Sasebo History About Sasebo In The Movies
By Phil Eakins

Here’s a quick question for you: what does a flying monster, the Imperial Japanese Navy and a famous local author have in common? No, I’m not suggesting someone from Sasebo wrote a tell-all book about an unearthly thing the Japanese Navy discovered decades ago. The correct answer is they were each featured in motion pictures that were in some way connected to Sasebo.

The most recent movie featuring Sasebo city, 69, is the silver screen adaptation of local author Ryu Murakami’s book of the same title. An autobiographical coming of age story set in Sasebo during the year 1969, this book-turnedmovie is the second of four books written by Mr. Murakami. Part of neighboring SSK property substituted for scenes of US Fleet Activities Sasebo’s main gate.

Sasebo Naval Station played a very crucial role during the Russo-Japanese War, so it is only fitting the base was featured (although briefly) in a movie depicting battleship Mikasa and the Battle of Tsushima. Nihonkai Daikaisen: Umi Yukaba, translated as Big Battle of the Japan Sea: If You Go to Sea, was released in 1984. Also known as Battle Anthem, the movie mostly tells the story of a young musician assigned to Mikasa’s shipboard band. If you look close, you’ll recognize some of our red brick warehouses in some of the scenes.

Toho Studio’s first Japanese monster movie shot in color was Sora no Daikaiju Radon, known to American audiences as Rodan, the Flying Monster. This 1956 film features not one, but two flying reptiles as they are awakened from deep slumber and wreak havoc in Kyushu. One of the monsters attacks Sasebo city and also destroys the then-new Saikai Bridge with supersonic wind created by its flapping wings. The Hario wireless radio towers also make a brief appearance during a scene where Japan Air Self Defense Force fighter jets chase Rodan toward Saikai Bridge.

Tats Blain, wife of Commander Jack Blain, the first Commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo, wrote a book in 1951 about her experiences living in Sasebo called Mother-Sir! Her book was the basis for an obscure 1956 motion picture titled Navy Wife starring Joan Bennett and Gary Merrill. Naturally, Hollywood can’t leave well enough alone and the movie barely resembles the book. It’s obvious most of the movie was shot on a soundstage that doubled for Sasebo city and our navy base; however, someone had the good sense to get at least one actual location shot of the base featuring a part of Juliet Basin with Mt. Akasaki in the background.

Although it wasn’t shot in Sasebo, the 1980 miniseries Shogun also deserves a quick mention; part of the 12-hour epic was filmed at nearby Hirado Island. I wonder how many base residents made the trek to Hirado to catch a glimpse of leading star Richard Chamberlain?

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