This article is about 4900 words and ***80 pictures.

↑Yokosuka, this Japanese seaport city, really has no sense of existence compared with super popular tourist cities such as Kyoto and Tokyo. Especially for domestic travelers, whether traveling in a group or traveling independently, it cannot be called a popular tourist destination.

But anyone who has a certain understanding of naval history, especially the history of the Japanese Navy, will definitely know the important position of this city in the history of naval development. From 1853, the American Admiral Perry led the "black ships" to land here and used strong ships and cannons to break open the Japanese island country that had been closed for hundreds of years; to 1865, French engineer Léonce Verny built Yokosuka Steel here. Therefore, Japan at that time had the ability to build new warships; after its defeat, it became the anchorage of the US Seventh Fleet, witnessing the rise and fall of Japan's sea power over the past century.

Yokosuka was established as one of the four garrison towns in 1883. Over the past 100 years, it has witnessed the Japanese navy grow from nothing to the third largest in the world, dominating Asia, and finally becoming like a withered cherry blossom due to aggressive militarism. The whole process of turning into nothing. Today, Yokosuka is still an important base for the US Seventh Fleet and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. It is also one of the largest military ports in East Asia.

As a puppet military otaku who knows a little bit about the IJN, Yokosuka naturally has a great appeal to me. In July 2019, I had just finished the college entrance examination and started a trip to Japan with my friend named Z. I also set aside a day in my plan to visit Yokosuka. But my friend surnamed Z felt that the figures in the SEGA building were more attractive to him than the warships, so this one-day trip to Yokosuka Castle became a one-day trip for me (sad)

Let’s take a look at JR Yokosuka Station, the oncoming scene is very impactful for every military enthusiast.

↑But I don’t have much time, so I must make a quick decision. After taking a few random photos in the harbor, we arrived at the first planned stop, Verny Park.

↑ As the name suggests, Verny Park is named after the French engineer Verny who built the Yokosuka Steel Works here. His huge contribution enabled Yokosuka to quickly have the ability to build new warships. With the development of the Japanese Navy, the Yokosuka shipyard has gradually become Japan's main warship production base. (Friends who play ship models, especially those who make IJN ship models, one of the most skilled and frequently used paints must be Yokosuka Navy Yard Gray.)

↑The most famous collection in this park is the battleship. A relic of the "Mutsu". At that time, the second Nagato-class ship Mutsu, one of the "Big Seven" (the world's seven battleships equipped with 16-inch/410mm naval guns after World War I), was born at Yokosuka Shipyard. The ship was bombed and sank due to unknown reasons at the anchorage of Zhudao in 1943. The wreckage was salvaged after the war and displayed throughout Japan.

↑Look at the 410mm main gun on the battleship "Mutsu" from another angle. This cannon was originally located in the Ship Science Museum in Tokyo, but was returned to Yokosuka, Mutsu's birthplace, for exhibition in 2016. It's really huge up close. Even the 410mm gun is so big. I don't know how shocking the Yamato-class 460mm main gun will be.

↑The large-scale metal model of the "Mutsu" in the exhibition hall next door

In fact, Verny Park is a seaside park. The scenery along the way is very pleasant and very suitable for rest. There are also several warship monuments in the park. The Japanese like to erect monuments to their sunken warships to commemorate the crew members who died in battle.

↑Warship Nagato Monument. Sure enough, the image of Nagato in Japanese hearts still remains the curved chimney after the first modernization.

↑The battleship "Mountain City" monument. The ship was sunk by the US military during the Surigao Night Battle in 1944. More than 1,900 people on the ship were killed in the battle, and no one survived.

↑The monument of the warship rushing to the island. This ship was an IJN laying ship during World War II. It was sunk by a submarine in 1942 (I appeared a little)

↑The shape of this monument is really straight, but it is not a Kaohsiung-class monument

< p> ↑Under the scorching sun on the Pacific coast, walk all the way down the main road and turn a corner at the entrance of the "Military Navy" base, where you will find Mikasa Park, where the commemorative ship "Mikasa" is located.

