Comments on: Null-space Tunnels under Yokosuka Navy Base http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2008/09/negishi-caverns-haikyo-yokohama/ a Ruins Explorer and SF / Fantasy Author in Japan Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:20:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bob Benson http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2008/09/negishi-caverns-haikyo-yokohama/comment-page-1/#comment-29643 Bob Benson Sun, 14 Aug 2011 07:36:54 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=440#comment-29643 When I was 4 and 5 years old (1953-1954) we lived in building 660 in Area X on Negishi Hights. I'm not certain which unit letter but it was the one closest to the road. On a clear mornings my brother Billy and I could see Mt Fuji out of my bedroom window. I digress, I can remember my father giving us stern warnings about NOT going into the tunnels and telling us we could get lost and never find our way out. . . BTW I was able to find our housing unit using Google Earth and my memories as a 5 year old army brat 57 years ago. The steep berm behind the unit did make it easier to find. Thanks for bring some of my child hood memories back to me. Bob Benson When I was 4 and 5 years old (1953-1954) we lived in building 660 in Area X on Negishi Hights. I’m not certain which unit letter but it was the one closest to the road. On a clear mornings my brother Billy and I could see Mt Fuji out of my bedroom window. I digress, I can remember my father giving us stern warnings about NOT going into the tunnels and telling us we could get lost and never find our way out. . . BTW I was able to find our housing unit using Google Earth and my memories as a 5 year old army brat 57 years ago. The steep berm behind the unit did make it easier to find. Thanks for bring some of my child hood memories back to me.
Bob Benson

]]> By: Victor http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2008/09/negishi-caverns-haikyo-yokohama/comment-page-1/#comment-25737 Victor Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:38:17 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=440#comment-25737 Hi there, If you have the oppertunity one day,Im sure the perfect place to explore would be Iwo Jima,where a big WW2 battle took place,many died that and many are still missing in the tunnels,its under Japan millitary control now and I dont know how you will be able to set foot there. Hi there,

If you have the oppertunity one day,Im sure the perfect place to explore would be Iwo Jima,where a big WW2 battle took place,many died that and many are still missing in the tunnels,its under Japan millitary control now and I dont know how you will be able to set foot there.

]]> By: John http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2008/09/negishi-caverns-haikyo-yokohama/comment-page-1/#comment-11591 John Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:46:54 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=440#comment-11591 Hi me and a friend r livin in yokosuka and r lookin to find some cave to check if anyone may know of any that r open or can take us to some please email me at the email add I left Hi me and a friend r livin in yokosuka and r lookin to find some cave to check if anyone may know of any that r open or can take us to some please email me at the email add I left

]]> By: Craig Hoyt http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2008/09/negishi-caverns-haikyo-yokohama/comment-page-1/#comment-4499 Craig Hoyt Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:27:25 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=440#comment-4499 I lived in Negishi housing for four years, from 1960 - 1964. We lived at 265-B which was right next to Richard E. Byrd school (which I attended). Back then there were no local house encroaching against the Navy housing and there was considerably more green space all around Byrd school and the Grandstand. Between the school and the Navy housing to the north lie a small valley which we called "Bamboo Valley" since much of it was covered in bamboo. At the bottom of the valley there were several natural springs and up against the cliff wall on the north side of the school were some caves we used to explore also. As I remember, there were 2 or 3 of them. We always thought they were bomb shelters from WWII. They went in a ways and had air holes dug up high into the roof of the caves. There were several alcoves that had were about 4 feet wide and started about two feet off the floor of the caves. They were only about 2 feet deep. I remember being scared witless the first time we went in because we had nothing to use for light...we felt along the walls in the dark. Once we learned about the alcoves, we would bring fresh recruits in and hide in the alcoves while they got lost. On their way out we would jump out from the alcoves and give them the excitement of their life! Another very cool thing in Negishi was a hidden set of stone steps that wound down off the bluff to the Japanese village below. These were VERY old steps and the path leading to them was very over grown with thorns and scrub brush. Once on them though, you had a shot down into the other world below. The first time we found these steps there was a dense fog surrounding the bluff so it was like descending into the unknown...but we couldn't resist. Once down below we were treated quite nicely by the locals who didn't seem to see many Americans. We got free candy and ice cream from several vendors. Anyway, if anyone wants to chat more about Negishi, you can email me at: perimeterjones@gmail.com Craig I lived in Negishi housing for four years, from 1960 – 1964. We lived at 265-B which was right next to Richard E. Byrd school (which I attended). Back then there were no local house encroaching against the Navy housing and there was considerably more green space all around Byrd school and the Grandstand. Between the school and the Navy housing to the north lie a small valley which we called “Bamboo Valley” since much of it was covered in bamboo. At the bottom of the valley there were several natural springs and up against the cliff wall on the north side of the school were some caves we used to explore also. As I remember, there were 2 or 3 of them. We always thought they were bomb shelters from WWII. They went in a ways and had air holes dug up high into the roof of the caves. There were several alcoves that had were about 4 feet wide and started about two feet off the floor of the caves. They were only about 2 feet deep. I remember being scared witless the first time we went in because we had nothing to use for light…we felt along the walls in the dark. Once we learned about the alcoves, we would bring fresh recruits in and hide in the alcoves while they got lost. On their way out we would jump out from the alcoves and give them the excitement of their life!

