3 visiting Japanese naval ships bring hundreds of sailors to Oahu
Enthusiastically waving his Japanese flag, the Rev. Seigoro Nishiwaki of the Palolo Hongwanji greeted the training ship JS Kashima.
Yoshihiko Kamo, left, Japanese consul general in Hawaii, greets Rear Adm. Umio Otsuka, commander, Japan Training Squadron, with Rear Adm. Dixon Smith, at right, commander, Navy Region Hawaii.
More than 700 sailors from a Japanese training squadron are making a port visit to Pearl Harbor.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Training Squadron arrived Monday at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a three-day visit.
Ships from the Japanese navy usually visit Pearl Harbor about six times a year. The Japanese naval liaison, Cmdr. Seishi Goto, said members of the training squadron will visit the memorial to the USS Arizona and the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific today, as is customary for every visiting Japanese naval ship.
The Arizona was sunk during the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
The squadron includes about 170 newly commissioned officers who are completing a training cruise.
Its three ships are the JS Kashima, the JS Asagiri and the JS Mineyuki.
