Recently Kids on the Slope (Sakamichi no Apollon) came out in theaters and its not an understatement to say it’s been a big deal in Sasebo. The movie is about a trio of high school students who bond over their…
Aloha Sakura Trees Planted in Maizuru by Reenactors, Nisei Veterans and Family
World War II reenactors often recreate past battles and even the down time of soldiers, but in Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture, 20 Japanese reenactors came out to recreate the planting of sakura trees by Japanese American soldiers Mar. 10, 2018. Known…
Remains of the past – Fujisawa Airfield
Mr. Krigbaum often writes about WWII ruins and the remains of wartime facilities down where he lives in Kyushu. Today, it is my turn to write about the remains of a wartime facility not far from where I live in…
Katashima Revisited
Though I published a story on the Katashima Torpedo Testing Facility last summer, I actually visited the site nearly a year before but due to work and other factors concerning interviews and research for the Homefront series its completion and…
Nagano Monkey Business
In my last article about a recent return to Matsushiro, that I was passing through Nagano on my way home from chasing monkeys in the nearby mountains. So today, we are going to take a break from the usual…
A Holiday in Shikoku (Part I)
There are many fine places in Japan to spend a long holiday weekend but the one I think doesn’t get enough consideration is Shikoku. Maybe it’s because Navy MWR doesn’t plan tours there, but for those willing to drive the…
A Return to Matsushiro
Two years ago, when we first started Wayfarer Daves, the first full article we published was about the unfinished Matsushiro Daihonei, or Imperial General Headquarters in Matsushiro, a small village in Nagano, Japan. You can find Mr. Krigbaum’s original…
New Year, New Destinations
Jan. 1 has come and gone which can only mean one thing… the 76th anniversary of the Battle of Layac Junction, the opening salvo of the Battle of Bataan, has also just occurred and I missed my chance to say…
Climbing Big Mountain
It was a fine, fall Saturday – partly sunny skies, pleasant temperatures, and lingering fall colors. It was a great day for a hike, so I decided to head back to Oyama – literally Big Mountain in Japanese- a holy…
Picnic among the Pits: Tajimadake Naval Guard Station and Submarine No. 43 Memorial
Looking up at the sky, I imagined what it was like standing here and watching more than 100 heavy bombers fly overhead. Tajimadake, a high hill with the city of Sasebo spread out before it, housed a battery of anti-aircraft…