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DATE:	MONDAY, July 29, 1998
POSITION:	Dockside, Tokyo, Japan
ENTERED BY:	Captain Dan Parrott

Greetings from Tokyo,

PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II entered the harbor at Tokyo on Saturday afternoon, after making the short run of twelve miles from Kawasaki. The breeze was on the nose coming into port which required us to use the engine to get up into the inner harbor. However, a large triangular basin of nearly a mile on each side opened up enough for us to maneuver under sail alone. Under all plain sail, we tacked back and forth along the waterfront, occasionally heeling to a northerly puff that found its way between the skyscrapers. For the first time since arriving in Japan, there was no official welcome awaiting us ashore. The bright side of this was that we were free to sail around a little longer than if we had a ceremony to get to on schedule. So we sailed. We were secure alongside a little after 1400. Some of our old friends from the KAI SEI were there to meet us and take our lines.

Tokyo is the capital of Japan. It is glitter and flash. It has an attractive harbor and a variety of waterfront developments and parklands, in addition to commercial shipping activity. There is something of a canal system running through the city, and whole neighborhoods are perched along these waterways. Unfortunately for the crew, touring was not the order of the day this time around.

There are many final preparations to be completed before sailing for home. There is fuel to take on. There are food and stores to take aboard, label, and stow. Medical supplies must be sorted through and replenished. The chart inventory for the West Coast must be checked and double-checked. (It is no good to arrive on a gloomy night and discover that you don't have the right chart for the area you are entering.) We have to get laundry out one last time and make sure we have adequate filters and spare parts for our machinery. Arrangements must be made for the disposal of oil slops, so that we have maximum storage capacity upon leaving. It is an old sailor's superstition that sailing without a spare toner cartridge for the fax/printer is bad luck, so we best find one of those. We need garbage bags, paint filters, spare light bulbs and pencils, plenty of Clorox, dish soap, sponges, rope, twine, sail needles, linseed oil, and flashlight batteries. Many of these things we stock on a regular basis, but now is the time to check. Oh yes, and toilet paper. Back home at our office, folks are scrambling to box up any last minute items that cannot be found out here and send them to us. And I hear that one last installment of mail is on the way. It'll take about one month to cross the Pacific to Seattle.

They said that the rainy season would end on the July 25. I don't know how they know these things. Actually, they don't know these things because it came down rats and dogs on the morning of the 26th. But the 27th brought a day such as we have not yet seen in Japan. Back home it might be thought of as an ordinary, nice day. But for here, it was a stunner. By noon, cumulonimbus clouds were developing to a tremendous height in the most classic fashion imaginable.

More telling of a seasonal change in the weather was the sighting of Mount Fuji while out sailing one evening. Between the smokestacks, the grain elevators, the derricks, and the cranes, I sighted that distinctive and perfect cone floating above the clouds, silouetted against the western sky. Mount Fuji is a giant of nature that looms above the man-made giants of Tokyo. During our stay in Kawasaki, when time off was more available, five members of the crew climbed Mount Fuji. Tina, our intrepid cook, went first and climbed it by herself wearing only her Birkenstocks. (On her feet.) Then Engineer Mike Rogers ascended a day or two later. Finally, half of the Port Watch - Chief Mate Wesley Heerssen, Bosun Chris Flansburg, and Deckhand Christine Dyer - made the trip. All came back with tales of amazement.

Tomorrow, I will sign off as Master and Captain Miles will take the con again. Jan has been out here all along, staying ashore and acting as our "advance person." Japan has been a treat and an eye-opening experience, even for the well-traveled. What I like best about visiting a foreign country aboard PRIDE II is that, unlike the typical tourist, we have something to show and share with the people. We are proud of the ship and are pleased to share it. We have brought something with us from our country that is exciting and interesting to others, and this sets us apart from the typical traveler. One Japanese gentleman expressed his deep appreciation of our having come so far by penning this note to me here in Tokyo:

Dear Captain,

I have been on the tiptoe of expectation for your speedy sailing boat, "PRIDE OF BALTIMORE the Second." Welcome to the quay at Tokyo. I am very glad to see all of you here. Also I wish to have the bonds of America and Japan relationship deeply and forever. I supplicate your sailing to various countries of the world successfully, without a trouble.

