New book about BC Street

[kilo_four-six]

About the street "back in the day", very interesting read.

http://www.amazon.com/B-C-Street-E-Cooper/dp/059545058X/ref=pd_bbs_1/105-9350549-4246029?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189707581&sr=8-1

[Oxmix]

kilo,
Thanks. I just ordered BC St.

Regards

Ox

[eacooper]

kilo,
Thanks. I just ordered BC St.

Regards

Ox
Hope you enjoy the book. Let me know. ---E. A. Cooper (edcooper_edd@netzero.com)

[Oxmix]

eacooper,
Did you know a Sgt. (Crazy) John Para. He was in supply 3rd Marines Futema.

Regards

Ox

[eacooper]

eacooper,
Did you know a Sgt. (Crazy) John Para. He was in supply 3rd Marines Futema.

Regards

Ox

Sorry, don't remember anyone named Para, but at that time, I thought all Sgt.s were crazy. Just kidding, but I did avoid NCOs as they seemed to like assigning PFCs to work details. Actually, before I completed my first and only tour in the Marines, I received a meritorious promotion to E-5. Clearly, the Corps makes errors in judgement from time to time. I've been told by retired Marine friends, whenever I tell them that I was once selected as "Marine of the Quarter," that the Marine Corps has upgraded its standards since I served. I've noticed they don't smile when they tell me that.

E. A. (Ed) Cooper

[kilo_four-six]

Ed did you see the pic of the new BC on the other thread? It's all cleaned up...weird!

[Oxmix]

More Chuo Park Ave. aka BC ST.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/ChuoParkAveOkinawa.4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/ChuoParkAve.Okinawa.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/ChoParkAveBCSt.2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/ChoParkAveBCSt.1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/BCSt.f.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/ChipMonk.jpg

Regards

Ox

[eacooper]

Ed did you see the pic of the new BC on the other thread? It's all cleaned up...weird!

Yes, nice shot, pretty impressive. I was aware of the change. Over the years while I was writing my book, I purchased quite a bit of reference material. On eBay I acquired Guide Books from different years, some military and some civilian (intended for tourists); consequently, I was aware of many changes, including the ones to B.C. Street. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a "know it all." And, I enjoy hearing about the experiences of others--before and after I was there. Wish I had heard from more GIs, Vets and others when I was writing my novel. Actually, I have, over the last few years, made friends with some Americans who live on, or visit Okinawa frequently, and they were a great help.

Many of you may be familiar with William "The Marion" Steele. He's a very outspoken person, but has a heart of gold. Bill blogs on virtualokinawa.com and Japantoday.com. He's in his 80s and saw duty from Bouganville (sp?)to Iwo Jima. Worked on Okinawa as a civilian contractor. Can tell you a great deal about what it was like to be jailed in Naha in early postwar days. He resides in Okinawa City and, I believe, maintains a residence in CA. Jason Arbogast married an Okinawan lady and remained on the island. Jason sells a lot of karate material on eBay and furnished me with many of the guide books that I acquired. He's now studying law, a very driven, no-nonsense, young man, but quite nice when you get to know him. Jason is quite smart and instructed at one of the Japanese Universities on Okinawa. Robert Avery, a documentary film-maker, is married to an Okinawan lady and visits Okinawa frequently. If you haven't seen his video: Why Okinawa: Voices of the People , please visit silkdragonproductions.com. or rafilm.com.

Finally, to anybody that's reading this, I spent a lot of time, thought, and hard work into writing B.C. Street. Please take a look at it on amazon.com. Thanks---E. A. (Ed) Cooper

[kilo_four-six]

Oxmix, can you get a shot of Charlie's Taco's? :thumbup1:

[DoctorP]

BC street is still a dump. I drove through there yesterday, and it really hasn't changed much in the last 10 years. It would be a nice place if someone would bring some investors in and clean it up...too many closed up shops. It would have been a nice place if Koza music town offices had used their money to remodel BC.

