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Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Spey visits Portsmouth’s Japanese twin city of Maizuru
13 November 2026
Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Spey spent five days in her home port’s twin city in Japan on the latest leg of her Asia-Pacific mission.
Civic and military leaders in Maizuru gave the 60 or so British sailors the VIP treatment as Spey paid her first visit to the naval base on the north coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu.
Crew were greeted by a band from the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force followed by a welcome ceremony including speeches from local military leaders and city Mayor Akitsu Kamoda.
The focus of the visit was to resupply Spey for the next leg of her Operation Highwall deployment – the long-term mission in company with her older sister HMS Tamar to re-establish the Royal Navy’s presence in the Asia-Pacific region, work with our friends, allies and partners both at sea and ashore, forging closer military ties and also flying the flag for all things British from culture to industry.
The Brits were royally hosted by the crew of the Japanese frigate Yahagi, who organised a rich programme of professional, sporting and cultural exchanges.
Crew from both ships challenged each other to a tug of war, then several rounds of Mölkky (A Finnish throwing game) which local council leaders also joined in.
The Brits invited Maizuru’s MP Taro Honda and high school children from across the region on board for a tour and experience of life at sea in a navy with some similar customs, plus a lot of differences.
The visit ended with a ceremonial sail past involving Spey and the Yahagi with crew of each lining the decks and saluting each other.Maizuru couldn’t have been a better port visit,” . “The most memorable part was the welcoming ceremony as their band was fantastic and it was interesting to see how deeply respectful people in their culture are.
“I grew up in Pompey because my dad was in the Navy and my passion is Kendo, so visiting Maizuru in Japan couldn’t have been a better port visit,” said warfare specialist Petty Officer Nolan.
“The most memorable part was the welcoming ceremony as their band was fantastic and it was interesting to see how deeply respectful people in their culture are.
“Another highlight of visiting Japan was the opportunity to go to the nearby city of Kyoto where you could get your fill of Japanese temples and castles in the day and then get absorbed into the modern culture by wandering the streets in the evenings.”
Comms and computer expert Able Seaman Herr added: “It’s hard to say which part of our visit was best as it was all great, but getting to visit the local cities, try lots of food, and getting absorbed into the culture was a unique experience.
“We also played Mölkky against the JMSDF which initially seemed to be a simple throwing game but turned out to be a game of tactics and skill which had everyone on edge. We definitely need to find a way to have that game on board.”
For Lieutenant Commander Helen Taylor, Spey’s Executive Officer, the few days in Maizuru have been one of the highlights of her ship’s epic deployment.
“HMS Spey has not been in Portsmouth in over five years but it was great to meet and talk to people who knew about our city and had visited more recently than the ship! It was a privilege to reinforce the bond between the twinned cities of Maizuru and Portsmouth, our home base.
“Our people work hard when we’re at sea, continuously training to maintain our high level of standards, so it’s great that we get the opportunity to go ashore and experience the sights and sounds of somewhere that we may not normally get the opportunity to visit.
“Maizuru even has their own version of Spinnaker Tower, called Goro Sky Tower, which a few of us climbed up to and were rewarded with the stunning landscape of the Maizuru region.”
She continued: “The Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force and the Royal Navy have a special bond that stretches back decades – evident by the warm welcome that we received and the ease in which we worked together during this visit.
“Being in temporary command whilst sailing through the Wasaka Bay was a special moment for me and my crew. The sun was shining through the clouds casting a golden morning light over the mountains during the pilotage into Maizuru which set the precedent for the beautiful landscape and culture that we encountered during this visit.”
HMS Spey has resumed her patrol of the Southeast Asia region before she heads for the Philippines to join local and US forces in their large-scale annual exercise Sama Sama which takes place later this month.