Yours Sincerely,
A. Yokoyama

That about sums it up. I will look forward to re-joining the ship and this remarkable crew in Seattle. As they say here in Japan, "Bon Voyage!"

Watch Below,
Capt. Daniel S. Parrott

Greetings from PRIDE II in Kawasaki:

The Japan whirlwind continues apace, but we are now beginning to focus on the return voyage across the Pacific to the U.S. West Coast. Asia is winding down, and the long homeward run to Baltimore by Thanksgiving is coming into view.

Yokohama: July 11-18, 1998

PRIDE II stayed in Yokohama for a week. Of all the major cities visited in Japan, this one has the richest maritime past, at least since Commodore Mathew Perry paid his respects down the coast at Kurihama. In Yokohama, even the man-hole covers are adorned with a square-rigged sailing ship under full sail. Yokohama was a mere fishing village, but Perry's visit led directly to it becoming Japan's premier port for trading with the Americas and Europe. Many foreigners lived in Yokohama, including a large Chinese community which thrives to this day. The Chinatown of Yokohama boasts a small but incredibly colorful and elaborate temple to rival any neighborhood in China. Yokohama became particularly important for the export of silk. The Silk Museum located downtown documents the special importance of this commodity to the port.

Yokohama's maritime past is reflected in many ways. The NIPPON MARU, now retired from service, was a sail training ship for Japanese merchant mariners for many decades. She is now a museum and lies at a permanent berth in the harbor. She and her successor, the NIPPON MARU II, claim Yokohama as their hailing port. The new harborside re-development project tips its hat to Baltimore in many ways. Most unusual is the preservation of a vast stone graving dock right in the midst of a sprawling shopping mall.

Yokohama is home to the Sail Training Association of Japan (STAJ), and their hermaphrodite brig, the KAI SEI. KAI SEI means "ocean planet," referring to planet Earth. The people of the JSTA and the KAI SEI made PRIDE II very welcome during our week in port. Not only did they escort us in under sail, but we hosted a number of Open Houses with them. Upon arrival, there was a brief dual between the two vessels as they lobbed water balloons at us in jest. Honor would not allow me to idly stand such treatment, and since our guns just happened to be pricked and primed, we had little choice but to let fly with a broadside at close range that shook them from keel to topsail. Old Tom Boyle, CHASSEUR's master of 1812 fame, would have been pleased. The unorthodox welcome aside, KAI SEI and the STAJ showed the true spirit of cooperation that exists between traditional sailing ships throughout the world by assisting with the many challenges of supplying and operating PRIDE II so far from home. Their cook assisted our cook, Tina Koch, with shopping and preparing Japanese recipes. Their bosun helped our bosun, Chris Flansburg, find such elusive seagoing items as squeegees and a plug for the sink. Not as insignificant as you might think. Their Executive Director, Mr. Ogimi, helped us locate dive equipment so that we can scrub PRIDE II's hull clean before setting out on the long voyage home. The two ships lay across the pier from one another, and there was a great exchange between the two ships -- in the normal way of things. The irony is that seven years earlier, the two ships lay stem to stern along the quay in Weymouth, England. Both Captain Miles and myself were aboard PRIDE II at that time, and some of their crew remained from those early days. So there we were, reunited half a globe away.

Yokohama is in the Prefecture (like a State in the U.S.) of Kanagawa, which is a Sister State of Maryland. Because of this connection, PRIDE II was a special focus of interest at both the official and unofficial level. A short sail was conducted with students from a local school, and though it poured down rain the entire time, the students remained enthusiastic throughout. I believe they enjoyed themselves as much as anyone ever has aboard PRIDE II. Most unexpected was the hospitality of the Chesapeake Club, an organization of Kanagawa Japanese who have lived or traveled in Maryland, or feel some sense of connection with the State of Maryland.

The members of the Chesapeake Club escorted the crew on a tour of the ancient religious town of Kamakura. In Kamakura, the crew visited exquisite Shinto temple gardens where rivulets and waterfalls enwreathed shrines and statues that had stood for well over a thousand years. We walked around inside the Daibutsu, a giant bronze Buddha, and crept through a candlelit cave where ancient gods were carved out of the living rock and incense burned, as it has for untold generations. A holy place is unmistakable, wherever one finds it.