↑Battleship "Mikasa". Built by the United Kingdom in 1899, it was the last completed capital ship in Japan's "Six-Six Fleet" plan at that time. After the Sino-Japanese War, in response to the military expansion of the Russian Empire in the Far East, Japan carried out a series of arms expansions led by the "Six-Six Fleet" (six battleships and six armored cruisers) plan. At that time, in order to curb the expansion of Tsarist Russia's power in the Far East, Britain concluded the "Japan-British Alliance" with Japan, so the warships in the plan were basically built by British shipyards. The Mikasa, modeled on the British "Sovereign" class pre-dreadnought, was the most advanced battleship in the world when completed. It had two twin-mounted 305mm main guns and a large number of small-caliber secondary guns, as well as excellent electrical systems and communications. equipment.

In fact, the Japanese Navy's financial budget at that time was not enough to purchase the ship. He was the "Father of the Japanese Navy". The then Navy Minister Yamamoto Gonbei used his own life as a guarantee and embezzled public funds to forcibly collect the ship. The cost of building the ship shows that this "Six-Six Fleet" plan is really exhausting all national resources for Japan. After the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War, Mikasa served as the flagship of the Japanese Combined Fleet, and the commander of the Combined Fleet, Togo Heihachiro, was personally in charge of the ship.

↑The Mikasa and the combined fleet first annihilated Tsarist Russia’s First Pacific Fleet stationed in Port Arthur in several naval battles, and then intercepted the Baltic Fleet in the Tsushima Strait, which had traveled halfway around the world. Relying on Togo's "turn back in front of the enemy" tactics and the Japanese Navy's rigorous pre-war training, the combined fleet annihilated the Baltic Fleet with minimal losses. The extremely disparate battle loss ratio between Japan and Russia also made the "Battle of Tsushima" It became a classic battle in the history of naval warfare. After the war, the Mikasa, as a meritorious ship, was made into a commemorative ship and has been preserved to this day. It is one of the "three major commemorative ships in the world" along with the USS Constitution and the British HMS Victory.

↑The statue of Togo Heihachiro, Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet. In addition, there are many exhibits for tourists to watch next to the boarding ramp.

↑The main gun shells of the Yamato battleship are everywhere in Japan. The one in the picture is a Type 91 armor-piercing shell

↑ Some relics of the Beiyang Fleet. During the Sino-Japanese War, the pride of the Beiyang Navy, the "Zhenyuan", was captured by the Japanese Navy and registered as a ship. And as a second-class battleship in the Third Fleet, it participated in several naval battles in the Russo-Japanese War. As a Chinese, the author is extremely sad to see these relics of the Beiyang Fleet being displayed in Japanese military ports as Japanese trophies.

Later, the author boarded the "Mikasa" battleship for a visit

↑The boarding ramp of the "Mikasa"

↑"Mikasa"'s 305mm twin main gun and the shells it used

↑This metal plate records the battles the ship participated in

↑Compared with the artillery shells of Tsarist Russia, the Shimose gunpowder commonly used by the Japanese Navy at that time was very unstable, making the artillery shell fuze extremely sensitive and the explosion powerful. Rumor has it that the fuse would be triggered if the head of the projectile rubbed against the cable. In the Battle of Tsushima, the IJN generally used this type of high-explosive bomb, which completely washed away the superstructure of the opposing battleship and caused a large number of casualties. But this unstable shell also caused the Mikasa's subsequent self-destruction accident.

↑The upper deck shows that although the ship has been through for a hundred years, it is still in good maintenance condition.

↑The chimney and the flying "Z flag"

↑3-inch (76.2mm) gun gallery secondary battery

↑Japanese naval equipment during the Tsushima Sea War Type 36 communicator, the performance is not bad. The camouflaged cruiser "Shinano Maru" that first discovered the enemy ship used this device to send the message "Enemy fleet discovered at location 203"

↑Six-inch (152mm) secondary gun and gunner's hammock

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↑The armored-protected command tower and the ship maneuvering equipment inside. Even though the control tower of the "Mikasa" was protected by thick armor, it was still penetrated by shrapnel during the Battle of Tsushima, causing injuries to the staff members inside.