Another very cool thing in Negishi was a hidden set of stone steps that wound down off the bluff to the Japanese village below. These were VERY old steps and the path leading to them was very over grown with thorns and scrub brush. Once on them though, you had a shot down into the other world below. The first time we found these steps there was a dense fog surrounding the bluff so it was like descending into the unknown…but we couldn’t resist. Once down below we were treated quite nicely by the locals who didn’t seem to see many Americans. We got free candy and ice cream from several vendors.

Anyway, if anyone wants to chat more about Negishi, you can email me at: perimeterjones@gmail.com

Craig

]]> By: MJG http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2008/09/negishi-caverns-haikyo-yokohama/comment-page-1/#comment-835 MJG Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:23:32 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=440#comment-835 Jason- Siphoning, absolutely. I still have the pipes and bucket- will be ready if it comes up again. Getting dirty- well, we have to suffer for our art. Tornadoes- Su Young thought the same thing. I don't know why, but maybe because the water has dripped down through the rocks and collected- maybe over years. I'm no expert, but I think those rocks could act as a filter to clean the water. That plus there's no light or heat down there, so nothing much can grow. - The trash is junk that has fallen down the cliff-face above, got caught by the wall, and has slowly back-filled the tunnel. Blame fly-tippers who leave trash on the cliff-top. Sebu- You made my day with your comment, thanks! I will certainly Ganbarimasu with the haikyo in the future. Tony- Thanks, though I owe a lot to Brian, without whom I'd never have even suspected there were tunnels down there. Brian- You absolutely have permission to post photos or other stories here- I very much hope you'll be able to. As for the accuracy of the maps you gave me, or even 'wasting my time'- there's really no need to apologize, I don't think you misled me at all. After all, it was 20 years ago, and you were a kid! I turned up unsure I'd find anything- so was very pleased to have found what I did. - As for the other tunnel on the east side, I'll definitely go seek them out at some point- thanks for encouragement. On another note- did you hear last week there were some mortars fired at the base by a guerilla/terrorist group? Sounded remarkably like what happened those 20 years ago with the pipe-bombs. I wonder if it was the same people, using the same stash? Maybe I'll steer clear for a while... Nash- I'm not worried though, they'd have to be pretty small to use that culvert as a swimming pool. Jason- Siphoning, absolutely. I still have the pipes and bucket- will be ready if it comes up again. Getting dirty- well, we have to suffer for our art.

Tornadoes- Su Young thought the same thing. I don’t know why, but maybe because the water has dripped down through the rocks and collected- maybe over years. I’m no expert, but I think those rocks could act as a filter to clean the water. That plus there’s no light or heat down there, so nothing much can grow.

– The trash is junk that has fallen down the cliff-face above, got caught by the wall, and has slowly back-filled the tunnel. Blame fly-tippers who leave trash on the cliff-top.

Sebu- You made my day with your comment, thanks! I will certainly Ganbarimasu with the haikyo in the future.

Tony- Thanks, though I owe a lot to Brian, without whom I’d never have even suspected there were tunnels down there.

Brian- You absolutely have permission to post photos or other stories here- I very much hope you’ll be able to. As for the accuracy of the maps you gave me, or even ‘wasting my time’- there’s really no need to apologize, I don’t think you misled me at all. After all, it was 20 years ago, and you were a kid! I turned up unsure I’d find anything- so was very pleased to have found what I did.

– As for the other tunnel on the east side, I’ll definitely go seek them out at some point- thanks for encouragement. On another note- did you hear last week there were some mortars fired at the base by a guerilla/terrorist group? Sounded remarkably like what happened those 20 years ago with the pipe-bombs. I wonder if it was the same people, using the same stash? Maybe I’ll steer clear for a while…

Nash- I’m not worried though, they’d have to be pretty small to use that culvert as a swimming pool.

]]> By: Nash http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2008/09/negishi-caverns-haikyo-yokohama/comment-page-1/#comment-826 Nash Wed, 17 Sep 2008 01:04:40 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=440#comment-826 Someone's going to be angry when they find you drained their swimming pool. Someone’s going to be angry when they find you drained their swimming pool.

]]> By: Exploring abandoned prisons and caverns in Japan | Japan Probe http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2008/09/negishi-caverns-haikyo-yokohama/comment-page-1/#comment-825 Exploring abandoned prisons and caverns in Japan | Japan Probe Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:31:09 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=440#comment-825 [...] exploring caverns in Kanagawa Prefecture and posting videos and photographs of his discoveries: check them out! [...] [...] exploring caverns in Kanagawa Prefecture and posting videos and photographs of his discoveries: check them out! [...]

