(Originally posted in August 2015}
By Andy Yemma
TOYKO (August 2015) – August, the hot month. Seventy years ago this month the world’s worst war ended, 66 years ago I was born and 60 years ago my father, a U.S. Air Force officer, moved his growing family to Japan for four years. So when we had the opportunity to visit Tokyo this month, I naturally thought of my childhood and wondered if we could try to find some of my old haunts.
In 1955, my family sailed from San Francisco to Tokyo on a WWII military transport. The voyage took two weeks and everybody except me got seasick, I remembered. At six, I was the oldest of four kids, the youngest, my only sister, a baby. For the first year in Japan we lived at a small USAF facility outside of Tokyo – my father never told us what he did there although we always suspected it had something to do with electronic eavesdropping on the Soviets. The U.S. military had bases all over Japan during years after the occupation and by the time we came the presence of so many military families in the Tokyo area had resulted in the construction of several family housing areas. In our second year, we moved to a place named “Grant Heights” in northwest Tokyo. Hundreds of American service member families lived there – thousands of kids like me. I remember it much like a small town in America with its own elementary, middle and high school, a commissary, base exchange, movie theater, swimming pool, gymnasium and four little league baseball diamonds where I played ball every summer.
Grant Heights had lots of open fields where I would play with my brothers and school friends. We often played “Army” and when my sister was old enough, at 3, to join us she would be designated the cook. We made snowmen on rare occasion. We had a black-and-white TV, one channel, and watched three shows in English once a week – Superman, I Love Lucy and Highway Patrol with Broderick Crawford.
Our exposure to the Japanese and their culture was limited although on occasion we would visit places like the nearby Toshimaen Amusement Park, where we kids loved the old barge that plunged into a pool of water not unlike Disneyland’s Splash Mountain today. We visited the Ginza in downtown Tokyo and ate sukiyaki at local restaurants now and then.
Once we rode a train to a hot springs resort in the mountains northwest of Tokyo; another time we spent a day at the beach. But mostly we lived and I went to school at Grant Heights. I traded “Mighty Mouse” comic books with other kids in front of the BX; watched “Buck Rogers” serials every Saturday before a movie (“Davy Crockett” being my favorite), and rode my new Schwinn bicycle everywhere. Grant Heights was a safe and secure environment, and — because President Truman had integrated the military more than a decade before the Civil Rights movement – I attended school with kids of all races and nationalities. When, at the age of nine, we returned to the States and spent the summer with my grandparents in a small Texas town, I remember being stunned by the “whites only” signs.
Grant Heights and Japan soon became a faded memory, revived only through old home movies and photos. When I was in my late 30s and early 40s I traveled to Tokyo on business several times but it was a much different world around 1990 and Grant Heights was long gone, the land returned to Japan and the post-war military housing replaced in the mid-1970s by a high-rise residential area named Hikariagoka Park (the name means “Light Heights” in Japanese). On one trip I had a weekend layover in Tokyo and tried to explore the area on my own – I found four empty baseball diamonds (it was early spring so play had not yet begun) that gave me a sense of déjà Vu). I returned hearten at what I had discovered, but longing for more information.
On this trip, my wife (Eileen Ogintz) arranged a guide through Go Tokyo to take us back to Grant Heights and Hikariagoka Park. I was impressed how our guide, Nobuko Iwanami, who once lived in the area, visited the Hikariagoka Library, where they have a small area with materials and photos related to Grant Heights. She had a map showing the layout of Grant Heights, complete with the “Runway” – from a WWII Japanese airfield – that was the main street on which we lived. I quickly recognized the landmarks – the chapel at the north end of the Runway, the officers club at the south end, and the rows and rows of wooden duplexes that made up the military housing. I pointed to a spot on the map – “that’s where we lived, right about there.”
When we arrived at the end of the subway line – Hikariagoka Station – it was literally steps away from where the Yemma family lived in Grant Heights. Nobuko laughed out loud when I reckoned that our house was probably now a Baskin & Robbins. The Runway – it’s now a wide pedestrian promenade, flanked by a large shopping mall and retail shops and restaurants serving the residential high-rise buildings. And while it is a Japanese neighborhood with families on bikes, playing in the park, shopping at the market, American culture is everywhere—from the Disney toys in the shops to ice cream, coffee, pizza and fried chicken.
