to visit Kamakura and Tokyo. Kamakura, located midway between Tokyo and Yokosuka, maintains its quiet religious man- ner despite the past war and the large western in- fluence in Japan today. Her porks, temples, and famous Buddha are visited daily by hundreds of worshippers and tourists. Probably the most photo- graphed subject in Japan, the Great Buddha, stands over 40 feet high, and was cast of bronze about 1244 A.D. The curl in the middle of the forehead, made of solid silver, weighs about 30 pounds and de- notes wisdom. A short distance from Kamakura is the tiny island of Enoshima, where Benton, the Buddhist god of music, is supposed to have lived. A park, zoo, and many shrines and shops cover the island. Yes, we were on the threshold of going Asiatic , but we liked it.