Off to Zakimi-jo, then to Namihira and Nagahama to spend time with Nakandakari Kazutoshi. I 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! Other videos from my 2023 trip to Okinawa are here See lots more about my Previous Okinawa trips - 2019 2017 2015 2014 You can read extensive details of many other Okinawa visits in my book, "NATSUKASHII: Uchinaa nu Umui" Learn Okinawa's history with my book, "Timeline: OKINAWA" Back to ClickOkinawa.com © 1996-2024 Posted Dec 23, 2023. Contact: ClickOkinawa.com