Okinawa anyone?

Open one up. You will have the only Hobby Shop there, you could make a Killing

Just my

Bud 

I left the island back in 03, but there were two shops just outside the fence of Camp Foster.  One was okay, had toys and other stuff mixed in with the kits, the other was a little slice of modelling heaven.  Floor to rafters with all types of kits: ships, planes, tanks, gundam, cars...

I don't know the name of it, but it was on the street that ran down the south side of Camp Foster.  I hope it's still there. The other one was on the same street, closer to the base of the hill.

LemonJello wrote:

I left the island back in 03, but there were two shops just outside the fence of Camp Foster.  One was okay, had toys and other stuff mixed in with the kits, the other was a little slice of modelling heaven.  Floor to rafters with all types of kits: ships, planes, tanks, gundam, cars... I don't know the name of it, but it was on the street that ran down the south side of Camp Foster.  I hope it's still there. The other one was on the same street, closer to the base of the hill.

I'll have to go check outside of Foster, are you talking the Main Gate by I think it's 58... the road parallel to Sunabe Sea Wall and the Ferris Wheel?

My cousin informed me last night there is one by Hansen, but that is a bit of a drive... I'll have to check on those two. THANKS!

I found the model store you guys were talking about across from Hansen... what a dissappointment. I think they had 8 Tamiya kits... most what they had was R/C or airsoft.

I at least was able to pick up some paint though.

airtrans Crash wrote:

I'll have to go check outside of Foster, are you talking the Main Gate by I think it's 58... the road parallel to Sunabe Sea Wall and the Ferris Wheel? My cousin informed me last night there is one by Hansen, but that is a bit of a drive... I'll have to check on those two. THANKS!

No, not 58/Main Gate area, this one is up the hill on the south side of the camp.  It runs along the perimeter of the camp down to 58.  The shop sits on a corner and if my poor memory serves me, I think it even says HOBBY in english on the white walls, but I could be wrong.  Blink and you'll miss it.  It wasn't a very big shop, but they made the most of every inch.  Well organized, too.  One row of ships, one of sci-fi/gundam, the armor was in a corner of its own, 1/48 aircraft on the back wall, 1/72 to the side...man, I miss that place!  The latest arrivals were down on the floor, just inside the door.  I hope it's still there.

Found it! thanks for the tip! I think they expanded cause its an okay sized place. they have a TON of models, along with R/C, illegal airsoft stuff, and a lot of other hobby things

I'd say the coolest I saw was a 1/200 scale Yamamoto.... hmmmmmm

Dragon models were about 3050Y 

Good to know it's still there!  I think the prices were decent, if my currency exchange in my head did the math right. 

exchange rate is like 125 to 1 last I checked

their prices were good.

Sorry I cant help you but I have a question.

I have been reading a story about the battle for Okinawa during WW2 and I was curious if there are any signs still left of the battle?

Maybe some caves that might have been turned into a museum or vehicles that might have been left where they were knocked out or just anything really.

The battle covered the entire island and the Japanese lost almost 100,000 men.

Just curious.

Thanks

Mike

Well Mike, to answer your question in the simple terms: yes, there are signs all over.

now, more in depth....

the hard part can be finding some of them as the cities here basically built around any of them. Most of them where cleaned up though. The Okinawans do not consider themselves Japanese... and they dont like being called Japanese either.

On Kadena AB there are a lot of WWII Jap buildings... well, not a lot per say, but many.

there is a cave by the golf course that is said to be haunted, it is a location where I believe 20 or so Japanese nurses commit suicide at a field hospital because they did not want to be captured, and it is said that cave is haunted.

Also the underground Naval HQ is in Naha, and is a popular tourist spot for Americans, and a regular history field trip for Okinawan student... it is interesting to see, I cant imagine what it would be like to operate in such a small area.

there are sheltures in the side of the hills on base that look like fighter sheltures, but the seem to small to me... probably because I am used to the larger ones of today.

There is so much history around this place it is un believeable.. there are shrines and burial sites for people from centuries ago. But you could hardly imagine what it must have looked like in the 40s due to the cleanup that was done, as well as the cities all around.

 oh yeah, and they did just pull a Jap tank out of the ground in Manila. The old timers there said that they have been trying to get the local govt to dig it out for years. American tanks pushed the tank into a ditch to clear the road, and the ditch turned into just the side of the road after many years... cool huh?

Thanks airtrans.

I would love to visit Okinawa. So much history.

Over 100,000 Japanese dead and it covered the entire island. I know we destroyed alot of caves during the battle but I wonder if there are any that have survived? The caves the Japanese made were, according to some Gi's, amazing. The Vietnamese copied the designs for  that war also.

Your lucky to be there. (wanna switch lives for a couple months? :)

Mike

Heh, I'll tell yah what Mike, I will switch lives with you for a couple months, starting next month. Though, I think you will be getting the shaft, cause I'll be giving you a 6 month vacation in Turkey supporting OIF. LOL... lemme see if I can dig up some pictures of the WWII naval underground HQ that the fam. and I visited last OCT.

 said to be an 18th century tomb... 

located on this little island, I have swam to it.. very close to the beach.     

just to show you the water clarity here

I'll get the bunker pics up for you tomorrow, oh, and as a bonus I will throw some up of Correggidor.

Very cool.

But how do you get into the tomb? It looks sealed.

Your wife? Filipino?

Time to go back?

we dont go into them. the tombs around here are just brick or stone monuments or small square rooms. but they are sealed off.

Yep, my wife is Filipina, and that is our son who is 16 months old now. 

My wife is Filipino also. From around Manila.

She told me she would show me Corrigidore, Bataan and anything else I wanted to go see.

Isn't she cool?

Mine is from Pasay in Manila. Im ready to say screw it and live there when my enlistment is up.

I havent forgotten bout the additional pics, just busy 

Its cool dude.

I'm thinking they will be worth waiting for.

as promised. these are the bunker from WWII

for kicks, the tree house resturant

Very interesting.

I wonder if there are any undiscovered caves still out there.

Kind of cool to think about.

Interesting restaurant.

mikepowers wrote:

Thanks airtrans. I would love to visit Okinawa. So much history. Over 100,000 Japanese dead and it covered the entire island. I know we destroyed alot of caves during the battle but I wonder if there are any that have survived? The caves the Japanese made were, according to some Gi's, amazing. The Vietnamese copied the designs for  that war also. Your lucky to be there. (wanna switch lives for a couple months? :) Mike

Don't waste your time...most of the history on Okinawa has been "cleaned-up."  You'll pay an arm and a leg for a hotel and eating cost a fortune!  If you want real history, Fly to Guam, from Guam visit Tinian, Rota, Saipan, Palau...the history there will make your spine tingle and the hair on the back of your neck stand strait up!  There are still tanks in the water, gun implacements everywhere, awsome stuff! 

Been to Okinawa, and don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful place to snorkle/scuba dive, but if you want history go south.  It's cheaper and less tourist trap like!

PS PLEASE WATCH THE USE OF THE THREE LETTER J-- WORD TO DESCRIBE JAPANESE, IT IS VERY OFFENSIVE!!!!!!

I don't undersand why the moderators allow that word to be used!!! Maybe it's time for some sensativity training!!!!!

since when does an ammo puke care about PC? LOL

I'm surprised a jarhead even know how to spell PC...

Seriously stop using that word!  It's just as bad as the "n" word! 

IYAAYAS wrote:

I'm surprised a jarhead even know how to spell PC... Seriously stop using that word!  It's just as bad as the "n" word!

look at my name, its AIR TRANS    and if you dont like the word, dont read my post.