Iwakuni

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MY FAVES: Fireworks sites in Japan

Throughout the summer, Japan’s night skies light up with the brilliance of “hanabi,” or fireworks. With more than 80 fireworks festivals nationwide, you’re sure to have an opportunity to catch one...
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Food & Drink
Cuisine: Japanese

Irori Sanzoku: Iwakuni restaurant will leave you coming back for more

If Quentin Tarantino gets a chance to come to Iwakuni, Sanzoku is the one restaurant I’d take him to. It has the over-the-top décor and ambiance that are the hallmark of one of his films.
 
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Exploring Hiraodai Countryside Park

When I was planning my visit to the Wisteria Garden in Kitakyushu this year, I decided to do some research to see what else was in the area. This is how I found out about the Hiraodai Countryside Park! There was some information in English, but the photos are what made me want to check it out.
An F-35B Lightning II with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 departs Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Sept. 18, 2017. An F-35B with the same squadron was damaged by a birdstrike at Iwakuni on May 7, 2019. (AARON HENSON/U.S. MARINE CORPS)
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F-35B bird strike at Marine air station in Japan does over $2 million in damage

A bird strike has caused more than $2 million damage to a Japan-based Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fighter, according to a U.S. military spokesman.
Firefighters with Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni Fire Department conduct escalator rescue drills at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, April 9, 2019. The firefighters used an escalator in the old Marine Corps exchange because the building is slated for demolition later this year. This was a unique training experience for the firefighters because many had never conducted escalator rescue drills mostly due to high repair costs that come with the training. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Stephen Campbell)
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Deescalating future escalator incidents from escalating into heartbreaking tragedies

Even after its closure, the old Marine Corps Exchange (MCX) on Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni still serves a purpose on base. Slated for demolition later this year, firefighters with MCAS Iwakuni Fire Department used the dark, empty building to conduct escalator rescue drills on April 9, 2019.
U.S. service members, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni residents and local Japanese residents participate in the 52nd MCAS Iwakuni Marathon and Half Marathon at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, April 7, 2019. The event was held by Marine Corps Community Services Iwakuni in order to strengthen the bond between the local Japanese community and the air station. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Andrew Jones)
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MCAS Iwakuni: 26.6 miles of farmland and fighter jets

Three hundred and sixty-one Japanese residents, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni residents and U.S. service members ran through the flight line and residential areas of MCAS Iwakuni and Iwakuni City, April 7, 2019.
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Stephen Campbell
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Iwakuni walking together in unity

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and Iwakuni City leadership participated in the 10th Joint Leadership Walk in Iwakuni City, March 15, 2019.
An unexploded bomb from World War II was removed from a construction site near Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Sunday, March 17, 2019. JAMES BOLINGER/STARS AND STRIPES
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Workers defuse, remove 500-pound WWII-era bomb near MCAS Iwakuni

A World War II-era American bomb was removed safely Sunday morning from a school construction site in Iwakuni by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
A donor gives blood at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, March 12, 2019. The American and Japanese Red Cross societies partnered together to host a blood drive in order to gather more donors than by just holding a blood drive on their own. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Stephen Campbell)
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Red Cross saving lives, one pint a time

When people think of donating blood, they often think of a sharp need pricking their skin and potentially passing out from blood loss. What many don’t think of in that moment is that they could be indirectly saving multiple people’s lives just by donating.
The new Marine Corps Exchange at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, shown here on opening day, Thursday, March 14, 2019, cost more than $60 million to build. JAMES BOLINGER/STARS AND STRIPES
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Marine Corps’ newest, largest exchange store opens in Japan

The largest Marine Corps Exchange in the world opened its doors here Thursday.
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Food & Drink
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Sai Gon near NAF Atsugi offers authentic tastes of South Vietnam

Located in the multicultural Ichodanchi Housing Complex, 20-minutes from NAF Atsugi, Sai Gon is a popular Vietnamese restaurant.
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Food & Drink
Cuisine: Italian

Locale: Pair authentic Italian with the perfect wine

Locale, a 10-minutes walk from Sagamihara Housing Area, is popular among locals thanks to the highly-reputable chef Toshiharu Nakamura, who has used his training to create a unique take on Italian food.
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Food & Drink
Cuisine: Japanese, Café

Table for One: 3 places for solo dining in Tokyo

It’s necessary to give yourself some alone time to unwind and go over the day and what better way than with a tasty meal. This is especially important in Tokyo, the best place for solo dining in the world.
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Food & Drink
Cuisine: Japanese

Udon Sakaide: Tasty Udon for everyone

A tasty and traditional dish of Japan awaits just a quick 10-minute bus ride from Hardy Barracks. If you find yourself in the area, or possibly staying overnight, Udon SAKAIDE is the perfect place to experience a great-tasting version of the Japanese udon noodles.
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Food & Drink
Cuisine: Japanese

Have tasty dumplings at Ome’s Bonbon-tei

Housed in Akatsuka Fujio Museum, a popular casual restaurant, Bonbon-tei offers a tasty dish called suigyoza (dumplings with soup).
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Food & Drink
Cuisine: Café

Café Hosaku: Tiny café near Atsugi serves up tasty lunch

Having enjoyed strolling through Atsugi, we drove about 30-minutes before dropping by a popular tiny café in Aikawa Town.