KAWASAKI July 18-25, 1998

Sailing day from Yokohama was pleasant enough, though we continue to see little wind. Rain, however, is a regular event. Especially on maintenance days, so it seems. Yokohama, Kawasaki, and Tokyo comprise one contiguous urban area. Therefore, the trip to Kawasaki was only about two hours. Friends from KAI SEI, the city government, the Port Authority, and the Prefecture waved us farewell, and off we went.

The volume of shipping and the size of the vessels continues to amaze us here in Japan. Vessels, seemingly as large as a city, loom out of the haze and vanish again. Out in Tokyo Bay, the crew scrambled to get sail on for the Kawasaki arrival. PRIDE II tacked languidly in the light airs, but tack she did, a tribute to her fine design and construction.

Arriving at the appointed hour, we were met by fireboats and a stunning performance by a band and drum majorettes. PRIDE II slipped into a cozy berth just off a shipping canal that flows between the mainland and several offshore docklands. The chart of Kawasaki shows little in the way of a natural harbor. The extensive port facilities have been created largely by landfill. Everywhere in Japan, land is being created on a grand scale. It is a natural response in an industrial country that has abundant mountain regions and little low land in the coastal zone. The traditional port near the city center, such as may have existed, has long since been filled in and is now well inland. As a result, we are moored some distance from the downtown, at an offshore island that is occupied mostly by shipping activity.

Kawasaki is a Sister City to Baltimore. This fact has generated a great deal of enthusiasm for the ship. A tremendous effort was made by the Port and the City of Kawasaki to accommodate PRIDE II and to inform the general public that we are here. The ship has conducted several short sails for citizens, as well as hosting an Open House for the people of Kawasaki. It was especially thrilling to pass through the subway stations and see enormous posters of PRIDE II emblazoned on the pillars and walls, inviting folks to come aboard.

In the course of touring the city, the crew were taken to the Kawasaki City Museum, where several exhibits caught our eyes. Among these were some Andy Warhol works and a photographic essay of life in Manzanar, one of the concentration camps for Japanese-Americans in California set up during World War II. But, perhaps of more relevance to the history of Baltimore, were two shadowy daguerreotype portraits set in their own case in a very prominent part of the museum. Mr. Fukagawa, the Curator for Prints, Drawings, and Photographs came down to explain. These two portraits are the earliest photographs of Japanese people known to exist. Nothing was known about these images until a few years ago when a private Japanese collector notified the museum that the two photos bore a striking resemblance to woodcut images appearing in an issue of the "Illustrated News" an American circular from the year 1853. Seems that the news article dealt with the rescue of several Japanese seamen by an American Revenue Service cutter that found them adrift off the West Coast of the US. Well, well.

The lucky lads were landed in San Francisco, photographed by a Baltimorean named H. R. Marks, and repatriated. The whole episode is a riddle of the type for which historians live. Who were these wayward sailors? Who was Marks? What was he doing in San Francisco? And so on. The revelation has generated correspondence between Baltimore and the Kawasaki City Museum, and has been cited as supporting evidence by those who theorize that North America was no stranger to shipwrecked Asians long before European exploration. The fact that a photographer from Baltimore is credited with the first photographic record of the Japanese people creates a peculiar and interesting link between Baltimore and Kawasaki, of which many people here are quite proud.

As a departure gift to the ship, the Kawasaki Chamber of Commerce initiated us to an unfamiliar Japanese tradition. We were presented with a large paper maché head with white circles for eyes. At the outset of a great undertaking of any kind, such as our voyage home to Baltimore, one eye is colored in. Upon completion of the task, the other eye is colored in. So Mr. Nagai, the President of the Kawasaki Chamber of Commerce, and I colored in one eye with a black marker in the presence of all. Upon our safe return, we are charged with coloring in the other eye and sending a photograph back to Kawasaki.

Other Shipboard News

Deckhand and Assistant Engineer Jennifer Muther signed off in Kawasaki. She is the lone veteran of the outbound PRIDE II crew that sailed down the Chesapeake Bay on a chilly December's day in 1997, bound for Asia and the great unknown. There may be many things that we don't know about Asia, but it can never again represent the great unknown for the PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II. Just as the early mariners learned, what has been done once can be done again.

It was appropriate that on the eve of Jennifer's departure, we hosted a reception for the City of Baltimore where Cal Ripken (No. 8) T-shirts were presented to the guests and crew. I could think of no more appropriate farewell token for PRIDE II's own Ironwoman, "Streak Muther."

