House Hunting

Right now I live on the ship, in overflow berthing. Woof. The Navy gives a generous housing allowance (the Japanese gov't gives our Navy money to do this to stimulate the local real estate), so finding a place is not particularly limited by cost. Last night I was in Yokohama, an awesome city to the north, about a 30 min train/ subway right away. It is extremely nice, plus the nightlife is way better than the Honch, the local scene in Yokosuka (real divey). The only reason not to live in Yokohama is that it is so far away. But some people do. I am looking for something closer, a nice area and really nice building, with other navy people, with nice scenery. Everyone is very helpful with advice, but I keep forgetting where they suggest because its Japanese words. Basically, I'll have to get a place really fast when we return from my first deployment, and I'll probably have to settle.

Speaking of Japanese words, it is amazing how well some of my fellow officers know Japanese. They fall in love with the country, keep doing tours here, and before you know it they are awesome at speaking it. Right now I am too busy learning my Job to really dive into Japanese, but it is high on my to do list. It is really awesome to see other officers use Japanese to Japanese. Its a door opener.

Speaking of my job, my position is CE Division Officer, CE DivO. I work in communication electronics. There are communication electronics EVERYwhere on the dang ship, so we own a lot of equipment. It is a very technical department, opposed to the deck or nav. I will basically do paperwork for repair and admin stuff for the people in my div. There are 18 people in the div, one of the biggest on the ship. It will be a challenge to grasp, and I've already been told in a couple of months I will be moved to the CC div to be the CommO, communications officer. Woof.



Back to Yokohama, we were there for a Wetting ceremony. We were saying goodbye to two LTjg's who were leaving the ship. They briefly gave a welcoming to me, the newest in the wardroom. The party was paid for by those who got promoted - they put their first promotion check into throwing a free party for the wardroom. We had it at this American bbq place called the Taproom. The XO and CO where there, and most the JO's. Around 20 people in all. I am so lucky to be on the LASSEN, the wardroom is very tightly knit, which is not the case for all ships. Everyone has been really welcoming and friendly. I can only hope to achieve the level of friendship I can see in the others in the wardroom.

Two Things

I've discovered two things: one is the explanation of why so many Japanese wives. Let's put aside the cultural explanations of why so many navy men end up with Japanese wives, that conversation I know nothing about. What I have observed is that most people who marry a native are usually not on their first marriage. Maybe they have kids with the ex American wife, and that Japanese women provide younger, better looking women than he would otherwise get in America. Basically, you can reach out of your league with Japanese women for some reason. I hate to say this, but when a sailor gets married and has kids right after joining he navy at age 18, the marriage will take a miracle to last. But tons of people do it, like everyone. So when you're first navy marriage ceases, start the Japanese one!

The other thing is about being the newest Ensign on the ship. Everyone will know that you are the newest ensign. This is obvious in the wardroom, but enlisted will know too. Some first class even knew that I had golf clubs sent to the ship even though I had not introduced myself. Again tonight, I had a sailor from the Lassen come up to me at the rec center and say hello, had never seen him before. With this type of fame, first impressions will carry. So don't have your first impression be golf clubs that show up before you do.

Biggest Man in Town

Today on my Sunday off, I went to the town of Yokosuka for the first time. Technically it was my first time in Japan because bases are US soil. Yoko has about 400k people - not too shabby. Once off the base, Americans thin out and you are surrounded by swarms of Japanese. Old, young business, school age, it has it all. One great thing about Yoko is that it is not too cramped. It has only a handful of tight building street, but the rest is pretty open, with hills in the back of the main district. I walked through a rose garden area across from the Navy docks where old artists would be sitting on stools water coloring the roses





Here is a view of the shopping center from a distance. I walked in, than walked immediately out. Shopping centers are perhaps the place where I feel most foreign. Massive amounts of color, japanese writing, advertisement models with extreme eye contact - they are a trip.



One of the highlights was walking down a side street that was obviously preying on American tourists. "Urban clothes", kareoke bars advertising beer pong, and knock off military fatigues littered this street called "Robuit st." (I think??) Luckily, I saw this gem, too bad it was closed.



Here was another indoor/ outdoor shop strip



Yokosuka seemed to have an interesting musical theme. There where storm drain with trumpets in the medal work, and multiple statues with this gentlemen playing with his shirt off at the train station.



During my stroll through Yoko, I might have been the biggest person in the city. There were taller, but none with my 210lbs. Maybe some other american sailors I saw were bigger, but I was def in the top 99%.



Overall, Yoko is clean, yet pretty run down. The natural beauty is its strenth, not the infrastructure. I only saw one homeless man, where in any other metro center in the world there would have been tons in that tourist shopping center environment.



Going into town is extremely invigorating, even if it is in the tourist trap for military personel (double whammy).

Fresh Meat

After watching the dingy drive away without me Friday morning, I had to report on Saturday, when the Lassen would dock in the pier. I watched my ship slowly pull in, deck crew in parade rest. After getting within a couple of feet, the mooring lines where placed, and bridge to the quarterdeck was installed by a crane. I was watching this happened with all of the Navy wives and toddlers, with gift baskets and high heels. The young wives get particularly dolled up, while the older ones with multiple children wear t-shirts.

Here is a picture of me and the LASSEN pulling in...


After a LTJG named Johny met me, we lugged my three heavy bags onto the ship. Every officer seemed to be expecting me, everyone extremely friendly. I am the newest officer, thus the fresh meat of the wardroom. After admin processing, urinalysis, and a chat with the captain, I moved my stuff down to overflow berthing, where I would be staying until I got a stateroom.



Cramped, yes, extremely. At least it is not on a submarine. Because it was a weekend, the ship cleared out, and we were left to go to liberty until Monday. On the way out, a briefly got lost trying to escape the ship. The rooms are in a labyrinth of steep stairs and heavy doors. It will take quite some time for me to navigate the small amount of the ship I have been in so far. I can imagine while underway not seeing the sun for a couple of days. In true ensign form, I will most likely have to be escorted around for a couple of days.

Anyway here is an interesting shot of the base. Large cliffy hills with lush vegetation. This picture is of the swimming pool at the rec center.



I'm still working on my scenery picture skills.
That is all for now. I am about to drive into the Yokosuka city for the first time to explore. More pictures to come.

Hello, Please

I showed up in Japan on June 1, 2011, already late for my orders. After OCS, Intro SWOS, and EKMS manager school, my reporting to the LASSEN has been a long time coming. Right now, I am in the BOQ about to spend my third and final night before moving into the ship until I find a place to live in Yokosuka. I am on the one yard line, about to punch it into the endzone and start my real job.

I intend this blog to be about life in Japan. Undoubtedly, there will be a full dose of Navy life as well.

Here is an extremely unimpressive photo...


Behold! street flow is opposite. Large trees everywhere