Page Updated 04/17/11
Photos of Japan page 3
Photo's courtesy of Lyle Fisher. VW-1 1961 - 1963.. unless noted otherwise
Click on picture to see larger version, Stretch or enlarge as your browser permits.
- 1st. picture from left: The Great Budda of Kamakura was always a necessary place to go
see for any new VW-1 flight crews to visit upon going to Atsugi. It was not difficult to get to; a train ride
into Yokohoma and a change for Kamakura.
2nd. picture from left: Text below from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The temple is renowned for the Great Buddha, a monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amida Buddha which is one of
the most famous icons of Japan. The statue stands at 13.35 meters high and weighs approximately 93 tons.
The statue probably dates from 1252, in the Kamakura period, when temple records report the construction of a
bronze statue. However, it is unclear whether that is the present statue. The statue was built inside a wooden
temple, but that building washed away in the tsunami of September 20th, 1498. The statue remains.
-
- 1st. picture from left: The Imperial Palace in Toyko was another necessary place to see
for the first-time Atsugi VW-1 crewman.
2nd. picture from left: The Yokohoma Train Station in the rain.
3rd. picture from left: Isezaka Cho (Cho means Street) in Yokohoma was THE place to going
shopping in Yokohoma. There were large department stores, small shops, and even a "100 yen Store" where nothing
was more than 100 yen. Isezaka Cho was the place the Japanese shopped.
4th. picture from left: The Toyko dinner picture was in 1962. Some of Crew 2 went into Toyko
and after visiting some of the sights had dinner. The guy on the left is ACW-3 Bill Sullivan the guy on the
right I do not remember.
-
- 1st. picture from left: Japanese youngsters always seemed quite fascinated with
photography and were more then willing to have their picture taken.
2nd. picture from left: The ice skating pictures were taken about January 1963. I am here to
tell you that it was really COLD.
3rd. picture from left: Four guys of crew 2 with Mt Fuji behind them, that was the same ice
skating trip. In that picture was ATW-3 Littrel, ATR-2 Ken Wallis, ATW-3 Art Phillips, and ATN-3 Ken
Fette.
4th. picture from left: Pictured left to right ??, ATR-2 Ken Wallis, ATW-3 Art Phillips,
ATN-3 Ken Fette and ATR-2 Lyle Fisher.
We got to that ice skating rink by just using a railroad map and plotting the way. It turned out to be a huge
long and slow way to get there, even though it was the shortest distance on the map. We were headed back and
waiting at the Highland station to go to the Fujiyoshida station. Some Japanese skiers asked where we were
going. We told them how we were going and they said "..don't do that, come with us we are going to Yamato and
we will show you the fast way." We got an express train at Fujiyoshida that went all the way into the Shinjuku
station (Toyko) and got on another express train to Yamato. We got back to Atsugi in less than a couple of
hours, instead of the more than a half a day that it took to get there.
-
- Mt Fuji: In 1963 Crew 2 departed Atsugi for a return to Guam. We climbed to 11,000 feet and flew completely
around the top of Mt Fuji. It was quite a site. An over-the-wing of TE-2 shot of Mt Fuji as we were
leaving.
-
- 1st. picture from left: A view often seen by crew members looking out the window at the forward chow
table
2nd. picture from left: A view of Mt. Fuji.
Photo's courtesy of Ronald Miles AE3 VW-1 67-69 TE-8
-