[Muku]

BC street is still a dump. I drove through there yesterday, and it really hasn't changed much in the last 10 years. It would be a nice place if someone would bring some investors in and clean it up...too many closed up shops. It would have been a nice place if Koza music town offices had used their money to remodel BC.
I highly doubt if the Gate Two area and BC street ever regain the popularity that they once had. The Mihama area along with the Awase area in Okinawa City have taken over and the biggest problem facing the district is lack of parking along with having too many extablishments particularly along Gate Two street catering to the US Military and not having anything that would attract the Okinawan people to spend their money there.

The "glory" days of that area along with Nakanomachi are pretty much over. Koza music will probably end up being a "fad" kind of location that sticks around but will not bring or induce new business to the area. It is an inconvenient area to get to and parking costs too much money, they can not compete with the free parking around JUSCO and the Mihama area along with ease of access. The area is doomed to die more than it already has. The military as well no longer pumps the same amount of money that it once did into the area. The glory days are over in my opinion.

Even Korinza with the Best Electric and the Unemplyoment office are not doing all that well. The building was partially finanaced with money from the government in an effort to revitalize the surrounding community, but unformatunately is hasnt been all that successful.

[kilo_four-six]

BC street is still a dump. I drove through there yesterday, and it really hasn't changed much in the last 10 years. It would be a nice place if someone would bring some investors in and clean it up...too many closed up shops. It would have been a nice place if Koza music town offices had used their money to remodel BC.

I'm confused now, I thought it was all cleaned up and a shopping area now, but I don't live there anymore so I don't really know, but back in "the day" it was GI sleaze party city yeah for sure, but the most fun I've ever had, that particular aspect is gone right?

[DoctorP]

They cleaned it up a few years back, but I was there yesterday (during the day) and it is still run down. Many shops boarded up, and the ones that are open (for the most part) are run down looking and not attractive at all.

[Muku]

I'm confused now, I thought it was all cleaned up and a shopping area now, but I don't live there anymore so I don't really know, but back in "the day" it was GI sleaze party city yeah for sure, but the most fun I've ever had, that particular aspect is gone right?
Nobody shops there anymore, not after the Mihama area and Awase areas are cheaper and more convenient to get to.

Not to mention both have free parking.

[eacooper]

Ed did you see the pic of the new BC on the other thread? It's all cleaned up...weird!

Yes, thanks for posting your photographs (they're very good). It's quite a change from the nightclub strip that I knew. As you probably know, B.C. Street was in existence from at least the middle 1950s (unpaved at that time) to about 1997 when Okinawa City's (formerly known as Koza) City Council decided to shut the nightclubs down and make the street a tourist mall.

When I was there in 1963-64 and then back again in '65 (shipped out to Vietnam after three months) and later in '66, B.C. St. was a fairly tame entertainment strip. In those days, GIs usually dressed in neat and fashionable civvies. The hostesses wore satin, China doll dresses with Mao collar, short sleeves, and knee-high, tight-fitting skirts with a slit on the right side (very sexy) complimented by matching high-heeled shoes. Music was provided by jukebox loaded with fairly current hits. There were live floorshows on the weekends, normally a strip tease number--but nothing crude. I liked the place, except that hostesses, unless they knew and liked you, really hustled you for drinks.

If you bought a hostess drinks she would sit and dance with you, tell stories and jokes, etc. If you went back often enough, and she liked you, then she might at some time go out with you on a date. Things could progress further like anywhere else in the world between consenting adults, but I never met a nightclub hostess on B.C. Street who was a prostitute. The prostitutes worked the streets and back alleys and more so in Futemna than on B.C. Street.

From what I've read, over the years ('70s, '80s, '90s) B.C. Street lost its fragile moral compass due to GIs returning from Vietnam with large amounts of cash. Apparently, an "anything goes" mentality set in--what with all the money flowing so fast and war-crazed troops going wild-- the street became a hell-town--too bad. I still miss the place, and the people who worked there.

