Misawa City American Day

Sunday, June 6: Misawa American Day

First of all, I wasn't sure what to expect during American Day in Misawa. I didn't ask anyone why June 6th was chosen. For some strange reason I remember from my American history class, and watching Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers, that June 6th is D-Day - when allied Troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, France. Upon further internet search (an an episode of The Pacific), I also discovered that it was the Battle of Midway - when US Navy dive bombers sunk the Japanese cruiser Mikuma and four other Japanese carriers. I suppose that if Japanese remember WWII history and dates, it probably wouldn't be cause for celebration.

American Day in Misawa consisted of food booths filed with American foods (Turkey legs, cakes, cookies, chips, hot dogs, hamburgers, sodas, nothing healthy or vegetarian based, etc.) and parade (American oversized trucks, a man dressed in full EOD gear riding a Segway, and cowboys. Probably what surprised me most were Japanese marching band, baton twirlers, and tall flags. Who knew that this (fill in your adjective here) American pastime would cross the Pacific and make its way to this small fishing village?! After the parade, Japanese dressed in cowboy garb line danced on stage.

American in EOD Gear

A military paper reported that there were over 80,000 attendees. http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/thousands-in-misawa-turn-out-for-american-day-1.106004

The images left with me from American Day were gaijin with bad tattoos, not bad as in cool, more like bad as in tasteless and generic flash tats. Don't get me wrong, I am indeed a fan of inked skin, but these just didn't look artistic, at least in my eyes. (Maybe I'll have to eat these words if ever I decide to finally get my "sleeves" done.) Another common sight, as whenever Americans congregate in large masses for festivities on a sunny day, was lobster-red sunburns on melanin-poor skin, just unsightly. I think the funniest spectacle I saw was a flock of Japanese children trying to take down a giant bald eagle balloon. I should have taken a photo of it, but between carrying Camren on my back and navigating the stroller through the crowds, I just forgot, couldn't be bothered, to take out my camera. Boy, do I feel old.

Cell Phone Trinkets

Anyhow, it was something to do on a Sunday morning, keeping busy with the kids and spending some quality time together. As I told Kyle on the way home, I think that was my first and last American Day outing.

Interesting facts about June 6 that I cut and pasted from Wikipedia.

Events

1844 – The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) is founded in London.

1889 – The Great Seattle Fire destroys the entirety of downtown Seattle, Washington.

1925 – The Chrysler Corporation is founded by Walter Percy Chrysler.

1932 – The Revenue Act of 1932 is enacted, creating the first gas tax in the United States, at a rate of 1 cent per US gallon (1/4 ¢/L) sold.

1946 – The Basketball Association of America is formed in New York City.

1968 – Senator Robert F. Kennedy dies from his wounds after he was shot the previous night.

1971 – A midair collision between a Hughes Airwest Douglas DC-9 jetliner and a United States Marine Corps McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II jet fighter near Duarte, California claims 50 lives.

1990 – U.S. District court judge Jose Alejandro Gonzalez, Jr. rules that the rap album As Nasty As They Wanna Be by 2 Live Crew violates Florida's obscenity law; he declares that the predominant subject matter of the record is "directed to the 'dirty' thoughts and the loins, not to the intellect and the mind."

Births

1867 – David T. Abercrombie, American entrepreneur (d. 1931)

1914 – H. Adams Carter, American mountaineer (d. 1995)

1923 – V. C. Andrews, American author (d. 1986)

1952 – Harvey Fierstein, American actor

1955 – Sandra Bernhard, American actress and comedian

1955 – Dana Carvey, American comedian and actor

1959 – Jimmy Jam, American record producer

1959 – Colin Quinn, American comedian

1960 – Steve Vai, American musician

1974 – Uncle Kracker, American musician

Deaths

1799 – Patrick Henry, American revolutionary (b. 1736)

1941 – Louis Chevrolet, American automotive pioneer (b. 1878)

1968 – Robert F. Kennedy, 64th United States Attorney General and politician (b. 1925)

1976 – J. Paul Getty, American industrialist (b. 1892)

1979 – Jack Haley, American actor (b. 1898) - Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz

1991 – Stan Getz, American musician (b. 1927)