↑The open-air bridge of the "Mikasa". During the Tsushima Kai War, Admiral Togo and his main staff stood here to command the battle. Also commanding from the open-air bridge, Dongxiang only suffered minor injuries. However, in the Battle of the Yellow Sea, the opposite Tsarist Russian navy was directly hit on the bridge, and all fleet commanders died on the spot.

↑The positions of everyone at that time were Chief of Staff Tomosaburo Kato, Captain Tomohikojiro Ichi, Commander-in-Chief Togo Heihachiro of the Combined Fleet, and Operations Officer Shinyuki Akiyama. Standing here and recalling the scene of the naval battle at that time, it is really exciting.

I saw almost everything on the deck, so I walked down the gangway to visit the ship. Since the ship is of pure British origin, the interior decoration is very luxurious.

↑Officer's Mess

↑Officer's Office

Then there are a large number of exhibits and documents related to the Battle of Tsushima in the ship, which is a feast for the eyes of this puppet military house.

↑The famous telegram drafted by Akiyama Shinyuki: "The weather is fine today and the waves are high."

↑This famous saying was said by Togo Heihachiro when he was mobilizing the Japanese fleet before the Battle of Tsushima. out. Although it is obviously plagiarized from the British Admiral Nelson's sentence "England expects that every man will do his duty" (England expects everyone to do his duty, which was used to mobilize the British fleet before the Battle of Trafalgar) , but it seems to have become the soul of IJN together with the "Z-shaped flag".

↑A group photo of the main officers on the Mikasa ship after the war. As expected, Counselor Akiyama, who has "a spring of wisdom and wisdom", is different and relies in a different direction.

↑The judo uniform of Navy "Military God" Hirose Takeo. In fact, he had no merit. When the war started, he was the mine commander of the battleship "Asahi". During the Lushun blockade operation, he volunteered to lead the team, but was hit by a shell during the evacuation and died. This battle plan that cost him his life was thought up by his friend Akiyama Shinyuki.

↑Akiyama Shinyuki’s original "seven-stage combat" method. This combat concept had a profound impact on the Japanese navy. The "gradual reduction and attack" operations during the Pacific War were a replica of it.

↑The SDF recruitment advertisement inside the ship is really hard to describe. It seems that the Heisei Abandoned House (now Reiwa) really deserves its reputation.

Due to time constraints, the author was not able to stay in the ship for too long and had to leave early. Finally, I took a few photos of the entire ship and left with regrets.

↑The secondary guns in the gun gallery are like hedgehogs

↑The front of the ship's bow. I don’t know why the chrysanthemum on the bow of the ship was changed to silver. Is it because of the issue of changing the year name?

Here is what I feel: When I was in my third year of high school, I was asked by my friend named X to watch the Japanese drama "Clouds over Sakagami". After watching it, I was deeply moved by the optimistic and hard-working Meiji spirit of the Akiyama brothers and Masaoka Shiki in the play, which inspired me to work hard in the final stage of my senior year. It was on this ship that the main character Akiyama Masayuki formulated the battle plan against the Baltic Fleet and participated in the entire naval battle with the ship. While I was visiting, I recalled the plot of the TV series and the hardships I went through while preparing for the exam. I was really moved. The author feels that it is a worthwhile trip to be able to board this battleship in person.

Yokosuka is the base of the US Seventh Fleet and the base of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The military port cruise allows me to have close contact with these warships that I usually only see on the domestic news. It can be said to be very tempting. The reason I mentioned earlier that I didn’t have enough time to visit the Mikasa is because before I went to the Mikasa, I had already made a reservation for the one-hour cruise at the reception desk of the naval port cruise ship.

↑I don’t know if it’s because of the US military station, but the receptionist at the office speaks English very well, and I can communicate normally even though I don’t speak Japanese.

