Diamond Patch Company - Yokosuka, Japan

[Sideslip]

Am visiting my mother and sister back in my hometown in Japan. By luck, a good high school buddy is also over. He retired from naval aviation last year having been stationed in Japan for a solid part of that. Yokosuka Naval Base is 30 mn from where I live so we met up yesterday with my younger son and had a walking tour including watching ships and hearing some great stories including about the quality of shipboard life in the Japan Maritime SDF where he was sometime seconded as liaison, a Japanese Navy curry, a visit to the 1901 dreadnought Mikasa (flagship of Admiral Togo who defeated the Russian Fleet at Tsushima) and what triggered it all, the patch shop.

My son asked my buddy (who was in E/A 6Bs then E/A 18 Growlers) when he came over to our beach earlier in the week what his last squadron patch looked like… « you want to see patches? You need to go to where we all got ours » https://www.diamondpatch.jp/

Awesome place, I may need to go back before I return to the UK….

I was standing halfway into the shop with just as many patches behind me. They had a few WW2 reproductions. I forgot to take a picture of the shop front.

The red ball cap was quite nice feeling wool, they had a variety of colours.

My buddy’s last squadron although he moved up and on to other (very) interesting activities in naval aviation after.

My son wanted to have a name-tag made up but could not decide on the pattern as there were so many choices (hence the potential return). My buddy did offer him a call-sign « ATIS » as he transmits only! :p

We also grabbed for less than a dollar/pound ¥100 this current chart of all USN CAGs (July 2023).

You can see what they have on the website and Google translate. I think they ship internationally. Enjoy!

PS - we had a loose chat about flight jackets. He mentioned that his last one, the CWU-106p was by far the most comfortable. Also, CAG 5 was big on « flair » (patches), 15 being the max or optimal. Finally, when my son said « I feel the need… » he got warned that in the navy, Top Gun quotes generate automatic fines!

 

[blaze424]

Do you have the physical address for Diamond? I am headed to Yokosuka in a few weeks. Thanks.

 

[Sideslip]

Do you have the physical address for Diamond? I am headed to Yokosuka in a few weeks. Thanks.

I will try and draw you a map as addresses are tricky in Japan. Note also that she opens at 1100 or 1200 or 1300 so don’t go first thing in the morning. Will get this to you over the weekend. Have you been to Yokosuka before?

 

[Sideslip]

Just to keep things « lively », I spent a couple of hours sewing on these patches from Diamond for my son’s birthday present (jacket plus patches). All patches are correct as advised by my buddy who was CO of that squadron - except for the rising sun flag on the sleeve. That’s my Japanese side . My buddy also gave him his call sign…

 

[Sideslip]

Do you have the physical address for Diamond? I am headed to Yokosuka in a few weeks. Thanks.

If you copy and paste this into google, it should take you to the right place. It is on a main avenue : 神奈川県横須賀市本町2-7

Depending on which train line you take, here are walking directions:

Keikyu Line

Yokosuka Line

If you come in from this station, you will see the bay and if you are lucky, some Japanese Maritime SDF ships to your left and USN ships and Japanese subs ahead of you.

While you are there at Diamond, walk up Dobuita Dori (just under the red pin) aka the Honch and you will find some surplus type shops.

If you want to make a day of it, there is also the actual flagship, the Mikasa of Admiral Togo who led the Japanese fleet to victory at the Battle of Tsushima in 1905, annihilating the Russian Baltic Fleet. Apparently, Nimitz ordered that it should not be targeted during WW2. It’s in the upper right corner of the Keikyu Line map above.

 

[blaze424]

If you copy and paste this into google, it should take you to the right place. It is on a main avenue : 神奈川県横須賀市本町2-7

Depending on which train line you take, here are walking directions:

Keikyu Line
View attachment 142735
Yokosuka Line
View attachment 142737
If you come in from this station, you will see the bay and if you are lucky, some Japanese Maritime SDF ships to your left and USN ships and Japanese subs ahead of you.

While you are there at Diamond, walk up Dobuita Dori (just under the red pin) aka the Honch and you will find some surplus type shops.
View attachment 142739

If you want to make a day of it, there is also the actual flagship, the Mikasa of Admiral Togo who led the Japanese fleet to victory at the Battle of Tsushima in 1905, annihilating the Russian Baltic Fleet. Apparently, Nimitz ordered that it should not be targeted during WW2. It’s in the upper right corner of the Keikyu Line map above.

You are brilliant - thank you!!

First time in Yokosuka - looking forward to the adventure.

 

[Sideslip]

You are brilliant - thank you!!

First time in Yokosuka - looking forward to the adventure.

Enjoy and let us know how it goes.

If you have any other questions, let me know. There is a hole in the wall Japanese so-called navy curry place (I am pretty sure that the woman mixing that curry has been doing so since the Korean War) - let me know if you want directions to that. If not, there is a massive department store complex opposite Diamond (COASKA Bay Store) which has various restaurants on the upper levels).

Also, if you want to mix in some traditional culture, you can visit Kamakura (Yokosuka Line), my hometown, which is about 45 minutes from Shinagawa Station in Tokyo. TBH, you could spend 1-2 days there exploring just the main temples and shrines. From Kamakura, it is about 30 minutes to Yokosuka.

 

[blaze424]

Enjoy and let us know how it goes.

If you have any other questions, let me know. There is a hole in the wall Japanese so-called navy curry place (I am pretty sure that the woman mixing that curry has been doing so since the Korean War) - let me know if you want directions to that. If not, there is a massive department store complex opposite Diamond (COASKA Bay Store) which has various restaurants on the upper levels).

Also, if you want to mix in some traditional culture, you can visit Kamakura (Yokosuka Line), my hometown, which is about 45 minutes from Shinagawa Station in Tokyo. TBH, you could spend 1-2 days there exploring just the main temples and shrines. From Kamakura, it is about 30 minutes to Yokosuka.

Our son is our tour guide and Kamakura is on the list!!