Jan 1954 - Apr 1957
We lived in a U.S. Air Force housing area called Castle Heights in Nagoya, Japan. Our building was very long--4 families lived there--and the neighbors would all get together in the back in the evenings. They would cook steak and burgers on the Japanese hibachi and roast marshmallows. In this picture, Digger is dispensing a treat to a neighbor. I don't know her name. You can see the hibachi of the late 50s look nothing like those of today. The posts are the clotheslines. Check out the swanky lawn lounger.Digger led the neighborhood kids in games several times a week. Kick the Can, Hide and Go Seek, Mother May I, Red Light-Green Light, Dodge Ball, Red Rover and Slow Bike Races are some that I remember.
Before housing was available, Mom, Dad, Greg, Patty and I lived in "Private Rental"--a Japanese couple rented out half of their home to us. 60 1-Chome, Yamanaka-Cho, Showa-Ku, Nagoya-Ken, Japan, was our address from Jan 54 - Jan 55. Digger made Greg and me memorize it so we could recite it to taxi drivers.
4 comments:
from Pat: It's not me getting that marshmallow! It's some other blond kid from the neighborhood. It's so funny... of course "Private Rental" - I always thought it was one word and was the name of the place.
We arrived in the summer of 1956, lived in private rental (Chikara Machi, Higashi-ku) until space was available in Castle Heights maybe spring of 57. I was in 8th grade and my brother in 4th when we arrived. As you came in the front gate, took a right, we were in the first complex on the right if I remember right. Dad was ham radio operator as a hobby. In early 58 as Komaki was closing dad moved to Johnson AB in Tokyo where we first lived in Grant Heights, then at Johnson.
Does someone remember the name of the other housing area where the schools were? I've tried over the years, and no luck.
We rode a blue Air Force shuttle bus to school on a housing area and support site called American Village. Does that sound familiar?
Post a Comment