Yokohama’s New Grand Hotel – MacArthur’s First Japanese Home
Col. Egeberg (aide) opens door of American Lincoln of undetermined vintage while New Grand Hotel Owner Nomura (not shown) awaits to greet its distinguished passenger.
MacArthur embraces Wainwright at New Grand Hotel.
Percival, MacArthur, Wainwright. (Just outside the hotel lies centuries-old “Yamashita Park.â€Â  Its future namesake, the famed “Tiger of Malaya†and Japan’s greatest WW2 general, Tomoyuki Yamashita, would receive from Percival the surrender of Singapore in 1942. He was later called upon to defend the Philippines against MacArthur’s invading force.)
MacArthur greets Devreyanko.
11th Airborne Soldier pitches camp in front of New Grand Hotel. Pergola in background and ginkgo trees blocking hotel facade can still be seen today (see Photo Gallery 2).
Officer’s mess with MacArthur at head table. Devreyanko, Sutherland, Percival, Wainwright, Sverdrup, Marquat, Whitney are among Allied officers present.
MacArthur leaves his hotel, August 31, to tour ruins in Yokohama. The marble blocks adorning the entrance are still in use today.
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An interesting idea for an article and a very well-written article. It was interesting to read the letter from the officer explaining the actual circumstances of General MacArthur’s greeting of General Wainwright.
I remember the New Grand Hotel, I lived and worked there from Nov 1947 to June 1950. The hotel was a part of the Eight Army Officers Club in those days. I was bar manager for the club part. Major Knowles was the Club Custodian. He was later replaced with Maj Rabb, as I recall. I knew Young Nomura quite well.
Fascinating! I wonder if you would remember Lt. Col. Eugene McNamara, who lived next door to MacArthuer during this time? Here’s a story about him–about a message in a bottle he hid in the Hotel New Grand: https://messageinabottlehunter.com/2017/07/29/1948-message-in-a-bottle-found-are-you-related-to-lt-col-eugene-j-mcnamara-from-world-war-ii/
I am not versed on if this is a “blog” or not but what an interesting study in history. I particularly liked the comparison in photos from 1945 and today. Great job.
Very interesting. I was stationed near Yokohama from 1966 to 1968 and saw the Hotel New Grand many times. Also spent many hours in Yamashita Park. At the time I did not know history of the hotel just 21 years earlier.
Have you seen the message in a bottle that was recently found–from MacArthur’s next door neighbor in the Grand Hotel, 1946-48? https://messageinabottlehunter.com/2017/07/29/1948-message-in-a-bottle-found-are-you-related-to-lt-col-eugene-j-mcnamara-from-world-war-ii/
Check out Armchair General’s feature web article on “The New Grand Hotel,” which is located in Yokohama 17 miles south of Tokyo. The majestic, grand hotel survived the war and served as MacArthur’s first home in Japan.
A few days later, the General moved his quarters to the U.S. ambassador’s official residence in Tokyo and his GHQ at six-story Dai-Ichi Mutual Life’s imposing world headquarters. Both structures miraculously survived the carpet bombing of the city.
http://armchairgeneral.com/yokohamas-new-grand-hotel-macarthurs-first-japanese-home.htm/2
Also check the FORUM’s Trackbacks/Pingbacks for the film on “Hits and Misses in the Movie ‘Emperor’ Armchair General.”