On 31 May, 2109, 48 American and Japanese cadets studying in Yokosuka had the opportunity to get to know one another and exchange cultural experiences while bowling on the U.S. base in Yokosuka.
It was a warm Friday night, and the end of a long week, when group of 17 midshipmen from the Japanese National Defense Academy (NDA) in Yokosuka's Kannonzaki district assembled the U.S. Navy base in Yokosuka eager to go bowling on base with their Kinnick High School Navy Junior ROTC counterparts. Through the turnstile, a cluster of crisp white uniforms assembled into a line, and with their ID cards ready, they quickly proceeded through the checkpoint. For all but two, this was their first time on the US Navy base in Yokosuka. From atop the Kannonzaki hilltop where the NDA campus is situated, the midshipmen can see the base towers, Purdy gym, and the baseball fields lit every evening. The Kinnick High School NJROTC cadets had visited the NDA campus in November for the annual matsuri and bodaioshi, making the bowling event a nice bookend to this year’s efforts to create opportunities for cross-cultural connections between the cadets and midshipmen.
After snapping the memorial photo, 48 bowlers checked out shoes and formed up 8 teams of 6. Several bilingual guests dispersed between groups comprised of both cadets and midshipmen. Pizzas arrived, sodas were selected, and the games began. The white uniforms, sweatshirts, and pins glowed when the blacklight turned on for evening bowling. A disco ball scattered speckled light across the lanes, and music played. Soon strikes elicited vigorous high-fives, gutter balls drew dramatic despair, and conversation practice came easily. “Puresshanaiyo!” No problem – only one pin left standing…no pressure, no pressure! A Kinnick student and an NDA midshipman competed solving the Rubik’s cube between turns.