Sasebo’s Shimanose Art Center opened its latest exhibition, “Waltz on the Western Edge,” on Oct. 31, 2025. As a coastal city, the ocean has always been vital to Sasebo’s livelihood and its place on Kyushu’s western edge has put it…
Stories Told in Stone: History and Remembrance at Sasebo’s Navy Cemetery
I like to visit Sasebo’s former naval cemetery at Highasi Park from time to time, looking at ship memorials and enjoying the changing seasons there. It’s Japan’s largest naval cemetery and since the first burials in 1892, it’s kept alive…
Experiencing Japanese History Through Travel: Sasebo Chinjufu Kaiheidan (Sasebo & Nimitz Park)
Today we look at the shared past of Nimitz Park and Sasebo Park as the Sasebo Chinjufu’s Kaiheidan. All history postcards are in my personal collection and all uncredited photography is by me. Photos/Videos of individuals taken with permission. Sakai…
The Titan of Sasebo
One of the things I miss about living in Sasebo is being surrounded by the historic and still used remains of a century old naval arsenal. In the majestic herd of towering cranes that rise over ancient red brick warehouses…
Ringing in the New Year at Sasebo’s Kameyama Hachiman-gu Shrine
I was a few days late for it, but I went to Sasebo for my first takoyaki of the year! Oh, and I also made my first shrine visit of the year too. Hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the…
Sasebo Fort: Exploring Ruins with a View
When Commodore Perry arrived in 1853 to deliver a letter, Japan had no means to keep the postman away. The nation was sent into chaos resulting in the overthrowing of the Shogunate, abolition of the feudal system and social class…
Evangelion and Japanese Swords Exhibition Opens in Sasebo
Bringing together two unique Japanese art forms, anime and traditional sword-making, the Evangelion and Japanese Swords exhibition opened at the Sasebo City Museum Shimanose Art Center on Apr. 13, 2019. This long-running, traveling exhibition has about 20 unique blades created…
The Greatest Competition Comes to Sasebo
I have achieved a dream three years in the making. On Dec. 1, 2018 I participated in a competition greater than the Olympics, Daytona 500 and Army/Navy Game combined. I of course speak of the Sasebo Goeikan (Escort Ship) Curry…
The Other Sasebo: Kids on the Slope Film Locations in Showa no Machi
Back in March my wife and I saw Sakamichi no Apollon (Kids on the Slope), a movie about a trio of high school kids who bond over jazz in 1966 Sasebo. It was kind of a big deal in Sasebo…
The Base Beyond the Gates: Walking the former Sasebo Chinjufu
One of the things I like the most about living in Sasebo is that its naval history surrounds me and is accessible on a scale I haven’t seen at the other former Imperial Japanese Navy port cities. (Kure comes close…