A friend of my junior and high school days lives here in Mutsu city. He has advanced to the rank of Colonel of the JSDF and lives in the official JSDF quarters away from his family. He has enough room to give us a night's stay. We spent a night at his residence. Though I know some of my high school alumni want to see his photos, I didn't have his permission to introduce his specialities and facial portrait here. I stored many pictures of us on another space so let me know your e-mail address and I'll send you an url and password.
Getting back on the track, after taking a bath at Yatate Spa, we enjoyed his home cooking and talking far into the night. I really want to introduce his story here, but that has kinds of secrets. I have to keep it in my heart. Oh, I've almost forgotten to write about Yatate Spa. It was searing-hot water, but relaxing. I felt envious of the locals who can bathe here whenever they want. The recirculation and purification system isn't needed here. We simply bathe in the hot water, the gift of the earth, just after coming out of the earth. What a gorgeous way of bathing!
He is kind enough to work out of his marine headquarters so that we can observe the inside of a trim destroyer in active service. My bike friend and I prepared some questions in advance.... This morning, when we were about to go out, we found ourselves clad in rags and with riding boots on. We don't have suits because we are just tourists with minimum packs. We had no choice about clothes, but we could rent sneakers from my friend.
We got into the Marine Base with his car. We received a salute from a Sergeant-at-arms at the gate. I knew how high a rank he is judging from the kind of greeting. I got a few instructions from my friend as to how to get on the destroyer after getting out of the car. Though I thought I knew how to express the honor of going aboard a destroyer, my mind became a complete blank when getting on board. It's because the crew were waiting for us in a line with their white uniforms on. It was a real formal reception. In spite of our shabby clothes! I really tensed up! I almost fainted.
Though it's 20 years since the destroyer was built, I felt it was well maintained. I couldn't find any accumulation of barnacles on the hull around the water line. Really good maintenance had been done. The destroyer was built by bringing together the outstanding technologies of the U.S. and Japan, and being kept punctiliously in the best condition all the time. The capabilities of the ship must be high.
They allowed us to take many snapshots. The number of the crew is about 100. They don't have private rooms except for the captain. They have a small bed only for private use. It was like a chicken shelf in a poultry farm. There must be food, water, sewage system, showers, kitchen, laundry, medical room for 100 crew members and enough ammunition and fuel. I wondered where that is kept. I guessed their daily work is so hard in such conditions. I took off my hat to their guts. I felt they were dependable. I'd like to send hearty cheers to the JSDF.
(Vocabulary)
JSDF 自衛隊
colonel １佐 大佐
quarters 《複数扱い》 (軍人・使用人などの) 部屋, 宿舎
searing-hot 焼けつくような (痛みなどが)焼けるような
trim 船の出航可能状態〔バラスト・帆などの準備ができて〕
active service 現役、現役勤務、現役服務、常時勤務、戦地勤務
clad in rags 《be ～》ぼろを着ている
sergeant-at-arms 守衛官、警備局長
barnacles on the hull 船体に付いたフジツボ
hull 《海事》船こく、船殻、ハル、船体
punctiliously きちょうめんに、細かいことにこだわって
poultry farm 養鶏場
dependable 信頼できる、頼りになる、頼もしい、信頼に足る、安心できる
See our shoes! We rented those.
On the deck of the destroyer.
(KW: むつ市 むつ矢立温泉 海上自衛隊 護衛艦 ゆうべつ)
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