Visitors to the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, will get an extra eyeful in coming months as crews work to restore a pair of historic quays where the doomed battleship was moored on the morning of the 1941 Japanese surprise attack.
Perched along the scenic coastline of Japan’s Iwate prefecture, the Taro Kanko Hotel once stood as a symbol of hospitality, offering guests views of the Pacific Ocean and the nearby Sannoiwa Rocks. But since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, it has been transformed into a poignant memorial.
For those traveling through Japan’s Iwate prefecture, a visit to Takata Matsubara Memorial Park for Tsunami Disaster and the Iwate Tsunami Memorial Museum serves as more than a history lesson. It is an encounter with resilience, a tribute to those lost and a call to never forget.
Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Irving Cintron has been putting on Christmas light shows since late November for his neighbors at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo. It’s a tradition he began nearly 20 years ago during his enlisted days, but this year’s light shows are the final chapter for Cintron at Yokota, as he plans to retire in June.
Santa Claus and Yoko-Pon, the beloved mascot for Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan, helped usher in the holiday season with a Christmas tree lighting ceremony earlier this month near the home of the U.S. 7th Fleet.
Inhabitants of this remote atoll rushed onto a beach Wednesday as a U.S. Air Force plane prepared to drop crates filled with much-needed supplies and some Christmas cheer.
