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Kon-nichi-wa (Good day or hello/Japanese)
ARRIVING IN YOKOHAMA
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As Pride II sailed under the Yokohama Bay
Bridge on her first visit to Yokohama, she was accompanied by
an old friend, Kaisei, a Japanese tall ship. The two ships
had crossed paths previously in England so Kaisei's presence
added a special feeling of friendship on this visit to Maryland's
sister state of Kanagawa Prefecture.
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While they were still out of sight of
the waiting crowds, the crew of Kaisei launched water balloons
at the crew of Pride II. Reaching back to the defensive tactics
that made topsail schooners famous in 1812, Pride II fired a cannon
at close range. A surprised Kaisei crew answered with another
volley of water balloons. As the friendly battle ended and the
ships neared the harbor, Pride II regrouped for a proper entrance
to Yokohama. In the light wind, Captain Parrott sailed in view
of the dock and fired cannons to announce our arrival. Meanwhile,
crowds of spectators and media (television & newspaper) snapped
photos from balconies and waterfront parks.
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| Once ashore, the local dignitaries
stepped aboard to welcome us. Maryland State Secretary of Transportation,
David Winstead, offered greetings on behalf of Maryland Governor
Glendening and Baltimore Mayor Schmoke. Gifts were exchanged
and Captain Parrott expressed our pleasure at being in Yokohama.
Adding a colorful moment to the ceremony, Miss Yokohama presented
the crew with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
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Later that evening,
the crew of Kaisei invited us to join in a special crew
dinner aboard their ship. It was a chance for the crews to "talk
shop" (about their jobs). In this business of sailing tall
ships, conversation frequently leads to talk of distant ports in
foreign lands. One of the dinner guests proved to be quite
interesting. Her name was Sumiyo Tsuzuki and on May 25, 1998,
she as standing on top of Mt. Everest! On a previous trip to
the mountain, she assisted in the filming of the new
IMAX movie about Mt. Everest. Since tall ship crew members are fond of adventure,
she was soon surrounded by a group of us who were eager to hear
the details. The port welcome and the dinner by the crew of Kaisei
created a warm feeling of friendship to pave our way for exploring
the great port of Yokohama.
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| Later in the week, Captain Parrott
and I met with Vice Governor Murotani who expressed her enthusiasm
for the visit by Pride Of Baltimore II. Captain Parrott
was given a lovely wooden mosaic picture of Mt Fuji to take home
to Governor Glendenning.
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THE PORT OF YOKOHAMA
In her 19th
century style, Pride II rests quietly at her dock in the shadow
of Yokohama's newest shopping, hotel, and conference center. These
massive white buildings grace the harbor with a presence which,
by the very nature of their design, attracts attention. Landmark
Tower rises a stunning 70 stories and is Japan's tallest
skyscraper. This immense building houses international restaurants,
offices, a sports complex, a multi-purpose hall, and a hotel.
The hotel stretches from the 49th to the 70th
floor and is serviced by the world's fastest elevators.
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When you explore the shopping mall
in the complex, you find a shopper's paradise of international
brand name stores. Signs along the walkways of the multilevel
mall proudly announce names such as Timberland, Laura Ashley,
Harrods, Eddie Bauer, Disney, and Haggen Daas Ice Cream. In light
of Yokohama's history, it seems appropriate for this city to have
such an impressive shopping complex. As one of the first Japanese
cities to open to the world for trade in 1859, Yokohama is noted
for introducing new ideas to the country. Japan's first bakery,
railway line, newspaper, and ice cream shop originated (began)
here.
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Today another showplace
of the port is Yamashista Park. The park offers a wonderful
natural setting dotted with lovely flower gardens where people
can take a leisurely walk along the harbor. One of the gardens
encircles a monument proclaiming friendship between the Girl Scouts
of American and the Girl Scouts of Japan. It reminded me that
it is young people who understand best that the differences between
cultures should not stand in the way of global friendships.
REVISITING THE DAYS OF THE TITANIC
On July 15, Yamashista Park was
full of studnets on field trips! The school year in Japan does not end
until July 20. Based on the crowds of students pausing for a
picnic lunch in Yamashista Park, the location is a popular place
for end-of-year excursions. The park is close to the Yokohama
Archives of History, the Marine Tower, and the permanently moored
passenger ship, Hikawa-Maru, which is open to visitors.
In light of all the fuss about the movie Titanic (which
is presently playing in Yokohama), I thought I might give the
Hikawa-Maru a look.
She was launched in 1930 and made 238
trips from Yokohama to Seattle, WA (USA) and Vancouver (Canada).
The American silent film comedian, Charlie Chaplin, was a passenger
in 1932. In this age of jumbo jets, it is difficult for us to
imagine the role that passenger ocean liners played almost 60
years ago. In 1930 the world was larger in that in took lots of
time to travel to places on the other side of the world. Today,
airliners can cross the Pacific Ocean in less than 12 hours -
a distance that required weeks of travel on the open ocean in
1930. Perhaps the difference in time also lends itself to a difference
in effort and anticipation. As on Titanic, when you travel
more slowly, you have the opportunity to give more thought to what
lies ahead.
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I thought about the hopes and dreams of the passengers who walked
here in 1930. I wondered who they were and why they might have
chosen to make this trip. Peering into the restored passenger
cabins did not reveal the stories behind these travelers. And
as I gazed into the Captain's cabin, I saw not only the glory,
but the responsibility. Looking at the lifeboats, it occurred
to me that, unlike the passengers on the Titanic, the travelers
on Hikawa-Maru had the opportunity to realize their dreams.
Ships and planes have the magical ability to transport people
to fascinating new places. Even today, for people who are making
their first journey, these machines are avenues of adventure.
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YOKOHAMA SHIPS
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As the first Japanese port open to
foreign trade, it is fitting that Yokohama boasts a nice collection
of ships. In addition to the passenger liner, Hikawa-Maru,
a sail training ship is also docked at the waterfront - the Nippon-Maru.
Although she is retired now from her duties as a sail training
vessel for students going to work on merchant ships, she still
proudly retains (holds onto) her name of "Swan of the Pacific."
As I cruised the gift shop, I was amused to find a miniature
of Pride of Baltimore II in a bottle. We were here in
spirit on the other side of the globe even before we arrived!
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Aside from the
ships open for tourists, Yokohama is also a vibrant (active)
port. The number of incoming ships exceeds 53,000 per year. Of
these, almost 12,000 are ocean-going. In addition to welcoming
modern passenger ships, the port's imports and exports include
automobiles, containers of consumer goods, timber, and crude oil.
Much of the area of the port has been constructed on reclaimed
land, which means it was water at one time. Presently a Marine
Tower, the tallest lighthouse (106 meters) in the world, marks
Go to Part 2 of the July 17, 1998 Log
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