The person in charge of the commentary on the ship is a Cute female Maritime Self-Defense Officer, most of the people on the ship are Japanese Oji-san (uncle). When I got on the boat, I realized I had forgotten my telephoto lens (sad). In general, the route is a circle around Gatsumima Island in the middle of Yokosuka Port, which takes about more than an hour. There were so many warships along the way that my shutter never stopped.

↑Departure~

↑Haizi’s Soryu-class submarine is also the largest conventional submarine in the world

↑Haizi’s largest warship, the “helicopter frigate” sets out Yun (DDH-183)

↑Haizi Qiuyue frigate (DD115). The third ship of this class, the Liangyue (DD117), participated in the 70th anniversary ship review of the founding of the Chinese Navy

↑The US Navy Burke-class destroyer USS John S. McCain (side No. 56) and USS Curtis Wilbur (hull number 54)

↑U.S. Navy Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Charlotte (hull number 67) and Burke-class destroyer USS Mustin (Hull No. 89)

Although I have difficulty speaking Japanese, I still understood the naval commentator who said that the US Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier "Reagan" was not in the port today. Alas, what a pity. However, the situation on the Korean Peninsula was tense at that time, and aircraft carrier dispatches were common. Let’s borrow a photo of a friend named T here.

↑My friend surnamed T went there at the end of 2019. At this time, the aircraft carrier would be resting in the harbor

↑Sea team members in training

↑ U.S. Navy Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered submarine

↑This seemingly inconspicuous small building is the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Headquarters

↑Haizi Asagiri-class frigate "Yugiri" (DD-153)

↑From this angle, you can clearly see the Type 90 anti-ship missile on the ship

↑Uraga-class minesweeper carrier "Uraga" (MST-463)

↑The helicopter hangar of the "Uraga" can be clearly seen from this angle. Its large flight deck is said to have hosted MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft.

↑Haizi "Chiyoda" submarine rescue ship (ASR-404). This warship is very new and was only commissioned in March 2018 to replace the previous submarine rescue ship "Chiyoda".

↑Haizi Chaogiri-class frigate "Yamagiri" (DD-152)

↑US officers and soldiers at the military installation on Gatsum Island

↑Pleasure boat Passing through the narrow waterway next to Gatsumima Island

↑The Kaiji "Hashidate" welcome ship (hull number 91)

↑The No. 1 Kaiji Murasame-class general-purpose frigate "Murasame" "(DD-101)

↑The crew of the "Akiyuki" who are preparing CIWS (Close Defense Weapon System) wave to us enthusiastically

Speaking of Yokosuka's local food, What you have to try is the navy curry. Navy curry originally originated from the United Kingdom. The Japanese Navy copied the British model during its inception, so even the tradition of eating curry was brought over. From the Meiji period to the present Maritime Self-Defense Force, curry has been served every Friday in the canteens of warships to give officers and soldiers who have been sailing for a long time a sense of time. This time I followed the example of Uncle Wu Lang in "The Lonely Gourmet" and went to a random restaurant without reading any online recommendations. The restaurant offers two kinds of navy curry, one is Meiji style and the other is Haiji style. I chose Hai Zifeng.

↑The taste is okay, a bit sweet, typical Japanese curry.

↑The store also has character stands from the Japanese anime "High School Fleet" signed by the voice actors. I also like this work.

Finally, I bought two packs of so-called "navy" curry from a nearby shop as souvenirs. I went back and tasted it, and it felt just okay. As expected, I still prefer Southeast Asian-style curry with a stronger flavor of coconut milk and spices.

After eating curry, today’s plan is completed. In order to avoid the terrible evening rush hour in Tokyo, I chose not to continue walking around the city, but took JR back to the hotel where I was staying in Shinjuku.

↑Empty JR

Overall, the author’s trip to Yokosuka was really worthwhile. It can be said to be the most unforgettable experience of my trip to Japan. As an island country, Japan’s citizens have a strong maritime affinity. From Katsushika Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa to the Combined Fleet's "Four Hundred", the Japanese's ambition to conquer the ocean and dominate Asia can be seen in the seaport city of Yokosuka.

Goodbye, Yokosuka