Naval Air Facility Atsugi (NAF Atsugi) — Local services in Ayase

I am Vietnamese and I came here because I wanted to experience the Obon festival in the US military base. I read the instructions on the website carefully and prepared all the necessary documents. But when I finally arrived, the security staff took me and my friends to the security room, took our personal information and concluded that they would not let us in without any specific reason. I think it is because we are from a communist country. If so, they should have clearly stated in the link that citizens from Vietnam or China are not allowed to participate from the beginning. I am really disappointed because we are just ordinary people who want to experience the culture, completely unrelated to political issues. This is the first time I feel discrimination in a country that prides itself on freedom...

【２０２５年４月２６日・追記】 ２０２５年４月１９日(土)、親善春祭りに今年も行ってきました。今年の目玉は、やはり配備されたばかりの最新鋭機F-35CとCMV-22Bでしょう。ただ、目玉がある割には人出は前年よりも少なく？感じたような気もしました。 F-35Cを運用するVFA-147のブースには長い列が出来てました。私もグッズを買いましたが、パッチとキーリングのみでシャツなどはありませんでした。こちらは来月の岩国に期待します。 CMV-22Bを運用するVRM-30...

On a helicopter round trip cruise from Tokyo Heliport to Mt. Fuji, about 20 minutes into the flight we passed over this airbase. The aerial view was absolutely breathtaking — the contrast between the airfield’s orderly geometry & the surrounding terrain was striking. The way the landscape stretched out, with its patchwork of runways, greenery & urban areas under a clear sky, was...