At the north end of the Runway is a pretty, shaded park with a children’s water playground – and on the hot, humid August day that we visited kids were running and splashing everywhere, just as I remember we did as kids here back in the 1950s. Then, off to the right of the Runway – the baseball fields – still there 60 years later, Japanese boys in uniform and taking batting practice. Nostalgia!
Two subway stops from Hikariagoka we got off at Toshimaen Station and visited the old park – a small but modern theme park with roller-coasters, water-slides and a quaint old carousel (Japan’s oldest) that once was at Coney Island in New York. As we returned to Tokyo, Eileen asked me what I thought about the visit. Did I find any ghosts?
Some things never change, I said, the kids riding bikes, splashing around in the hot weather, the baseball fields. You can go home again.
Thank you for taking me back to 1965 when I was 5 years old, and lived at Grant Heights. You have described it perfectly. I have so many good childhood memories from Japan.
Born
I was born in 57 at Tokyo US Army Hospital. My sister at Tachikawa two years later. We arrived In the states in 61 at Eglin.So awesome to be connected with a very unique group.
I was one of 5 kids and we arrived in Japan September 1959 when I turned 6 years old. We first were housed in a home off base across from a Japanese communal compound and down street from a huge cemetary full of Cherry Blossom trees.
Then we were housed in a home in a small circular compound fenced, near a huge Japanese park and to the side of a Japanese school where I met my first Jaoanese school aged children. We could see Mt Fuji quite clearly from that housing compound. I believe it was 1961 when we arrived at Tachikawa and Ive been trying to find info on that housing which was townhouse style, with several buildings facing an open grounds area and lots of open fields between each grouping of townhouse buildings. I went to elementary school there and remember Metal Quansit hut buildings as part of the school. I have many fond memories of our life in Japan and would love it if someone could point me in the direction to find pictures of the Grant Heights housing as the only pictures Ive seen on internet are aerial views of entire area and it looks like what I remember.
We too were in Japan at the same time. I was 4 or 5 but I remember going to school for the first time in Japan. We lived I’m Momote Village but I can’t remember the address. In my mind I can still see the house though.
I’m a japanese.
Momote village was located around the RIKEN
(2-1,Hirosawa,Wako,
Saitama).
I lived in Japan from 1955 through 1960. I went to seventh and eighth grades at Yoyogi school in Washington Heights, then four years at Narimasu. I recall biology and football coaching by Bud French and social studies with “Uncle Charlie.” Great time! I never knew the Main Street of Grant Heights had been a runway. I flew as a student pilot in AirForce light planes left over from WWll—L-5’s. The field was Chofu, not far from Grant Heights. Our class (of 1960) donated a small Stone Japanese lantern to Narimasu. Wonder what happened to it when the school was torn down.
Jim Snyder 56-57 Grant Heights. I too remember coach French. I played Baseball, basketball and football at Narimasu. I was a baseball umpire for little leaguers. I played Pony league. I visited Narimasu in 1966 on R&R from Vietnam. I really miss Grant Heights, Camp Drake and surrounding area.
I remember our address:
2111 Momote Village
We were there 55-60. I was ages 5-10.
Grant Heights, Camp Drake, Tachikawa, Nikko, Yokohama are all familiar names!
The quad housing area you described sounds like Kanto Mura. That is one of the housing areas we lived in from in the mid-1960s.
just saw your post that you were at Tachi ab, come and join the tachi facebook groups, we have 3 of them, one for the grade school , one for the jr high and one for the high school, also if you google tachikawa air base you will find lots of photos and videos on youtube
Frank Nakamura. I attended Narimasu 1950-1958. Mr. Russell was principal thruought. I coached the Little Leaguers in one of the fields. Chris Tamaki was one of the students. I even attended Pershing Hghts Elementary with Miss Lea- teacher.
