For optimal viewing, play this in HD.
Off to Zakimi-jo, then to Namihira and Nagahama to spend time with Nakandakari Kazutoshi. Met his publisher friend, Toyoda Junshi who heads the Yomitan Village Cultural Promotion Division and History Editing Office for the Yomitan Village Board of Education. Toyoda-san presented me with a copy of his recently released book that he has written about the former U.S. Army missile sites that occupied many locations on the peninsula. He graciously signed the copy for me as did Nakandakari-san.
After a fifteen to twenty minute chat and a welcomed cup of ice tea, Kazutoshi drove my car (since he knew where he was going) around his hometown of Nagahama, showing me a couple of caves where villagers hid out during the war, a war memorial, his family’s tomb, the Nagahama Dam, Nagahama Long Beach where I picked up a few volcanic pumice stones, a field where he worked at age seven when his family farmed rice paddies. The land is now used for growing sugar cane. He also wanted me to meet his wife so we stopped at his home. He has a very nice and large property. His house sits on land that was once the Nike Missile Site 9 back in the day.

NOTE: I goofed at the end when I wrote that Kazutoshi’s truck was at Nakijin-jo. It was at Zakimi-jo. Gomen ne!

See lots more about my Previous Okinawa trips –
2019: https://mickmc.tripod.com/2019/front.html
2017: https://mickmc.tripod.com/2017diary.html
2015: https://mickmc.tripod.com/outline2015trip.html
2014: https://mickmc.tripod.com/photos2014trip.html

You can read extensive details of many other Okinawa visits in my book, “NATSUKASHII: Uchinaa nu Umui” https://mickmc.tripod.com/natsukashii.html

Learn Okinawa’s history with my book, “Timeline: OKINAWA” https://mickmc.tripod.com/timelineoki.html

Soundtrack attribution:
“I Am Running Down the Long Hallway of Viewmont Elementary” by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/honor/
Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/

2 Comments

  1. What an interesting video, I just so happen to be on a few of those rural roads today. It’s very interesting to hear a local perspective on that whole situation.

Write A Comment