Yokosuka

Runs from Yokosuka station directly to Zushi, Kamakura, Ofuna, Yokohama, Tokyo, and through to Shinjuku (on the Shonan-Shinjuku Line, same track). This is your primary route for day trips. Yokosuka station is a short distance from CFAY. The line runs frequently and reliably. Use Google Maps Japan for real-time departure times including last trains.

A private line connecting to Yokohama (about 30 minutes) and continuing to Shinagawa, central Tokyo, and toward Haneda Airport. Yokosuka-Chuo station is the main Keikyu stop near the base. For Yokohama Chinatown and Minato Mirai, the Keikyu to Yokohama then transfer is the route. The Keikyu also connects to the Miura Peninsula (Misaki direction) for tuna port day trips.

Buy at any major station — machines have English menus. Small deposit required (verify current amount locally). Load yen, tap in, tap out — the system calculates the exact fare. Works on JR, Keikyu, Tokyo Metro, and most transit in the Kanto region. Also works at 7-Eleven, many vending machines, and increasingly at convenience stores. Not optional infrastructure for anyone spending more than one day in Japan.

Available, safe, reliable, and expensive. Metered. Useful for short distances at odd hours or when the train math doesn't work. If you're pricing a taxi back to base from Tokyo, check before you commit — it will be significantly more than you expect. Taxi apps may be available in the area — verify locally, as availability changes.

The Honcho shopping area and Dobuita Street are within walking distance of the main CFAY gate. This is the on-foot liberty zone. Beyond Yokosuka City, the train is the vehicle. Bikes are common in Japan and rental options exist in the area — verify locally.

• +Get an IC card (Suica/Pasmo) before your first train trip — 15 minutes at the station
• +Withdraw yen from a 7-Eleven ATM before leaving the base area
• +Know the last train departure time before you go out
• +Kamakura: go on a weekday, budget a full day
• +Check liberty policy and buddy system status with your LPO or duty officer
• +Download Google Translate Japanese language pack for offline camera mode
• +Check CFAY MWR for tours and discounted tickets before your first big trip
• +Restaurant: if there's a plastic food display in the window, point and you'll be fine

• −Assuming you can figure out train fares without an IC card — you can't, reliably
• −Planning to use your credit card everywhere — have cash
• −Planning to 'get a taxi back' without knowing the current fare first
• −Loud, disruptive public behavior — it is noticed and it matters more here than stateside
• −Solo liberty when a buddy system is in effect — this is a disciplinary matter
• −Assuming off-limits areas haven't changed — they do, check your command
• −Being the reason your ship loses liberty for a week

Dobuita (sometimes called "Thieves' Alley" by old-timers) is the commercial strip running from the main CFAY gate through Yokosuka City's entertainment district. It has been the liberty hub for US sailors since the post-WWII occupation era and it shows — bars, tattoo shops, American-style food joints, souvenir stands, and shops that have catered to US military customers for generations. It is convenient, it is the path of least resistance on liberty, and it is also the place where incidents happen. That's not a condemnation — it's a calibration. If you want to actually see Japan, Dobuita is where you start, not where you end up. It's a five-minute walk from the gate; Tokyo and Kamakura are a train ride away from the same neighborhood. Use both.

Yokosuka is credited with introducing curry to Japan. The Imperial Japanese Navy adopted a British Navy curry recipe in the late 19th century as a way to combat beriberi among sailors at sea. The recipe spread from the navy's base at Yokosuka into the general Japanese food culture, and Japanese curry — thick, mild, served over rice — became one of the most popular foods in the country. Yokosuka Navy Curry (Kaigun Curry) is a regional specialty sold throughout the city in different variations. It's worth eating not just because it's good but because it's a genuine piece of US-Japan naval history on your plate.

Japan's train system is remarkable in reliability, punctuality, and coverage. It is also finite: it stops running roughly midnight to 1 a.m. and resumes around 5 a.m. Missing the last train from Tokyo or Yokohama back toward Yokosuka means a taxi (expensive — verify current rates locally before you need one) or staying until the first morning departure. Know the last departure time for your return train before you go out. Set an alarm on your phone. Google Maps Japan gives accurate real-time train departure times including last trains. This is not a minor logistics detail — it has shaped the decision-making of more sailors than will admit it.

Buy a Suica or Pasmo IC card at any major train station. The machines have English menus. Load yen onto it, tap in when you board, tap out when you exit — the correct fare is deducted automatically. No figuring out fares, no fumbling with coins. The card works on essentially every train, subway, and most buses throughout the Kanto region (Yokosuka, Yokohama, Tokyo, Kamakura, etc.). A small deposit is required (verify current amount locally). Increasingly accepted at convenience stores and vending machines. If you're going to Yokosuka for any length of time, the IC card is not optional infrastructure.

US military personnel in Japan operate under the US-Japan Status of Forces Agreement, which defines legal jurisdiction and the treatment of US personnel under Japanese law. SOFA status is not immunity — it is a framework for cooperation between US and Japanese authorities. For certain categories of off-base offenses, Japanese authorities retain jurisdiction. Japan's legal system operates very differently from the US system, and pre-trial detention in Japan can be extended. The political sensitivity of US military incidents in Japan means that the US-Japan alliance itself has at times been affected by individual conduct. Being aware of this dynamic is not paranoia; it is understanding the operational environment you are operating in.

CFAY MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) runs tours, activities, and discounted tickets for attractions throughout the Kanto region — Tokyo attractions, day trips, cultural events, and more. MWR tours typically handle transportation and logistics, which removes the navigation barrier for sailors new to Japan. Discounted tickets for major attractions are another MWR resource worth checking. Visit the CFAY MWR office or check mwr.navy.mil/yokosuka for current offerings. Programs change seasonally. For sailors new to Japan, an MWR-organized tour for the first trip or two is a practical bridge to independent travel.

Whether and under what conditions a buddy system is required is a command-level decision. When in effect, it is enforced. Getting caught solo when a buddy requirement is in effect is a disciplinary matter. Verify before you go out.

NCIS and the command designate specific areas as off-limits. These are not published on the internet and they change based on incidents, intelligence, and command judgment. Get a current brief from your chain of command.

Commands in Japan commonly conduct liberty briefings covering Japan-specific culture, SOFA implications, local legal risks, and behavior expectations. These briefings exist for reasons — they're a compressed version of hard lessons learned. Pay attention to them.

Under the US-Japan SOFA, US authorities have primary jurisdiction over off-duty offenses committed off-base in certain circumstances — but Japanese authorities retain jurisdiction in others. Japan's legal system operates very differently from the US system, and pre-trial detention can be extended. The JAG office at CFAY is the authoritative source for current jurisdictional guidance.