I was at Eglin AFB also in 1961. We lived in the trailer park on the base. My dad was transferred to Yokota AFB in Japan in 1964. We landed at Tachikawa and took a bus to Yokota! What a small world.
We were in Japan Christmas 55to summer of 58. Dad was in the Army. We lived in Yokohama first and I started school there. Then we moved to Grant Heights. We lived in one of the duplex units. It was in a “U” shape and we lived on the end next to an electrical distribution pad.
We went to Mt Fugi to a trout pond and fished. We had a maid to help with my brother. He was born at Tokyo Hospital. When my mom friedthe trout they were hole. The Japanese maid at bones and all. Quit different for us.
I remember going to the Ginza and all the toys and fireworks. I only remember one guy from those days. John Binder, he lived on the other end of the duplex. His dad was the Protestant pastor at the the Church in Grant Heights.
Great memories, hot weather, earth quakes, snow we enjoyed it all.
Thanks for getting the memories going again.
Thank you for sharing your memories in Japan.
I’m Japanese and my 99-year-old aunt Yoshiko worked as a housekeeper at Grant Heights from 1949 to 1957. She is glad to know that the GH children have grown up and remember the days in Japan. She says the American officers and their families were warmhearted. They sent her lots of letters, greeting cards and gifts after leaving Japan and she cherishes them. Every time I walk around the Grant Heights area, I think of the people who lived there.
Hi there! This is from Andy, who wrote this article nearly a decade ago now. I don’t think we knew your aunt Yoskiko as we lived at Grand Heights 57-59 and I was a grade schooler. But we did have two housekeepers that I remember – Mieko and Shachiko. My late mother (who would have been 105 by now) kept in touch with both of them for many years. In fact, in 1989, when I was in Tokyo on a business trip, she arranged for me to meet up with Shachilo for a meal at the Okura Hotel, where I was staying for a conference. She didn’t speak much English, but it was more than I understood of Japanese and we reminisced about our lives at Grant Heights 30 years earlier (now nearly 70!).
I lived in Grant Heights shortly, 1953-1954. I was 7. I remember the post theater. The serials before the movies on Saturday was “Sir Galahad”.
Even though my father was an NCO we were able to afford a maid. At sunset we could see the top of Mt. Fiji. One of my sisters was born while we were there. I’m surprised how much I could remember back then.
We lived there 1967-1971. My father was base commander of Grant Heights during part of our tour. Went to middle school at Camp Drake. It was magical time, road bikes off base to Narimasu stores.. Had Bona dori events, watching it’s a Mad, mad mad mad world on my 10th birthday playing in the zero hangers near the baseball parks going to the officers clubs and watching the USO tours with Bob Hope, Louie Armstrong Racheal Welch there see ing the Vietnam injured and North Camp Drake. Touring the Coral sea and Battleship New Jersey at Yokuska.
Been back several times and brought my children. It hurts going there as my time there was some of the best times of my life!
Hey Andy. My family lived in Japan from 1956-1960. We lived in “private rental” for the first six months, then moved to Grant Heights. As I recall, the locals called the area Mitsumi-Dai. My memories are very similar to yours, but my older brothers remember it in much more vivid detail than I (I was only 4 when we moved there). We flew there from SF, via Honolulu, Wake Island and Guam, but flew home on a 707.
I have nothing the but the fondest memories of Grant Heights, and excursions with our maid to downtown Tokyo, sukiyaki joints, and even her parent’s house several hours north.
Did your family have any other foreign posts? Our family got posted to Paris, then to Athens. Lots of moving around for sure, but a unique childhood for sure.
Thanks for sharing. Japan was our only foreign posting as a family, although my dad was overseas a lot during WWII and Korean War.
