Yokohama’s New Grand Hotel – MacArthur’s First Japanese Home
Residents take a stroll in Yamashita Park within sight of M.S. Hikawa Maru, a historic luxury ocean liner.
Ms. Seiko Wada, Ms. Aiko Kobayashi, and Mr. Yasuhiro Nojiri pose for Armchair General in hotel lobby.
MacArthur Suite and General MacArthur on cover of November 2005 issue.
Second floor main lobby, reached by a stairway pasted with marble blocks shipped from Italy in 1927. MacArthur and guests used these stairs to get to their rooms as well as function rooms.
Mr. Hiromitsu Nomura, grandson of Mr. Yozo Nomura, who personally greeted MacArthur in 1945, is managing director of Nara Real Estate Co., owners of Hotel New Grand. Hotel started subscription to Armchair General in May 2007.
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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.”