Members of Waseda University's jazz club march down the Honch during the annual jazz and rock festival in Yokosuka, Japan, on Nov. 4, 2024. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes)
Vivacious melodies filled the streets of Yokosuka city for three days as dozens of bands brought their music just outside the home of the U.S. 7th Fleet.
Dulcet vocals, dynamic saxophone solos and lively marching pieces reminiscent of New Orleans were just a sampling of the genres on display at Yokosuka Tomodachi Jazz 2024 and Yokosuka Jazz Rock Festival, two events that ran simultaneously Friday through Sunday.
If you missed it this year, the annual event occurs on the weekend surrounding Japan’s Culture Day holiday on Nov. 3.
More than 50 musical artists turned out for the festival, which included 14 venues across downtown Yokosuka just outside Yokosuka Naval Base between Yokosuka-Chuo and Shioiri stations. Fans, many of them wearing Yokosuka’s iconic sukajan souvenir jackets, meandered back and forth from the various stages.
Members of OM Connection perform outside Mikasa Shopping Plaza in Yokosuka, Japan, on Nov. 3, 2024. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes)
The Atsuhiko Sugimoto Band performs just outside Coaska Mall in Yokosuka, Japan, on Nov. 3, 2024. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes)
Food vendors also joined the fray, while musicians stood by to speak with fans and other audience members after their performances
The annual event aims to establish Yokosuka as a “city of music, sports and entertainment,” according to the Yokosuka Tourism Promotion and Promotion Executive Committee’s website.
Among the highlights were members of Waseda University’s Jazz Club marching through Dobuita — known as the Honch to American sailors — and a closing event featuring Shigeorian Meteor Shower, a Tokyo-based band that won Yokosuka’s 2024 Mind Rock Award in September.
Members of Waseda University's jazz club march down the Honch during the annual jazz and rock festival in Yokosuka, Japan, on Nov. 4, 2024. (Alex Wilson/Stars and Stripes)
On the QT
Directions: The event area is within walking distance of Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, between Yokosuka Chuo and Shiori stations.
Times: The annual event occurs on the weekend surrounding Japan’s Culture Day holiday on Nov. 3.
Costs: Free
Food: You’ll find numerous restaurants in the area, along with festival-related food vendors.
Information: www.wakuwaku-yokosuka.jp
