From Wellsville to the World: Japan Part I

It was off to Japan in Aug. [July] ‘65 after saying "Sayonara" to our friends, the Ts in Cincinnati and the Rs in Fairborn.
The first leg of our trip to Japan was driving to Wellsville to visit with Mom + Dad H and to leave [the dog,] Snoopy, with his new "parents." We had good intentions, but he couldn't adjust to his new environment, and they had to find a new home for him. It was a sad day for all of us!

Snoopy

Our 45 mile drive to the Pittsburg Airport was uneventful, and our TWA flight to Calif. went well. From there we flew via PAA [Pan American Airways] to Alaska, then on to Tachikawa. It was sad saying sayonara to our family + friends, but exciting looking forward to moving to a foreign country for a three year tour.
Our friends from W/P met us with a jug of martinis because they knew we would be tired from the long trip. We were! They located a motel nearby. It was comfy + we slept for 12 hours, then ready to go. Our first stop was the billeting office where we decided to move into a comfortable 3 BR nicely furnished apartment at Kanto Mura, a housing area for military + civilian employees. Our apartment had a dining area, living room, kitchen + ½ bath on the first floor, and 3 bedrooms + bath on the second. There was a theatre, chapel, commissary + large high school, elem. and junior h. s. on the grounds.
Tachikawa Air Base where Bert worked was about ten miles from our home. Kanto Mura was just ten miles from Tokyo. The rail system provided plentiful trains out our back gate.
Japan has many celebrations and we arrived in July, so we were there in time to witness the Obon Festival. This is a celebration of the well being of the spirits of their departed loved ones.
It didn’t take long to learn the secret of the "good life" in Japan. You don’t stay home. You get outside the prison walls + join the other okasans [okaasans/mothers] for coffee, luncheon, and bridge.
One of the perks was getting good help at a reasonable price. Hatsue came to us + we hired her for three days a week. After she was there a short time, she asked if she could come just two days a week as there wasn't enough to keep her busy!

Base housing in Kanto Mura

Base housing

Hammy in the kitchen

Rob A and Kent with a lonnng carrot (1965)

Neighbors Major Les and Jan A, Lt Colonel Bert and Hammy

Hammy, Kim Michael, Kent, and Bert at a ryokan/

Japanese inn, wearing yukatas/summer kimonos (1965)

Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs S ready for the ball
at the Sanno Hotel in Tokyo (1965)

Kim Michael, Bert, and Kent at cherry blossom time (1966)

Find Bert and Hammy, Kent and Kim Michael!

Bert & Hammy feeding deer at Nara Park

Kim Michael feeding a deer

Hammy in front of the Nandaimon Gate at Nara Park

Bert and Kim Michael with parasols

Bert at Nara Park

Hammy on a ship or ferry...

Chofu High School Homecoming Parade;
Kent is in the passenger seat as escort
to the Homecoming Queen (1966)

Viking ship float for the Chofu HS Vikings (1966)

Chofu High School Marching Band (1966)

Kim Michael in his band uniform (1966)

Explorer Scout Kim Michael (1966)

Kim Michael, Kent, Hammy, and Bert (October 1966 in Fuchu, Japan)

Kent, Kim Michael, Hammy, Bert (1966 in Fuchu);
used as the Christmas card photo

Kent + Mike were both happily settled in school, each meeting new friends + happy in Jr. High and high school - making good adjustments, so I decided to sign up for substitute teaching at Chofu Elem. and the ASIJ – Amer. School in Japan (out the back gate).
I also joined the Tachi Wives Club, and attended the monthly meetings. I was nominated to run for Asst. Treasurer, although I really objected, but as the boss's wife insisted, I accepted. They voted me in!
One of the most interesting luncheons was when Lola O'T + I were seated with two very interesting ladies, Miss M and Mrs. Honda. We exchanged mementos + Mrs. Honda graciously invited us to come visit her. Miss M insisted we should visit her friend, Mrs. Honda. We missed our chance of seeing this lovely lady's home by declining the invitation. She was the real Mrs. Honda, of Honda Motors!

Christmas at the Ambassador's home (1966)

Kim Michael, Kent, and Hammy,
Christmas in Kanto Mura (1966)

Kim Michael, Kent, and Bert,
Christmas in Kanto Mura (1966)

Hammy (Christmas 1966)

Our tour of Japan was from 1965-1968, and it was during the Vietnam War period. The boys and I took advantage of that period to tour the area, but Bert was busy at work. He traveled to the Philippines, Taiwan, Bangkok and Saigon on business, while we had fun traveling on the trains locally to see the sights in the Tokyo-Yokohama area.

Hammy and Kim Michael on the local train

We did have an interesting trip - the four of us - to a riachan [ryokan] - a Japanese inn where we slept on the floor Japanese style.

A friend, Kim Michael, and Hammy in yukatas/casual summer
kimonos, enjoying shabu shabu, a hot pot meal

In the ryokan dining room

Hammy in a yukata

Bert in a yukata

Kim Michael is outside in his bathrobe!

We did have fun meeting different people in Japan. One of our favorites who became a long-time friend was Yasuo K, better known to us as Y.K.
Hatsue, our maid, asked us if we’d like to have “an office boy" come for conversational English. We jumped at it. Bert met him one evening at the “Back Gate.” He handed Bert his card which read Yasuo K, PhD Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology. He was a delight! He came once a week for the three years we were there. We always had a topic for discussion weekly. He was very formal that first night, but after that, he played his guitar, with feet up on our couch + sang his favorite tune "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hairs!"

YK and Kim Michael (1966)

Kent, YK, Kim Michael, and Bert (1966)

Interestingly, our friendship continued over the years - first in Japan and then in the States. No matter where he was in the U.S., giving his lectures of "Heat Transfers," he would come see us. He got a year's sabbatical at Purdue [University], and brought his wife + two small sons with him to visit us one Christmas in Rocky River, Ohio. What fun!
In addition to our Y.K. + family, we enjoyed our friend, Haru D whom we met in Mariemont when she was an Exchange Student there. She visited us in Kanto Mura, and she + her husband Mitani-san invited us to come to Osaka which we did. We visited her parents, and we spent the night with them at their lovely farm house. Haru's father owned a large onion farm which I am sure was a great money maker for them.