Panda Express, under construction since last year at Yokota Air Base, Japan, is slated to open at Yokota Air Base. (Marc Castaneda/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — A long-awaited Panda Express is set to open soon at this airlift hub in western Tokyo, adding a familiar fast-casual dining option for service members and their families.
The restaurant, which includes a drive-thru, can be found behind the Yokota Community Center near Outdoor Recreation. It will be run by the Army & Air Force Exchange Service as part of a broader effort to expand name-brand food options across overseas installations, AAFES spokesperson Chris Ward said in an April 20 email.
On its opening day in October at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Panda Express set a day sales record of $30,064 for an international branch of the franchise, breaking the previous opening-day record of $22,672 set at Grafenwoehr, Germany, in 2024, according to a Nov. 4 AAFES news release.
The restaurant chain has nearly 40 AAFES locations worldwide, AAFES vice president for food Danita Jones said in the release.
Family-owned Panda Express has more than 2,500 locations across the United States and in 12 other countries, according to the company’s website. It offers licensing agreements to its operators rather than franchises.
At Osan Air Base, South Korea, customers lined up ahead of a 2025 grand opening after delays tied to overseas logistics, company officials said at the time.
Bringing a restaurant to an overseas installation starts with site selection and vendor agreements, Ward said. The process includes coordination with base leadership for permits and approvals, followed by design, construction and final operational setup.
AAFES uses market analysis to determine which restaurants best fit each installation, considering demographics, dining trends and existing options.
“This helps identify gaps in dining options and determines which types of restaurants would be most successful,” Ward said. “When name brand fast-food concepts are preferred, corporate brand approval is required.”
Ward said the Yokota project, which started in June 2025, had “no significant challenges,” but did not provide specific details about logistics or overall costs.
The menu will be familiar to Panda Express fans — about 80% of offerings are standard across all locations, with some regional variations.
There will also be “better-for-you” options such as string bean chicken breast, black pepper angus steak and steamed broccoli, Ward said.
The restaurant’s arrival is already generating interest among service members, some of whom have a personal connection to the brand.
“Back when I was in high school, I actually worked there,” Senior Airman Max Keiser, a 374th Maintenance Squadron ammo crew chief told Stars and Stripes on April 21 via Messenger. “It’s definitely one of the better fast food restaurants out there and it’s also nice that it’s close and I can walk to it.”