[socalheart]

Well, the government didn't shut down the bars exactly. There are still "neighborhood" bars/clubs that one simply goes in for a drink with friends or for the music. There are also "juicy"bars, where you buy drinks for the girls, which are rarely Japanese girls. Although, since the immigration changes, there are fewer of those now. BC street juicy bars are mostly upstairs and open after 18:00.

The retail stores there are nice, but the whole street needs a little face lift. Individual stores are pretty good with keeping their store fronts tidy, but the street as a whole needs "a fresh coat of paint" as the saying goes. I think the biggest problem is a lack of parking. People just don't want to walk from the base or civic center parking lots. (Not sure if it's a civic center, but it's some sort of gov't bldg. near the Korinza.)

Either way, it's improved since the war and post-war days. It looks like they're trying to make it more tourist and family friendly.

[eacooper]

About the street "back in the day", very interesting read.

http://www.amazon.com/B-C-Street-E-Cooper/dp/059545058X/ref=pd_bbs_1/105-9350549-4246029?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189707581&sr=8-1

Thanks for your kind words. I appreciate the support . . . E. A. Cooper

[Oxmix]

My copy of BC Street arrived yesterday. Now all I need is time to sit down and read it.

Regards

Ox

[Oxmix]

Well I have started reading BC Street. I like it. It's fun.

So far, for me, it's like being a fly on the wall. Having been there and done that, all of the visual images, smells and sounds and almost knowing what's going to happen next, are pictured in my mind as the story is told. As I said. Like a fly on the wall.
It's one thing to have an author paint a picture for you and another thing to know that you were once part of that picture.

Regards

Ox

E A, I think we bid against each other on a lot of the same items on eBay.

[eacooper]

Well I have started reading BC Street. I like it. It's fun.

So far, for me, it's like being a fly on the wall. Having been there and done that, all of the visual images, smells and sounds and almost knowing what's going to happen next, are pictured in my mind as the story is told. As I said. Like a fly on the wall.
It's one thing to have an author paint a picture for you and another thing to know that you were once part of that picture.

Regards

Ox

E A, I think we bid against each other on a lot of the same items on eBay.

Dear Ox,

Thanks for the comments about my novel. Keep reading, I suspect you are in for at least a few surprises. At times I thought the book was writing itself, and I was just along for the ride. We may have bid against each other. I've purchased quite a few items off of eBay. My bid name is bcst1963.

My best,

E. A.

[eacooper]

Well, the government didn't shut down the bars exactly. There are still "neighborhood" bars/clubs that one simply goes in for a drink with friends or for the music. There are also "juicy"bars, where you buy drinks for the girls, which are rarely Japanese girls. Although, since the immigration changes, there are fewer of those now. BC street juicy bars are mostly upstairs and open after 18:00.

The retail stores there are nice, but the whole street needs a little face lift. Individual stores are pretty good with keeping their store fronts tidy, but the street as a whole needs "a fresh coat of paint" as the saying goes. I think the biggest problem is a lack of parking. People just don't want to walk from the base or civic center parking lots. (Not sure if it's a civic center, but it's some sort of gov't bldg. near the Korinza.)

Either way, it's improved since the war and post-war days. It looks like they're trying to make it more tourist and family friendly.



Dear Socialheart,

It seemed to me when I was stationed on "the rock," buildings the island over needed a fresh coat of paint. I got the impression that the salt air coming in off the Pacific and East China Sea aged buildings rapidly. That's just speculation on my part, but Okinawans generally kept up appearances to the extent that they could.

I enjoyed B.C. Street when it bustled with nightclubs, but I came to realize that my fun came at the expense of others. I don't know if you understand that statement or not, but read my book and it should become clear.

Cordially,

E. A.

[chiefk]

EA, I bought your book and read it last week. I enjoyed it very much, thank you. Now my wife, who is from Okinawa, is struggling to read it too. I was there a little after you, I got there the first time in 1968 and everything you wrote about is authentic. I wonder if the US Club is still there?