2002 – Robbin Crosby, American guitarist (Ratt) (b. 1959) - Born in La Jolla, CA

2006 – Billy Preston, American musician (b. 1946)

Hachinohe Children's Park

Hachinohe Children's Park

Located next to a botanical park, Hachinohe Children’s Park (also referred to as Hachinoe's Children's Land) is a small outdoor amusement centre on the outskirts of downtown Hachinohe (about 45 minutes south of Misawa). It features kiddie rides, playgrounds, and a petting zoo. Admission to the park and children’s land is free, but tickets need to be purchased for the rides. Some snacks for sale include yakisoba, ice-cream, corndogs, etc. Children’s Land is open every day from April 1 to November 1 between 09:00 and 16:00, except Mondays and Japanese public holidays. Prices for rides current as of May 2010.

Decorative guard rails

Monkey Mountain

Mechanical safari pets (200 yen)

This was son's favorite ride in the park.

Ferris wheel (110 yen: 12 and younger, 220 yen: 13 and older)

Swings (110 yen)

Panda drinking fountain

Play area (notice the child with a mask in the back)

Pedal Skyway (110 yen: 12 and younger, 220 yen: 13 and older)

Dolphin Paradise (220yen)

Carousel (200 yen)

Roller Coaster (220 yen: 12 and younger, 330 yen: 13 and older)

Go Carts (220 yen: 1 seat, 330 yen: 2 seats)

Cement slide (quite long, see above photo)

My son was too scared to slide down.

Directions to Hachinohe Children's Park

This place is difficult to find. I compiled my directions from several directions I found on-line. If you know of an easier way to get to the park, please let me know.

From Misawa's Falcon Road, turn left onto the Toll Road

Go through the first toll booth, pay 200 yen, and take your ticket

Exit at 7: Hachinohe-kita, pay 150 yen, follow the curve, and turn right at the light onto Route 45

Continue driving past the Sunkus

Keep driving until you get to the Sega T-intersection, make a right, and get into the far right lane

Pass through a short tunnel and keep driving

Look for the green Central sign for the upcoming right turn

Turn right at Ruike 4 Street, between Yokomachi and Yoshinoya

Keep driving on route 251, past these two landmarks

Turn right at first Sunkus you see

Keep driving until the road looks like it comes to a T-intersection, make a right turn

Make an immediate left turn at the Route 221 stoplight

Turn at the first right, and continue to follow the narrow road up a small hill

Hachinohe Children's Park will be on your right

Welcome to Misawa!

Well, looks like the munchkins and I made it here in one piece. Glad we weren't on Oceanic Flight 815. It sure was a long flight, but it seemed like the layover was much longer. We left San Diego on a Saturday afternoon at 16:30 and arrived in Seattle at 19:30. Three hours later (22:30) we checked in for our military flight, which didn't depart until 05:00 Sunday! After twelve hours and crossing over several time zones, we arrived in Japan on Monday at 06:30, processed through customs, the base, and were home by 10:00. The military, Space-A flight out of Seattle took us directly to Misawa AFB. Had we taken a commercial flight, we would have gone through Narita, stayed the night in Tokyo, and then flown to Misawa the next day.

I was quite apprehensive about completing a transpacific flight with a newborn and two year old by myself. Luckily for me, my dad accompanied us to Seattle and stayed with us until we boarded the plane for Japan. Thank goodness the USO at Seattle Airport provided us interim refuge while all other shops and restaurants were closed. Don't get me wrong, having to take my infant daughter out of her car seat, fold the double stroller, take off all three of our shoes, place all my belongings through x-rays, and reassemble everything was a little troubling. Not to mention, my carry-on luggage consisting of a MacBook, iPod, Nikon and Sony digital cameras and lenses, a Panasonic camcorder, some jewelry, children's toys for entertainment, and 48-hours worth of Talia's formula and Camren's food made me feel like a beast of burden. However, despite all of this, it surprisingly was a pleasant 12-hour journey. Because the flight wasn't full, we sprawled ourselves over five seats - two by the window and three in the middle. In addition, Talia slept for 10 of the 12 hours, and Camren slept for 9 of the 12 hours. I too rested about 8 hours.

All in all, I'm glad that the four of us are together as a family again.