Helena (CA 75) - Naval Cruise Book

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NIHON With most of the Pacific Ocean behind us, we arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, the Navy town of the Far East. It was a short stay, but what with daily stores working parties and such there still was time for liberty and haggling in Black Market Alley. Shopping in Yokosuka is an art in itself. There ' s the first price, you speak, and then the prices go back and forth like a tobacco auction interspersed with an occasional ne until a satisfactory figure is reached about one third of the original given price. Also there ' s the pay day price and the day before pay day price. For the uninitiated, there was the Ship ' s Store. For the athlete, there were the service clubs of Yokosuka, Yokohama and Tokyo, a gym, roller skating rink, bowling alleys, rod and gun club, yacht club, bicycle riding, swimming pool, tennis courts, skeet range, golf course and sight seeing. An hour train ride lands you in Tokyo where Navy tourists could eyeball the Imperial Palace grounds. Diet Building, Imperial Hotel or just roam the Ginza, the Broadway of Japan ' s capital city. There ' s the Oriental Bazaar, Suehiro ' s Japanese Restaurant, Meiji Shrine and Kiffatsu Arcade, to say nothing of the Meiji Art Gallery, Yasukuni Shrine and the Kokusai Theater, featuring a variety show with a cast of over 300 girls. A short haul from Yokosuka brings you to Kamakura, famous for its huge bronze Great Buddha. Thousands of pilgrims travel to Kamakura from all over Japan to worship this immense statue and the Goddess of Merch at Kannon Temple. Later in the cruise we returned to Japan and visited Nagasaki, Sasebo and Nagoya. The city of Nagasaki is on the western coast of Kyushu along the eastern coast of Nagasaki Bay. It was through Nagasaki that Christianity was introduced into Japan. The first recorded mission in Nagasaki was that of St. Francis of Xavier who arrived in 1589. The Japanese opposed Christianity and, in 1597, twenty-six missionaries were crucified

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HAWAII The Hawaiian Islands were our first stop after we left Long Beach, and when not preparing for Administrative Inspection, we had an opportunity to poke around Oahu. The first impressive sij ht when making our approach from seaward was Diamond Head, a familiar landmark that used to be a volcano. We could sec the beach at Waikiki with its rolling surf, exclusive hotels, thatched huts and fringe of palms. Ilickam Field and Pear! Harbor were next. We topped off, shifted berths and when Liberty Call was passed, the crew had a chance to visit Honolulu. Honolulu is the big town, roughly 275,000 population, and as Americana as Stateside. It starts at the waterfront and ambles through the foothills to the mountains beyond. Shoppers had a field day. Merchandise from all over the world overflows from the Honolulu stores, and also there were shops that dealt exclusively in Hawaiian souvenirs. There were the latest movies, concerts and museums specializing in Polynesian arts and culture, and, of course, service clubs. Honolulu is a melting pot of the races of the Pacific. Its people, Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Ilawaiians, and Mainlanders, live together, mostly out of doors, argue and play together and send their children to the same schools. There was pineapple, poi and pork roasted in bananas, and abundant recreational facilities, including swimming at Waikiki, former playground of Hawaiian kings, for three days following our rough voyage from the U.S. before we said Aloha to the Territory of Hawaii and continued on westward towards Yokosuka, Japan, our next port of call.

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by ofiic ' ials. The city was almost totally destroyed by the second atomic blast in World War II on August 9, 1945. Over 30,000 persons were killed and 40,000 injured. Nearly 20,000 homes were wiped out in the Urakami district. A park and a pylon mark the site of ground zero. The city has almost completed its recovery from the A-bomb blast, and it won ' t be too long before it will be able to assume its pre-war position as an important port in Japan. There aren ' t very many military personnel in Nagasaki, nor has there been in the past, hence an acute shortage of cabarets, restaurants and taxi cabs and Japanese who jive the pidgeon-navalese used in most ports of Japan by American sailors. Our next port of call was Sasebo, the westernmost city in Japan guarding the important narrows between Japan and the East China Sea. Sasebo is one of two major U.S. Navy bases in Japan. Since its establishment in 1886 as a naval station, it has grown into a major installation. The bay is considered one of the best typhoon shelters in Japan since it contains anchorages for practically an unlimited number of vessels. Nearby points of interest were Arita, noted for its pottery works, Takashima Pearl Farm, Unzen National Park and the seaside resort of Karatsu. We transited the Inland Sea, dodging fishing boats all the way, until we arrived in Nagoya in central Honshu. Nagoya, which lies about two-thirds of the way between Tokyo and Osaka, is one of the several cities in Japan to take advantage of war damages to remodel along modernistic and industrial lines. She is now the second largest industrial city in Japan with markets all over the world. The city ranks first in textiles, pottery and chinaware, sewing machines, clocks and bicycles. Places to see in Nagoya included the Nittayi and Koshoyii temples, Ise Shrine, Nippon Brewery, Toyopet Auto Factory, Noritake China Factory, Ando Cloisonne Factory and Nagoya castle. In May we returned to Japan to Kobe. Kobe is part of a four-city area that includes Osaka, Kyoto and Nara. Kobe, located on the north shore of Osaka Bay in central Honshu, is the largest port in Japan. It serves as the eastern gateway to the Inland Sea and is the maritime capital of Japan. The city itself is noted for its cosmopolitan atmosphere complete with western type hotels, night clubs, restaurants and shops. Visitors to Kobe throng to the Takarazuka Opera to see the all-girl musical revues. The show, reputed to be Japan ' s best, is always sold out in advance. The troupe recruits the most beautiful and talented girls in Japan. Twenty miles east of Kobe is Osaka, located in the Kinki District of central Japan, noted for its ancient history, culture and industrialization. It is the second largest city in Japan, and it is frequently described as the Venice of Nippon because of its numerous canals and bridges. The canals were the work of the fourth century Emperor Nintoku who made Osaka his capital. Today Osaka is the industrial center of the Far East, boasting over 9000 factories despite the fact that one third of the city and its population were wiped out during World War II. Kyoto is the old capital and cultural center of Japan. It was the ruling city in Japan for over 1000 years. The city is still famous for its temples, ancient buildings, objects of art and natural beauty. Its shopping districts reputedly have the best examples of Japanese craftsmanship in silk brocade, damascene, cloisonne, lacquerware, wood carvings, porcelain, dolls, wood prints and art objects. Nara, and the surrounding area, was the cradle of the arts and crafts, literature and recorded history of Japan. The first written histories of the nation were compiled there in the eighth century. At the height of its glory, Nara covered an extensive area with palaces, temples, public buildings and residences of noble and wealthy families. The city is still famous for its temples and shrines, beautiful parks, herds of tame deer and ancient stone lanterns.