"Bar Row" in Fussa, Japan, is deserted about 10:30 p.m. on a Friday night several years ago. It’s been several years since Yokota Air Base imposed a 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. restriction for the nearby entertainment district that’s been a popular hangout for U.S. servicemembers and civilians for decades. (Bryce S. Dubee/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — More than three dozen Yokota community members were found in violation of the nightly 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. “Bar Row” restriction during a random sweep of the area last weekend by senior base leaders, 374th Airlift Wing officials said Friday.
Forty-two people were discovered in the area during the curfew, according to Master Sgt. Julie Briggs, a wing spokeswoman. She said most were junior enlisted servicemembers but the group also included civilians, contractors and dependents. No one was identified.
The random check was conducted after 1 a.m. last Saturday, she added. Col. Jeff Newell, Yokota’s commander, and Wing Command Chief Master Sgt. Linus Jordan were among the high-ranking officials who took part.
On Thursday, during his biweekly radio show on Eagle 810, Jordan said a “disproportionate” number of the individuals caught were noncommissioned officers. He also suggested it would damage some careers.
“The Bar Row policy is in place for the safety of our community, and violations of that standing order will not be tolerated,” he said.
"For the 42 individuals that were caught violating the wing commander’s policy, I can tell you it was not worth it. ... Some of them will recover, but others made a career decision at that point."
Bar Row, an entertainment district in nearby Fussa, is a popular hangout for U.S. troops and base personnel. The curfew has been in place at Yokota since May 2005.
A former wing commander issued the order after a string of incidents were linked to airmen from the base. It’s been maintained by two successors.
The restriction prohibits all Yokota personnel from being within a block of Akasen-dori — which lies near Honcho-dori and Fujimi-dori between the base and Fussa train station — for five hours every night.
Yokota officials did not say where exactly on Bar Row the 42 individuals were discovered. All were told to report to the base Security Forces Control Center, where they were given further instructions and processed.
Individual commanders will take administrative or punitive actions against the offenders, base legal officials said. Stiffer penalties are possible for airmen under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
