The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.Blogger Tips and Tricks
This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Sunday, March 28, 2010

A historic British Embassy vacation house [ 830 ]

The Mainichi Daily News

Historic British Embassy holiday house to be given to Tochigi Prefecture

Ernest Satow
Ernest Satow

NIKKO, Tochigi -(Mainichi Japan) March 28, 2010-

A historic British Embassy vacation house on the shore of Lake Chuzenji in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, will be handed over to the Tochigi Prefectural Government for free, it has been learned.

The residence, built in 1896 by British diplomat Ernest Satow (1843-1929), author of the book "A Diplomat in Japan," is due to be handed over the prefectural government on April 1. The prefecture plans to renovate it, enabling it to be unveiled to the public.

"We are extremely grateful to be handed this historic structure," said Tochigi Gov. Tomikazu Fukuda.

The British Embassy vacation house on the shore of Lake Chuzenji in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, is pictured in this file photo. (Mainichi)
The British Embassy vacation house on the shore of Lake Chuzenji in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, is pictured in this file photo. (Mainichi)

Lake Chuzenji is located at an altitude of 1,300 meters, and since the Meiji Era, many embassy vacation homes have been built on the shore of the lake as places to escape the summer heat. Among these, the British structure is the oldest.

The house, which is made of wood, has 495 square meters of floor space. Its outward appearance is Japanese, but there is a fireplace inside, along with other Western furnishings. It is said to have the best view among the four foreign embassy vacation houses on the shore of the lake, and the second floor overlooks Hatcho Dejima Island, which is known for its beautiful autumn scenery.

Kazumi Fukuda, a former Nikko Municipal Government worker who has published books including "Nikko Hishochi Monogatari" (Nikko summer resort story), describing how Nikko emerged as a tourist area during the Meiji Era, says that Satow worked as an interpreter for the British Embassy. He took a liking to the area after renting a home on the shore of the lake, and Emperor Meiji provided him with land to build a villa. Later, the house was used as an embassy retreat.

Recently the villa has deteriorated with age, and for the last two years it has remained unused. In January 2009, the British Embassy approached the prefectural government to discuss the possibility of handing the villa over.

The prefecture plans to open the home to the public once it has been restored, though the exact date has not yet been decided.

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