Like the Good Humor ice cream man making the rounds of an American neighborhood on a summer's eve, the plaintive melody of a ramen cart horn echoes through the deserted docklands of Kawasaki. The ramen man cometh. For whom the ramen cart tolls? Gone with the ramen cart. Fishermen, their wives, sons, and daughters line the wharves toward twilight like cardboard cutouts of humanity propped up by that indescribable blend of hope and serenity that is the soul of fishing the world over. Fishing is one of the world's great common denominators.

Watch Below,
Capt. Daniel S. Parrott

PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II sailed into Yokohama harbor at the stroke of noon, Saturday, July 11. As indicated in the previous log, we made a rapid passage from Nagoya due to favorable winds combined with a fair current. The vessel covered about 220 miles in less than 30 hours. This placed me in the pleasant position of choosing what to do with the extra day and a half before our expected arrival at Yokohama. Fortunately, an intriguing option presented itself.

Some weeks earlier, it was brought to my attention that the people of the port of Kurihama, at the mouth of Tokyo Bay, were wondering if our schedule would permit an unofficial call on our way to Yokohama since it was right on the way. Their reasons for this request were rooted in American history. In 1853, Commodore Perry and a fleet of naval ships were sent to Japan to more or less demand the right of American merchants to trade with Japan. Up until that time, the shoguns had successfully enforced the virtual isolation of Japan from foreign contact. Perry's vessels made their historic visit to the harbor of Kurihama, and landed at a cove around the corner named Uraga. Perry's heavily armed mission carried an implicit threat of force, and a trade agreement was concluded soon after. Trade led to exposure to western products, methods, and ideas. Friendly and fruitful relationships began to develop between individual Americans and Japanese, as well official and commercial ties. Japan would never be the same.

Although Perry's mission contained an element of coercion, many Japanese regard it as a liberating and positive event in their nation's history. Foreign trade contributed to the decline of a feudal system that had not necessarily benefited the average person. The ability of the Japanese to master and utilize western technology brought Japan into the front ranks of world powers by the beginning of the 20th century.

The Japanese had never seen ships like Perry's and were awed by their size and power. They became known as "The Black Ships" and this term remains the vernacular whenever reference is made to Perry's visit. The port of Kurihama, in the city of Yokosuka, has kept this legacy alive and boasts an annual Black Ships Festival in honor of their special history. The festival includes a re-enactment of the landing, a parade, and fireworks. The center of activity is Perry Park and the small museum commemorating the visit just by the waterfront. The only thing missing from the Black Ships Festival all these years has been a real, wooden, 19th century, American black sailing ship armed with cannon. Until this year.

The request had been passed to me, "Would it be possible for PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II to divert from her course to Yokohama and pass by the harbor mouth for the townspeople to view from shore?" Well, we did one better. As luck would have it, our rapid transit from Nagoya put PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II in Kurihama two days before the festival and the local people were ecstatic. An exquisite little wooden tugboat of about 35 feet steamed out to pilot us into harbor. They could barely contain their excitement as PRIDE II glided out of the gloaming to a tranquil berth along the quay at Kurihama. It was as if the ghost, or the children, of Perry had arrived after a 145 year absence.

When asked what we would like to see or do, our invaluable linguist, Deckhand Pamela Coughlin, asked if there was an "izakaya" nearby. Izakaya is the word for a small, Japanese style pub where local food is prepared in a variety of delicious ways. A good izakaya can produce at least a score of different dishes, all served up with sake, tea, or local beer. Seating is generally on mats on the floor and the atmosphere is, well, smokey and rich with character. Our new friends were astonished, not only that Pamela spoke such high quality Japanese, but also that we were interested in a local scene rather than a conventional western establishment. They had assumed otherwise but were more than happy to lead the way. That very night, several of the town fathers marched the crew out to an izakaya where we sampled the local delicacies and refreshments: eel, squid, sashimi, miso soup, and unidentified grilled objects (UGOs). Many of our hosts were familiar with Maryland, and recalled that the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra had played nearby not long ago. Glasses and dishes crammed every inch of table space and laughter abounded. In the absence of a common tongue, people will do some pretty strange and silly things to communicate their ideas. Which brings me to the "Chicken Man."

In the middle of the festivities, this fellow suddenly arose at the end of the table with two sticks full of chicken sticking up from behind his ears and started squawking like a prize-winning pullet and flapping his elbows. This went on for quite awhile. Though the image was vivid, I still have no idea what his point was.