Thank you so much for the very vivid description of Grant Height! I spent my 8, 9, 10 th grades there at Narimasu HS. Have such fond memories of living there and going to the Teen Club. We left in July 1959. Dad was stationed at Fuchu Air Station and we had no idea what he was doing, again , Thanks
My family was in Grant Heights from 1956 – 1959. I was 8 when we arrived and 11 when we left. My father was an Army Captain. At the time we arrived, Grant Heights was basically Army . A year or so later, the transition to the Air Force started. I attended 3rd thru the 5th grade at Narimasu Elementary. We had a live-in house keeper. Her name was Yoshiko Watanabe. She was a young housekeeper. We loved her as family. As kids she was a mother surrogate, as my mother worked full time. If still living, she would be about 83 years old, now. Her family was from Hokkaido. Her father’s name was Humio (sp). Haven’t seen her since 1959. Many fond memories of her and all of Japan. Still think about it often. Japanese culture class was one of my most favorite. Spent half our lives at the swimming pool in the summer; weekends at the post theater and in front of the PX selling comic books). playing baseball and marbles at school (my brother and I were the ones to beat!). My 5th grade teacher was Mr. Moriwaki from Hawaii. Had some GREAT, and fresh (not canned), pineapple when Hawaii became the 50th State in 1959. I know that Japan is not the same, but I would love to visit. Did many field trips with 5th, Grade class. Cherry Blossom festival, Mt Fuji, Lake Hakone……Even though it was a long, long time ago, my memories are still vivid of our time in Grant Heights, Japan.
Andy says your experience sounds very similar to his. Same years too, but he was a year younger. Great memories!
My family was only in Japan for about a year. I think 1957-8. I went to Narimasu Ele for the second half of my 4th grade school. Miss Kiyabu was my teacher.
Hi Larry,
Dad was stationed there in -57-60. I remember Grant Heights then moving out to the country for a year, then we moved to Momote Village. I went to Narimasu Elementary School for the 2nd-3rd grade.
Do you know if there is a site that covers Narimasu Elementary or Momote Village?
We were stationed in Japan for 4 years – 1968-1972 and lived in Grant Heights. I’m writing my memories of this place to share with my grown daughters. The youngest was born at Tachikawa AFB hospital in 1969. Thanks for sharing your memories!
I was at Grant Heights from 1966 to 1971. It was our second tour in Japan. Our first was at Tachikawa 1960 to 1964
We were at Grant Heights from 1966-1970. I went to Narimasu Elemntary and am looking to make connections. My teacher in the 5th grade was Miss LaRosa.
I had a wonderful time over there. My dad was stationed at Fuchu but we lived on Grant Heights.
Are you Alex Johnson’s brother?
I was an Air Policeman from 1967 to late 1969 at Grant Heights. I enjoyed every minute.
My father was a staff sergeant and a military police.we were stationed in grant heights from 1967-1971
David, I lived there from fall 1966 to spring 1968. Such fond memories riding the Japanese bus with 10 yen coin to get to the elementary school as we lived on the outer edge of the base — I think near where the Hikarigaoka Library is. I went to Hikarigaoka in January 2023, but didn’t think to go to the library. I will make it my mission go to the library when I go in the fall. Mom shopped for groceries at Narimasu station. She was Japanese and felt more comfortable in a Japanese environment. She sewed the high school cheerleader’s uniform for extra money.
Hi, David…we were at Grant Heights the same time as you. I went to Narimasu HS. I hope us teenagers didn’t cause you too much trouble. I have so many great memories! ?⛩️
Dad was stationed at Fuchu Air Station, arriving I think in ‘58 or ‘59 from Clark Air Base in the Philippines and we lived at Grant Heights. I was 9 then turned 10. Remember mom ordering chocolate sundaes (BX I guess) and a Japanese man would deliver them on a bicycle. Chestnuts sold out by the ball fields. Honey bucket pits lol. Not being allowed off the housing area when they were protests (communists, not sure though) .Playing baseball with a hard rubber ball (Japanese ball I think). Building unpowered go carts and driving down an old bunker, I think near the Abx and theater area maybe. Always a view of Mt Fuji it seemed. Didn’t know there was a runway there. 4th and 5 th grade on base.
My dad was stationed at Fuchu 58-59 too. We lived at Grant Heights. I went to 2-4 grade at Narimasu Elementary School. Played Little League too. Maybe we knew each other in the way back. lol. Andy Yemma (takingthekids.com)
My dad was stationed at Fuchu 59 – 63. I was born at Tachikawa AFB. We lived off base in a house my parents built near the Suntory plant and race tracks.
