Navy officials pleased with Japanese response to USS George Washington comic book

[unhappycamper]

Navy officials pleased with Japanese response to USS George Washington comic book
By Allison Batdorff and Hana Kusumoto, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Tuesday, June 10, 2008

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — The lengthy line of manga fans snaking down the Highway 16 sidewalk Sunday meant one thing to Navy Cmdr. David Waterman — they had "broken the code" in communicating with the Japanese public.

The first hour was manga madness for "CVN 73," the Navy’s 200-page comic starring the USS George Washington. The aircraft carrier is scheduled to arrive in Yokosuka this August and will be the first nuclear-propelled ship forward-deployed to Japan.

Sailors handed out about 800 copies of "CVN 73" in three hours in the manga’s first day of distribution. More will be handed out at upcoming open base events, said Waterman, a spokesman for Commander U.S. Naval Forces Japan.

"The response has been phenomenal," Waterman said. "People told me that if we passed out a brochure or a tri-fold, they wouldn’t read it. But with a manga, we’re speaking their language."

"CVN 73" puts a positive spin on ship life, safety and U.S. Japanese relations through the eyes and experience of fictitious Japanese-American sailor Jack Ohara. About 30,000 copies have been printed, the vast majority in Japanese. The title comes from the ship’s hull number.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=55417



uhc comment: Previous thread on this comic book --> http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=259&topic_id=15834

[TooBigaTent]

1. Wonder how they handle the rapes of japanese women committed by US servicemen. nt

[unhappycamper]

2. The Army 'reflects' on the issue.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=259&topic_id=11931