The next day, I paid the Mayor of Yokosuka a visit, and a Welcome Ceremony was held at the ship, complete with a very fine high school band. Everyone was invited aboard afterward. None of this was scheduled, planned, or prepared. It was essentially a spontaneous reaction to our spontaneous visit. Sadly, July 11, the opening day of the Black Ships Festival, was our scheduled date of arrival in Yokohama. It was impossible for us to stay. Nevertheless, a taiko drumming performance was scheduled for 0720 the next morning to send us off. At 0630 the crowd was already gathering. We got away from the dock at 0730 and let fly with a cannon volley to shake and wake the town for the festival day.

Pamela's knowledge of Japan and the Japanese continue to serve us well. In particular, she explains that different forms of the Japanese language can communicate greater or lesser respect to the person being addressed, depending on the context of the situation. While in Kurihama, she noted that the form of Japanese chosen to address us in public was of the highest, most respectful she had ever heard before. Unfortunately, this is lost in translation and our own language does not have a reciprocal dimension. Nevertheless, without her, this nuance would have been completely missed.

PRIDE II will have no more transits of any distance until it is time to sail for home at the end of the month. The next ports-of-call, Kawasaki and Tokyo, are immediately adjacent to Yokohama. We are gradually and vaguely growing aware that our incredible Asian journey is in its final stages. All for now.

Watch Below,
Captain Daniel S. Parrott

Ohio gozimus!

We are sailing! This might seem an ordinary enough thing for a sailing vessel, but truth be told, good sailing conditions in Asia have been scarce. We caught a little bit of fickle breeze last week while approaching Nagoya, and we had a few hours of light sailing while coming across from Pusan, Korea. But on the whole, the wind conditions have been weak. The situation is comparable to summer on the Chesapeake Bay, or the Delaware Bay, and even Long Island Sound: a breeze springs up for awhile, and then dies away, or shifts radically. This is OK for recreational boating, but not so good for passage-making. Consequently, we have relied upon our "Iron Topsail" routinely.

But today is a different story. We left Nagoya yesterday at eleven in the morning (I'll tell you about Nagoya soon enough). A heavy haze lay upon the windless city when we cast off our lines to the din of a John Phillip Souza number played by the Nagoya Fire Company Band. We were escorted seaward by a sailing vessel, NIPPON CHALLENGER, a contestant in an upcoming yacht competition, and also by a harbor tour boat configured like a three story golden fish. It is the symbol of Nagoya. We set a few sails immediately and made a cannon salute, but it was not until reaching open water in the afternoon that we caught some breeze. After a Man Overboard drill we set full sail, less the T'gallant (our smallest squaresail), and flew on down the "wan" toward the ocean. This was very satisfying to everyone aboard.

Upon approaching the slot that separates the Ise Wan from the Pacific, variables and headwinds foiled our designs and we had to resort to engines for a few hours, and again during the night when the winds fell light. But since early morning today, a sou'westerly has built, and since we are heading east, we are fairly screeching along under the foresail, the staysail, the jib, and the foretopsail. A powerful ocean current, the Kurushio Current, runs northeasterly along Japan's Pacific coast, and this has been boosting us along as well - to speeds of 9, 10, and 11 knots.

The Kurushio Current is a warm water current generated by the North Pacific Equatorial Current. The Pacific trade winds deliver a vast amount of water from the eastern Pacific to the western Pacific. This is caused by friction between the surface of the ocean and the wind. The water piles up against the Asian continent in the vicinity of the equator and then, following the course of least resistance, spreads southward past the Philippines, and northward past Japan. The Kurushio Current is second only to the Gulf Stream in strength and consistency. They are both caused by ocean wind patterns moving large volumes of water. The water interacts with land masses, which deflect it and shape the direction of the current. We have been experiencing a favorable current of between 2 and 3 knots just five miles or so offshore. This adds roughly a third to our ordinary speed. Not bad. Since I started writing this entry, the breeze has filled in and we are now blasting toward the mouth of Tokyo Bay on a fresh beam reach.

