Yokosuka Friendship Day

Chris will be traveling a lot this month and didn’t want to do anything this weekend. But he did want to go slog around in the blowing rain at the Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka Friendship Day for some reason. I did not have a good attitude about it, and while we did get all wet we had a really nice time venturing out in the storm as a family. We even got Isaac a starbucks mocha for the first time and got to enjoy his sparkly-eyed caffeinated personality. He is a delight.

This weekend was the first Yokosuka Friendship Day in four years because of Covid, and over 20,000 Japanese people preregistered and visited the base. The American restaurants are open, there was face painting, bowling, plus shows and ship tours. A bunch of carnival stuff got cancelled—the weather was really quite terrible. And the ship tour had the longest line I’ve ever seen that wasn’t for refugees. Seriously—more than a mile long. But the ship looked so cool with full dress: all the railings lined with colorful flags that stood out against the battleship gray of the ships and sky.

Without the crappy weather it would have been wonderful (although very crowded) I think. Pink and white lanterns strung over the brink path beneath a tree tunnel along the bay—lovely!

The kids were wondering what the point of Friendship Day is and why anyone would want to come. If I was a Japanese woman living in Yokosuka, I’d be interested to see the American-style peninsula in the middle of Japan. It also promotes good feelings of inclusion in the community instead of mystery and exclusion. But since it’s been cancelled so long, most of the Americans living here now have never been to one.

Not to sound like an old fart, but back in the day in Atsugi, open base days would have all the aircraft out on display. Each squadron would have a booth selling squadron t-shirts and patches. The spouse clubs usually sold coins or patches too, but the big American cupcakes were the real money makers. The same guys would come year after year to talk to the pilots and show off their patch collections. It was a lot of fun (and a lot of work), but I don’t remember ever having such awful weather.

Well, barring another pandemic, we can hope for better weather for Yokosuka Friendship Day next year!