]]> By: Brian http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2008/09/negishi-caverns-haikyo-yokohama/comment-page-1/#comment-824 Brian Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:33:15 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=440#comment-824 Oh, correction on the RPG (rocket propelled grenade), it actually was a homemade pipe bomb. A big difference, especially with the times. Oh, correction on the RPG (rocket propelled grenade), it actually was a homemade pipe bomb. A big difference, especially with the times.

]]> By: Brian http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2008/09/negishi-caverns-haikyo-yokohama/comment-page-1/#comment-823 Brian Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:27:49 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=440#comment-823 As outlandish as the stories sound, they are quite accurate. We used to arm ourselves with gas powered BB guns, bottle rockets - using whiffle ball bats as the launchers, fire extinguishers, and an occasional Chu-Hi can (shaken, not stirred). The extinguishers were everywhere in the community so they were pretty accessible and proved to be a frightful method of distraction. The homeless were never a bother except when they were high on paint thinner. And at that time, the grandstand could have been mistaken for a paint thinner factory. I think it was more "you invaded my space, now you shall die gaijin!" mentality for them or they thought we were some kind of oni. Shoot, I could have been dressed up as Momotaro and still be considered a devil to those people. The story with the old man and the hoe is very true. We were so scared, once we reached the top of the hill we hid behind a concrete shed about 100 yards into the base silently breathing very loud, dripping with sweat, yet cold and white as a ghost. We couldn't believe he actually tried to harm us. We did, however, break a glass window in his storage hut, well, I did :). Ah, the memories. Growing up there was nice, maybe too nice. You sort of have to grow up quick. Especially, when it comes to your constitution. Beer vending machines, cigarettes, girls from Moto-Machi, late night 7-Eleven Inari and Tuna onigiri, and Akihabara are probably the worst places a 12~16 year old kid could grow up - to parents, but they sure do beat out Boy Scout camp and origami classes. I do hope Michael gets to explore the east side caverns. That is where we started our adventures. After we found the east side section and 'spelunked the crap out of it', we decided to investigate the entire perimeter of the 'plateau' and found the other entrances. I must have mistaken the water dam cave for something else - possibly the temple cave right around the corner. So, I'm sorry to Su Young and Michael for wasting their time. It has been 20 years and I thought I was quite accurate with the contents of the water dam cave. I'll try and locate some old pictures and with Michael's permission maybe even throw them on this specific Haikyo story. Who knows, maybe someone I grew up with may reach this site and complement my brief narrative. As outlandish as the stories sound, they are quite accurate. We used to arm ourselves with gas powered BB guns, bottle rockets – using whiffle ball bats as the launchers, fire extinguishers, and an occasional Chu-Hi can (shaken, not stirred). The extinguishers were everywhere in the community so they were pretty accessible and proved to be a frightful method of distraction. The homeless were never a bother except when they were high on paint thinner. And at that time, the grandstand could have been mistaken for a paint thinner factory. I think it was more “you invaded my space, now you shall die gaijin!” mentality for them or they thought we were some kind of oni. Shoot, I could have been dressed up as Momotaro and still be considered a devil to those people.

The story with the old man and the hoe is very true. We were so scared, once we reached the top of the hill we hid behind a concrete shed about 100 yards into the base silently breathing very loud, dripping with sweat, yet cold and white as a ghost. We couldn’t believe he actually tried to harm us. We did, however, break a glass window in his storage hut, well, I did :) .

Ah, the memories. Growing up there was nice, maybe too nice. You sort of have to grow up quick. Especially, when it comes to your constitution. Beer vending machines, cigarettes, girls from Moto-Machi, late night 7-Eleven Inari and Tuna onigiri, and Akihabara are probably the worst places a 12~16 year old kid could grow up – to parents, but they sure do beat out Boy Scout camp and origami classes.

I do hope Michael gets to explore the east side caverns. That is where we started our adventures. After we found the east side section and ‘spelunked the crap out of it’, we decided to investigate the entire perimeter of the ‘plateau’ and found the other entrances. I must have mistaken the water dam cave for something else – possibly the temple cave right around the corner. So, I’m sorry to Su Young and Michael for wasting their time. It has been 20 years and I thought I was quite accurate with the contents of the water dam cave.

I’ll try and locate some old pictures and with Michael’s permission maybe even throw them on this specific Haikyo story. Who knows, maybe someone I grew up with may reach this site and complement my brief narrative.

]]> By: Tony http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2008/09/negishi-caverns-haikyo-yokohama/comment-page-1/#comment-819 Tony Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:01:39 +0000 http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/?p=440#comment-819 Very interesting post. I used to live around this area so it's amazing to find out about this. Very interesting post. I used to live around this area so it’s amazing to find out about this.

]]>