People check out a C-130J Super Hercules during the 50th annual Japanese-American Friendship Festival at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 16, 2026 (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Thousands of visitors packed this airlift hub in western Tokyo over the weekend for the 50th annual Friendship Festival, one of the few open-base events held this year in Japan.
Long lines formed Saturday and Sunday outside Yokota’s supply gate and visitors center as Japanese guests streamed onto the base, headquarters of U.S. Forces Japan, 5th Air Force and the 374th Airlift Wing.
For many locals, the event offered a rare chance to interact directly with American service members.
“What I liked most was how close the military personnel were to the visitors,” Manaka Mori said Saturday. “I used to think they would be hard to approach, but everyone was smiling and chatting, which I thought was really wonderful.”
Crowds queued to tour aircraft, including the Air Force’s CV-22 Osprey and C-17 Globemaster III, while others visited more than 100 booths selling food and merchandise.
The festival also featured live music, a pilot dunking booth, a strongman competition and static aircraft displays, including the Air Force’s F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter and Navy’s P-8A Poseidon patrol plane.
A family tours an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III during the 50th annual Japanese-American Friendship Festival at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 16, 2026. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)
A guest photographs a Japanese fighter jet during the 50th annual Japanese-American Friendship Festival at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 16, 2026. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)
Yokota residents and volunteers said the event helped strengthen ties with the surrounding community.
“They love seeing the aircraft and they love just trying to talk with you, and that’s pretty nice,” Sons of Hawaii president Lupe Lopez said Saturday. “It’s fun.”
American-style food drew long lines throughout the weekend, with turkey legs, hamburgers and barbecue among the most popular items.
“My favorite part is seeing all the faces of people being really amazed,” Lopez said.
Japanese musicians entertain the crowd during the 50th annual Japanese-American Friendship Festival at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 16, 2026. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes)
Vistors take shelter from the sun during the 50th annual Japanese-American Friendship Festival at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 16, 2026. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)
The wing had not released attendance figures by Tuesday afternoon. During a media event before the festival, wing commander Col. Richard McElhaney said approximately 300,000 people attended in 2024.
Open-base festivals have long been a staple at U.S. military installations in Japan, but several bases scaled back or canceled similar events this year following heightened security concerns tied to Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran.
Camp Zama restricted access to its Cherry Blossom festival in March, while Yokosuka Naval Base and Naval Air Facility Atsugi canceled planned spring festivals in April.
Visitors photograph an Air Force C-130J Super Hercules during the 50th annual Japanese-American Friendship Festival at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 16, 2026. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)
