The skippers of the JS Izumo and USS Ronald Reagan, Capt. Jo Takemasa and Capt. Daryle Cardone, pose with a Daruma doll during a ship gift exchange in Yokosuka, Japan, April 2, 2024. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — The Japanese navy’s JS Izumo recently bade fair winds and following seas to the USS Ronald Reagan with a crew visit that included a ship tour, barbecue and a friendly game of soccer.
The U.S. aircraft carrier is expected to end nine years deployed in Japan this summer. The USS George Washington is slated to take its place.
The Izumo welcomed aboard 80 sailors from the Ronald Reagan’s crew of 3,300 on April 2. Meanwhile, 110 sailors from the Izumo explored the Navy carrier anchored across the Port of Yokosuka.
“We have nine years of memories with the Ronald Reagan,” Command Master Chief Ito Akira told Stars and Stripes during the sailors’ visit. “We want to make a good farewell from the Izumo.”
The flat-top Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel, classed as a helicopter destroyer, was upgraded in 2021 to carry F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters. The B-models are short takeoff, vertical landing aircraft that require hardened decks to withstand the vectored thrust engines.
“There’s a lot of similarities walking through (the Izumo), although it is a lot smaller,” Petty Officer 3rd Class Navaeh Lee said while exploring the ship.
After the tour, the sailors munched on burgers and hot dogs and played soccer — the Ronald Reagan team won — before exchanging gifts.
The ships’ skippers, Capt. Daryle Cardone and Capt. Jo Takemasa, presented each other with plaques and other tokens, including a large Daruma doll from the Izumo crew. The figures are symbol of perseverance and good luck.
“The Ronald Reagan will be departing from Yokosuka very soon,” Takemasa told the Americans as they prepared to take their leave. “But our friendship will be forever.”
Petty Officers 1st Class Randy Gudelosao, left, and Adrian Gonzales chat with a JS Izumo sailor during a tour of the Japanese carrier in Yokosuka, Japan, April 2, 2024. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)
Petty Officers 1st Class Randy Gudelosao, left, and Adrian Gonzales take a tour of the JS Izumo in Yokosuka, Japan, April 2, 2024. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)
Petty Officer 1st Class Theophilus Nyinaku, a logistics specialist for the USS Ronald Reagan, chats with a JS Izumo sailor during a tour of the Japanese carrier in Yokosuka, Japan, April 2, 2024. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)
Petty Officer 1st Class Adrian Gonzales chats with a JS Izumo sailor during a tour of the Japanese carrier in Yokosuka, Japan, April 2, 2024. (Jennessa Davey/Stars and Stripes)
