Military port cruise in Sasebo, the port city of Mr. Navy!

　Sasebo Port was opened as a naval port in the Meiji era. The port of Sasebo was opened as a naval port in the Meiji era (1868-1912), when the Japanese Navy had four "Chinjyufu" bases in Japan, one of which was in Sasebo. Even today, there is a Maritime Self-Defense Force base and a U.S. Navy base, and the port city of Sasebo prides itself on being "the port city of the Navy. The military port cruise is a unique experience unique to the port of Sasebo!

It's time to get on board! Now it's time to set sail on the old navy seas!

　The SASEBO Military Port Cruise operates on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, with one sailing per day. Reservations can be made one month in advance, and the cruise departs from the Whaler Terminal at the Port of Sasebo. The terminal is located just behind JR Sasebo Station, and tickets are issued at the Sasebo Tourist Information Center in the station until 30 minutes before boarding. In this sense, it may be smoother to take the train to Sasebo Station, purchase a ticket, and then go to the Kujiraze Terminal.
　The departure time is 11:30 a.m., and there is only one flight a day, so you better be on time or you'll be out of luck. (I found a foreign tourist who had actually missed the flight!) ) The group of students from the Kanto and Kansai areas also visited the ship. ) Some visitors come from the Kanto and Kansai areas, and there is even a group of male students who are "pushing the ship. Incidentally, in addition to Sasebo Port, there are also cruises to ports associated with the former navy in Yokosuka, Maizuru, and Kure, where the old navy township offices were located. It seems that some ship lovers visit these ports. In the meantime, it was time for the ship to depart. The ship is now ready to depart. The ship will now depart. The cruise ship made a dull "gong, gong" sound and slid out of the water with the guide's loud voice. Now, the ship cruise was about to begin!

A convoy is suddenly in front of us! I was very excited from the start!

　As soon as the cruise ship left the pier, it turned right at sea. The cruise ship immediately turns right at sea, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers come into view ahead of the ship. Already the passengers on board have their eyes glued to the fleet. The huge gray hull of the ship silently but silently radiates power. The guide explains, "The escort ships docked in the harbor today are. The guide explains the features and specifications of each escort vessel in a clear and concise manner. Even if you are not familiar with escort vessels, you cannot help but listen to the explanation. Passengers on the ship point their cameras and smartphones at the hull of the escort vessel. When they wave to the Self-Defense Force personnel on the deck of the ship, they wave back. In case you are wondering, the "Ise" in the photo is a helicopter-carrying escort vessel.

　Sasebo Port is located across the Sasebo River, with the "U.S. Naval Base Sasebo" immediately to the left behind the Whalerase Terminal. The Hirase Mooring Pond, called the "Juliet Basin," and the Tategami Mooring Pond, called the "India Basin," are located between the two, and the destroyers of the Maritime Self-Defense Force are berthed at the Tategami Wharf between them. Sasebo Heavy Industries (SSK) occupies the area to the left of the Tategami Pond. The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Kurashima Quay is located across from the Tategami Quay. Therefore, one can see both Maritime Self-Defense Force and U.S. Navy vessels at the same time. The U.S. Sasebo base headquarters is also located there, and the Japanese flag, the Stars and Stripes, and the United Nations flag can be seen rising from the cruise ship. In between them is a black mourning flag at half-staff. It is said to be a memorial flag for soldiers who died in the war.
　'Look, the U.S. Navy's "New Orleans" is parked there today. And you can see the hatch is open. You don't see that very often," said the guide. The ship is a dock-type transport and landing ship that carries amphibious vehicles and landing craft inside its hatches for amphibious operations. The majesty of the vessel elicits a "wow" response. The ship has been deployed to the U.S. military base in Sasebo since 2019. The American soldiers waved back at us. They are friendly, after all.

　A light green crane can be seen to the right of the "New Orleans. This is actually a "Giant Cantilever Crane" manufactured by Sasebo Heavy Industries. It is a British-made 250-ton crane installed at the former naval arsenal in 1913, and has been selected as a component of the World Heritage Site "Industrial Revolutionary Heritage of Meiji Japan" and the Japanese Heritage Site "Chinsukafu: Yokosuka, Kure, Sasebo, and Maizuru". It is said to be in use. It is the world's oldest working giant. As magnificent as the naval vessel is, I am impressed that we can even see this kind of historical heritage.

Secret trivia found only on ocean cruises

　General passenger liners and pleasure boats that serve as transportation to the outlying islands enter and leave Sasebo Port, but according to the guide, fishing is prohibited in the harbor. And according to the Status of Forces Agreement between Japan and the U.S., there are 80% restricted waters that are off limits to entry and navigation. On this military port cruise, you can "see" the U.S. military ammunition supply station and oil depot while listening to the guide's explanation. One such site is the "Akasaki Oil Depot, formerly an underground fuel oil tanker" on the beach. It was owned by the former Japanese Navy and after the war by the U.S. military. It is said that 183,000 kiloliters of fuel oil is stored underground in a small hill covered with greenery.
　The cruise ship makes a U-turn just before exiting to the open sea and sails for the return trip. The shoreline is dotted with facilities of the Maritime Self-Defense Force. A training cutter floats on the shore of the JMSDF Sasebo Training Unit, where, according to our guide, new recruits undergo intense training. Beyond that, the JMSDF Ota Bunker and the U.S. Marine Corps Ammunition Depot line the shore. This is a valuable group of facilities that can only be viewed from the sea.
　And the cruise ends at Kurashima Quay. Here, too, the ships of the Maritime Self-Defense Force are lined up in a row. Moreover, the cruise ship comes very close to the minesweepers and destroyers! Oh, what a sight! Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to photograph it, but I did get to see the latest model of the destroyer "Mogami," which will be in service from 2022. The 2025 cruise will begin on March 1 (closed during the winter).

Gourmet food by Mr. Navy after the military cruise

　The military cruise will take approximately one hour and return to port around 12:30 pm. It is also time for lunch. Since Sasebo is a town of naval officers, I would like to recommend a gourmet meal related to the Navy. It is a well-known story that naval personnel spend so much time on board ships that they eat curry every Friday to keep their sense of date. In Sasebo, there are many restaurants that serve navy curry, and there is also a series of retort curry of destroyer escort in cooperation with the Maritime Self-Defense Force.
　Navy stew is also a popular menu item. Beef stew is said to have been a favorite of Navy General Heihachiro Togo. Restaurants and hotels in Sasebo serve "Navy-san's Beef Stew. The beef is slow-cooked to a tender tender texture, and the deep-flavored demi-glace sauce is a delight to the palate. For dessert, we offer the "Navy's Zenzai" (Zenzai with red bean paste). In the days of the former Japanese Navy, zenzai was served the night before returning to port to celebrate the safe return to the home port. Some restaurants serve cold zenzai in the summer.

SASEBO Military Cruise