Despite the haze, we have managed to enjoy some remarkable scenery. Just a short time ago, we passed the island of To Sima which arose from sea level to a height of 1,600 feet. The top of the island forms a perfect cone but the sides fall away steeply and are essentially cliffs. Another higher island lies only 6 miles to port, but we cannot see it yet. The moon has been waxing of late and was full last night. The haze gives the moon a vague, watery quality. While perhaps this is not as attractive as when the sky is clear, it is all part of the way the world looks here -- different.

Another sight of interest was a United States flag merchant ship. We passed the container ship this morning on a reciprocal heading. So, I says to the crew on deck, "There goes an American merchant ship. Better have a look while you can, so you can say that you saw one once." It is a well-known fact that the U.S. deep sea merchant fleet has been shrinking for decades, and the situation continues to spur a great deal of debate. We were pleased to see one of our own out here.

Nagoya was a great visit, no doubt about it. The inner harbor at Nagoya is reminiscent of Baltimore in that, after following a long channel, it suddenly opens up into a broad cul-de-sac. This inner basin in Nagoya is approximately one mile by one mile wide. The chief benefit of this for PRIDE II is that we had plenty of room to sail back and forth along the waterfront. This has rarely been possible here in Asia because so many of the ports are up rivers, or are man-made constructions that optimize pier space and leave little room to sail. Although our noon arrival gave us only light air, it was adequate to set all the lower sails, plus the gaff topsail, the foretopsail, and the jibtopsail. It was made known to me later by the Captain of the Port that he did not expect "full sail." In fact, it is prohibited. But in the same breath he expressed deep pleasure over the spectacle and more or less insinuated that it was better that we had not been aware of the regulation, because it would have been a shame indeed to come in under only "half sail" or "small sail." Not only was Nagoya's harbor well-suited to our arrival, but it was also a superb locale for the daysails we held.

Last Sunday afternoon, as we were winding down our Open House, he and his wife stopped by for a tour of the ship. The Mayor is a congenial fellow and was very interested in our voyage. He is fond of baseball and was quite knowledgeable about the Baltimore Orioles. Before bidding us farewell, he expressed his interest in coming to Baltimore next year and taking in an Orioles game.

The day after arriving in Nagoya, the crew was treated to a tour which focused on the Nagoya Castle and the Kirin Brewery. Before Japan was unified, regional warlords held sway over various regions. Nagoya was one such center of power and the castle was the physical repository of power. Much like Osaka Castle, it is a massive, moated structure built of highly irregular but ingeniously interlocking stonework. In many ways, it is very like a European medieval keep, but it is hard to imagine that 17th century artillery, which rendered so many European castles obsolete, could have made any impression on these edifices.

The Kirin Brewery represented an attraction of a wholly different nature to the crew. After patiently listening to the process that results in the creation of that refreshing and well-loved beverage, they got to redeem their Taste Tickets at the Tasting Station. The Taste Master smiled benignly. When the Taste Tickets ran out, more Taste Tickets appeared. The crew were so moved by their experience that they regaled our guides with sea shanties all the way home on the bus.

Many of the places PRIDE II has been berthed in Asia have been either industrial wharves or newly created landfill projects that are showcases for urban waterfront renewal. Such places have their conveniences, but what the crew enjoyed about Nagoya is that we were located in a living, working neighborhood. A short saunter off the ship quickly brought one to small shops, eateries, and pubs. The people we met in these places lived and worked within sight of where the ship was berthed. The crew picked up on this sense of localness and appreciated it greatly at a time when we are spending so much time in enormous cities. In Nagoya as in Baltimore, it was possible to have the feel of a village while in the heart of a major metropolis. Summer, in Japan, is like summer anywhere in that it is a time for people to be out enjoying the fine days and the warm nights. Along the quay in Nagoya is a park and a promenade where folks of all ages gather. With the falling of darkness, roller-bladers and romantics, carousers and couples came down to enjoy the evening and admire our ship. It was an easy way to meet people and strike up conversations. Many of the Japanese speak some English, and communication is always possible if you want it enough.

On the evening of the Fourth of July, the crew created their own fireworks display on the dock. It seems that most evenings, somebody is blowing off fireworks. So we just raised the level of explosions above the normal amount. Two nights earlier, the United States Consulate in Nagoya hosted a Fourth of July celebration aboard. Much to our surprise, one of our diplomats got up and belted out the National Anthem which we followed up with a cannon salute.

I will sign off now and will write again after Yokohama.

Watch Below,
Capt. Daniel S. Parrott