I took a walk outside our "gated community" today to a quiet and pleasant park along the waterfront. Frequented by the lunch crowd of Japanese blue and white collar workers, the area is carved out of the busy city of Yokosuka. In this park, dotted with shady trees, manicured shrubbery and sparkling fountains, I came upon His Imperial Japanese Majesty's Ship Mikasa, a pre-dreadnought battleship dating back to the turn of the 20th century. Never to sail again, it is land-locked in a massive foundation of concrete and is the centerpiece of the Mikasa Park. The century-old ship has a proud and storied past and the Japanese people are as proud of her as Texans are of the Battleship Texas. I was impressed and the ship seemed to be a very popular place with the citizenry. The whole time I explored the ship and the park I did not see one single non-Japanese person. The sensation I felt was almost as if I were an intruder in their world.---
This is a Nissan SKYLINE. Until recently, I was unaware that this was Japan's greatest supercar. The Skyline has never been sold in North America. The first thing my younger brother Ricky said to me when I told him we were moving to Japan was "Wow! Japan! If you can get a hold of a SKYLINE Nicholas (Nicholas being his second-oldest boy) will buy it!" It is my understanding that this apparently legendary car, if one can be procured and shipped to the States for resale, can produce an amazing profit for the reseller. I'll keep my eyes open for a FOR SALE sign, Nick.