My Dad, Mom and I lived there in 1950-1951. He was a Japanese American (NIsei) NCO who worked as an interpreter at GHQ. My mother was a Japanese national. I dont know if I was born on or off-base because there were some issues early on regarding marriages between GIs and foreign nationals. Would like to know if there are still birth certificates available from Grant Heights so I can find out either way. I was only 2 when my Mom and I left Japan and sailed back to the states under the Golden Gate bridge, something I guess many of the older folks here did. My Dad stayed in the service a couple more years.
For years, I thought we had lived in “Grand Heights” and never knew about Grant Heights until I found an old paper my dad prepared to request our admission to the US. Grant Heights sounds like it was a great place for families and to live while posted in Japan. My next trip to Japan to see relatives, I am going to try to get to Hikariagoka and check it out.
I lived in Grant Heights and Mutsumi Dai multiple times (back and forth between Japan and Hawaii) until I graduated from Yamato High School (Narimasu High closed at the end of the 1971 school year). Both Narimasu and Yamato have active alumni associations and groups on FaceBook if you are interested. Neither group really cares whether you went to either high school but is more about the shared experience of having lived in Japan. You will find lots of postings that will bring back memories.
Narimasu/Grant Heights and Camp Drake Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/37715283769
Thanks so much for this wonderful article. My family lived there for two years, approximately 1965-67, while my dad was a doctor in the army. I have my certificate from the elementary school on the base. We really do appreciate your taking the time to write this recollection. I hope to go back to Japan soon, 60 plus years later. Best regards, David
I’m Japanese.
I was working in Hikarigaoka where Grant Heights was located.
There was an officer club on the south side.
There is no trace of Grant Heights in Hikarigaoka.
It seems that the ground around the chapel is slightly raised, but it doesn’t seem to have changed.
About 50 years ago I lived in an apartment complex on the north side of Momote Village from 1966 to
1973.
Momote village was located around the RIKEN(2-1,Hirosawa,Wako,Saitama).
I am a Japanese.
I lived in an apartment complex on the north side of Momote Village from 1966 to
1973.
Even now,only the foundation part of millitary housing remains on the the RIKEN.
But we can’t get in.
The golf course became a park.
The terrainseems
to be as it is.
We lived in Momote village 1967. -1971. Went back in 1998 . We snuck in. We could see foundation of the houses. We lived in 1504. We could still see Dan chi ? Apartments. We use to see golf course. And big radio tower. In 1998 nothing was there. Except for Dan chi
Danchi where I lived has begun to be partially rebuilt.
I think the horizontal housing complex in the south of Momote is as it is.
Where there was a golf course, there are a lot of images on “#和光樹林公園” on Instagram.
The gentle ups and downs seem to be the same as they were at that time.
Foundation of the houses seem to have disappeared recently.
Until recently, there was a wooden building called “No.1153”, but it was demolished at the same time as the foundation of the house and there was no trace.
I’ve also seen my child on his way to school, do you know what kind of building this is?
What great memories. I, and my brother, loved in Grant Heights in 1963-1967. I attended 1st – 4th grades at Narimasu Elementary. My father was stationed at Yokoto AFB. We can lived across the street from the post office and gas station. I remember Toshimaen a few times. I miss those days.
I lived there 1961-1964 and did 1-3 grade-Great memories-Dad was Thomas B.Hoxie, USAF
Shawn Hoxie Cray
I was there 60-64 at Grant Heights, (k thru 2), then 69-72 at Momote Village, junior high
Was your father Sergeant Staropoli? I worked with Stg Staropoli and the base supply system computer at Yokota AFB during the Vietnam war and I was an engineer from Unisys during that time.
I lived in Tokyo just opposite Hanzomon. Our Church was Jochi/Sophia at Yotsuya We attended the Tokyo Chapel Center often….a military church for all.
What memories. I went to SJC in Yokohama. Grant Heights, Camp Zama, Takachikaya, Yokosuka.
