US Personnel taught karate in Tokorozawa

[Andrew S]

I was reading some history of Shotokan karate, and one point that jumped out at me was Funakoshi and his senior students being invited to teach at a few US military bases, including Tokorozawa (my place of residence).
Currently the only US military facility in the city is a transmitter base.
Does anyone know where the base in Tokorozawa that became a key point for the spread of Funakoshi's karate to the West was located? Maybe someone on this board was stationed there, or had parents or grandparents stationed there.
Thank you.

[Neil Yamamoto]

From my research file notes:
http://www.yohidevils.net/kanto/tokodepot/index.html - Maps and details of base.

My notes:
Tokorozawa was the location of Japan's first airport (1911) with a 400-meter runway. The facility had an aviation school and the Japanese base was taken over by the US after WWII in 1945. The base was returned to Japan in 1971. This is now a public park called Tokorozawa Aviation Memorial Park (Tokorozawa Koku Ki'nen Koen 所沢航空記念公園). The original runway is now a road in the park.

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Picture gallery:
http://photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails.php?album=572

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A quick google search found the same stuff I posted above, the site I got the information for my notes is still up too. And I found a youtube video of the park:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTKFIQq8Ijg

[Joseph Svinth]

Also read up on US Army Depot, Japan, which had a major logistics center there from 1946-1962. (In 1962, the ordnance facility moved to Sagami.)

This was presumably part of the buildup to the SAC programs of 1949-1952.

[DustyMars]

I remember the chow was great at Johnson AB. We stayed there for the 1961 and 1962 5th Air Force Judo championships. The good old days.

[Andrew S]

My notes:
Tokorozawa was the location of Japan's first airport (1911) with a 400-meter runway. The facility had an aviation school and the Japanese base was taken over by the US after WWII in 1945. The base was returned to Japan in 1971. This is now a public park called Tokorozawa Aviation Memorial Park (Tokorozawa Koku Ki'nen Koen 所沢航空記念公園). The original runway is now a road in the park.

I knew about the first airport and aviation school being there, it's basically Tokorozawa's sole claim to fame. Apparently Japan's first powered flight took off from there (although Kogane Park in Tokyo makes the same claim). I suspected that it would have been used during WWII, but that doesn't get talked about. I didn't know about the US holding it, either. Thanks for the info.

Also read up on US Army Depot, Japan, which had a major logistics center there from 1946-1962. (In 1962, the ordnance facility moved to Sagami.)

This was presumably part of the buildup to the SAC programs of 1949-1952.

Excellent work. Thank you.

Now, if we can just find someone who was stationed there and saw Funakoshi demonstrate....

[Thomas Feldmann]

I read about Emilio ("Mel") Bruno, who has been in charge of the SAC martial arts program since the 1950s. Unfortunately, I don't know what happened to him, but I remember having seen pictures of him and Judo and Karate masters (e.g. Isao Obata).

Good luck with your further research.

Thomas Feldmann

[DustyMars]

I read about Emilio ("Mel") Bruno, who has been in charge of the SAC martial arts program since the 1950s. Unfortunately, I don't know what happened to him, but I remember having seen pictures of him and Judo and Karate masters (e.g. Isao Obata).

Good luck with your further research.

Thomas Feldmann

Mel passed on several years back, can't remember when, but was a friend.