JAPAN

Spotlight!

Photo Of U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jerry Dunn, 374th Airlift Wing command chief, gives opening remarks during the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month kickoff event at Yokota Community Center at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 1, 2024.

Spotlight!

AANHPI Heritage Month kicks off at Yokota

Members of the Yokota community converged at the Yokota Community Center to kick off Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month May 1, 2024.

Photo Of United States Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (USNMRTC) Yokosuka’s Command Chaplain, LT Jeremy Carr conducted a Blessing of the Hands for USNMRTC nurses and staff to kick off National Nurses Week. National Nurses Week is an annual event that takes place from May 6 to May 12, which coincides with the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who was a nurse leader who established the world’s first nursing school. The week-long celebration is a time to recognize and honor the contributions of nurses and to raise awareness of their vital role in patient care.

Spotlight!

Nurses Week celebration kicks off with blessing of the hands at USNH Yokosuka

United States Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (USNMRTC) Yokosuka’s Command Chaplain, LT Jeremy Carr conducted a Blessing of the Hands for USNMRTC nurses and staff to kick off National Nurses Week.

Photo Of Tatsuya Hara, 374th Security Forces Squadron chief of civilian defense, was named the Air Force 2023 Civilian Defender of the Year due to his contributions and dedication both on and off duty at Yokota Air Base, Japan, April 30, 2024.

Spotlight!

Fussa native receives AF Security Forces of the Year award

Fussa native Tatsuya Hara, 374th Security Forces Squadron chief of civilian defense, was named the Air Force Outstanding Security Forces Flight-level Civilian Supervisor of the Year due to his efforts at Yokota Air Base.

Photo Of Senior Airman Jennifer Scobie, 35th Maintenance Squadron Aerospace Group Equipment journeyman, poses in front of aircraft maintenance equipment April 22, 2024, at Misawa Air Base, Japan.

Spotlight!

Misawa Senior Airman Jennifer Scobie: A story of resilience and triumph

Currently, the average American lives to about 79 years old. For one Airman at Misawa Air Base, she was about 78 years short of that.

Photo Of Maribel Sikes, center, prepares a craft class in September 2023 at the Camp Zama Library during the “Story Time” event she holds regularly there for preschoolers. This month, Maribel made it as a finalist in 2024’s Operation Homefront Military Child of the Year Award.

Spotlight!

Camp Zama youth makes positive impact through volunteerism

People get 8,760 hours in a year. Maribel Sikes, 16, spent more than a thousand of hers in the last 12 months giving back to her community and was fittingly named one of the military’s top youths.

Photo Of New Sanno

Spotlight!

VIDEO: Taste of Japan: New Sanno’s top chef cooks up something new in Tokyo

As if you needed another excuse to visit the New Sanno, the U.S. military hotel in Tokyo’s Hiroo District now has a new executive chef cooking up new, exciting things.

Photo Of U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Weeks, 730th Air Mobility Squadron air terminal operations center information controller, speaks to members of the Japan Air Ground Self-Defense Force about the significant missions of the 730th AMS at Yokota Air Base, Japan, March 22, 2024.

Spotlight!

JASDF air support command experiences cargo support through 730 AMS visit

Japan Air Ground Self-Defense Force Lt. Gen. Hideaki Kajiya, air support command vice commander, visited the 730th Air Mobility Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, March 22, to learn about how the squadron uses material handling equipment operations as part of their hands-on cooperation with allies.

Photo Of Master Sgt. Kenneth Welch, 374th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron lead maintenance production superintendent and his wife walk down to accept the plaque for achieving Senior Master Sgt. March 22, 2024.

Spotlight!

Yokota recognizes newest Senior Master Sergeants

Yokota’s newest Senior Master Sergeant selects were recognized during the Senior Master Sergeant release party at Yokota Air Base, Japan, March 17, 2024.

Photo Of U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jacob Oseguera, 374th Civil Engineering Squadron firefighter, poses for photo while climbing a ladder inside a C-5M Super Galaxy, assigned to the 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis Air Force Base, CA, at Yokota Air Base, Japan, March 19, 2024.

Spotlight!

Yokota maintainers, firefighters train on C-5M Super Galaxy

Members of the 730th Air Mobility Squadron and 374th Civil Engineering Squadron engaged in proficiency training on a C-5M Super Galaxy ground trainer at Yokota Air Base, Japan, March 19.

Photo Of Maj. Daniel Arguello, Public Health Command–Pacific’s Chief of Health Physics, right, puts a soil sample in a bag during a March 12 exercise on Sagami General Depot with assistance from Staff Sgt. Kevin Stringer, assigned to Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii, left.

Spotlight!

Public Health Command–Pacific’s radiological advisory medical team tests its skills during Sagami General Depot exercise

The Public Health Command–Pacific radiological advisory medical team conducted an exercise March 12 at Sagami General Depot.

Photo Of Kekua Aumua, a supervisory air traffic control specialist, works inside the Kastner Airfield tower at Camp Zama, Japan, May 2, 2022.

Spotlight!

USAG Japan employee earns prestigious award for decades of aviation service

A U.S. Army Garrison Japan senior air traffic controller at Kastner Airfield here was recently honored for his 25 years of service to Army aviation and volunteer work in the community.

Photo Of U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. David Miller, 373rd Training Squadron Detachment 15 operations flight chief, talks about a simulated combat scenario for an Aircraft Battle Damage Repair course at Yokota Air Base, Japan, March 18.

Spotlight!

Yokota stands up local ABDR Course

The 373rd Training Squadron Detachment 15 held its first Aircraft Battle Damage Repair course at Yokota Air Base, Japan, March 18.

Photo Of From left, U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jerry Dunn , 374th Airlift Wing command chief, Col. Andrew Roddan, 374th AWcommander, and Amber McClenney, Yokota Spouses’ Club (YSC) president, cut a ribbon, signifying the opening of the YSC Asian Bazaar at Yokota Air Base, Japan, March 16, 2024.

Spotlight!

Yokota Spouses’ Club: Supporting the community

The Yokota Spouses’ Club hosted an Asian Bazaar at Yokota Air Base, Japan, March 16 and 17. The annual event allows local community members to buy and sell antiques, art, jewelry, furniture, clothing, and more.

Photo Of Cadet Chelsea Sanchez crawls through an obstacle while completing a confidence course at Camp Zama, Japan, March 12, 2024.

Spotlight!

Camp Zama unit offers taste of Army life to cadets, culinary students

Despite their combat uniforms coated with a mix of sweat, rain and mud, nearly 40 Junior ROTC cadets were all smiles after a grueling morning of navigating obstacles and physical training.

The best stories from the Pacific, in your inbox

Sign up for our weekly newsletter of articles from Japan, Korea, Guam, and Okinawa with travel tips, restaurant reviews, recipes, community and event news, and more.

Sign Up Now