 The Shimoda Black Ship Festival is one of the biggest events of the year for both US Navy sailors and Shimoda residents. The town of Shimoda is fantastic. This is the 75th anniversary of the first Black Ship Festival here in Shimoda, and they really pull out all the stops. The things they do for us and our sailors, not just the ceremonies, but the real friendship that we feel here in Shimoda is like nowhere I've ever seen before. It was more than a century ago that Commodore Matthew Perry arrived with a fleet of US Navy ships to negotiate trade between the US and the island nation of Japan. During a break in the celebration, sailors took time to honor five sailors who died during the first visits to Japan. For some sailors, this is their first time in Shimoda, but they're already thinking about coming back. As long as I'm here in Japan, I will definitely come back to this festival, even might take a trip if I'm stationed in San Diego, take a trip back out here to Shimoda. The Black Ship Festival is about celebrating relationships, not only between the Japanese and US governments, but also between the Japanese people and the US Navy. Petty Officer Sonia Wickard, Shimoda, Japan.