This was from 1952 thru 1956. How times have changed as the area around our home is built up with tall bldgs. Our home/house is still there however. The little house surrounded by the sky scrapers…..7-1 Chome, Kojimachi, Chiyoda Ku.
Toshimaen closed in 2020 and became the Warner Bros Studio Tour Tokyo – Making of Harry Potter.
I was the oldest of five children. My sister Katie was born there and we went to the elementary school daily while looking at Mt. Fuji in all it’s beauty and splendor. We lived next to Pattie waters family Dottie Vowel, Francis Berturm and Mary Romance.. We played on the swing set next to our house and the large yard to run free as the sun set. Mom invited our Catholic priest Father Richard Goris, over to meet the family and have dinner. His hobby was collecting snakes and had several shows at the base library. He brought the snakes out and let everyone see and touch them. Then he came to our house and I got to hold the boa constrictor while teasing Miciko, our housekeeper who ran from me into the kitchen.I have great memories of all those folks and the wonderful people who where stationed there.
Beth – what years were you at GH? I vaguely remember seeing snakes at the library. Might have known that priest too. I was at GH 55-59, 2nd-4th grades at Narimasu elementary. (PS: I wrote this article).
Andy Yemma
Hi Andy. Wonderful article. My family moved to Grant Heights in 1952 during the Korean War. My dad was in the Air Force. We too (mom, older brother and sister) got on a re-purposed military ship and sailed out of Fort Mason in San Francisco. I don’t remember much because I was so young, but I heard plenty of fun stories from brother and sister. I recently discovered a wonderful map of GH that my dad sent Mom to show her where we would be living, etc. If you’d like a photo of it, let me know.
We lived in Momote Village in 1953. I went to 4th Grade in Grand Heights. My teacher was a wonderful woman who read us stories by Pearl Buck. She got me into the Weekly Reader Book Club.
I used to hang out at the youth club at Momote Village.
I guess my first “cruise” was on the US General Sultan.
Aloha From Hawaii. I was born in Japan January of 1960, and raised in Grant Heights until I was 6.5 years old when Dad was transferred to Hawai’i. This past October/November I returned to Japan for the very first time in 57 years, and it was a dream come true. I located the exact spot where my home once stood in present-day Hikarigaoka, and I visited the site of my grandparents home in Onuki, Chiba. I spent a total of 4 weeks in Japan traveling from Hakodate to Hiroshima, and making stops in between. I bought the JR rail pass right before the price hike, and I milked the thing for all it’s worth. I traveled 3000 miles by rail, and walked 107 miles.
I came across this post as I was searching for the name of the base where Grant Heights was located. (My dad was trying to say the name of the base today, but he is recovering from a TBI and is having trouble enunciating.) Anyway, it turns out you were probably classmates at one point! He graduated from Niramasu HS in 1967, but had gone all the way through school on that base.
Well, that might be so. I graduated from HS (in the states) in ’67. What was his name? I went to Narimasu elementary 2-4 grades 1957-59. If my memory still serves, my teachers were Ms Champion (2nd Grade), Ms. Johnson (3rd), and Ms Schweiker or Schleiker or a similar name (4th grade). Maybe your dad will recall one or more of those names. Pretty sure there were 2 or more classes per grade as it was a pretty big school. Cheers and hope your Dad recovers in full.
Thanks Andy Y. for your 2015 publication!
I was born in 1958 at Tokyo US Army Hospital to E-5 “Flip” Morin who was in the Far East Network (FEN) in radio and television. Like some other commenters in this thread, my older sister and pregnant mother travelled by troop transport, the Gen. H.J. Gaffey for two weeks from San Francisco. I have the colorful certificate called the “Domain of the Golden Dragon” awarded to them for crossing the international date line. Have some of my mom’s black/white photos of the occasion, too. But no photos of Tokyo.
My family was Army, but lived in Grant Heights at Qtrs. 489-A—it’s on my birth certificate. I was too young to remember any of it but someone here might remember army brats Francine and Philip Morin. Mother: Marie Morin, from 1958-1960.
Lived in Grant Heights from 1949-50 in quarters number 221 just opposite the theater.