Col. Richard McElhaney, commander of the 374th Airlift Wing, and Lt. Col. Hasmin Bolling, head of the 374th Force Support Squadron, open a fitness annex at Yokota Air Base, Japan, June 4, 2026. (Marc Castaneda/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Growing demand for workout space and increasing Air Force fitness requirements have prompted the opening of a new fitness annex on the east side of this airlift hub in western Tokyo.
Base leaders marked the facility’s debut this month on the ground floor of Building 4304, a housing tower, at the former home of the Yokota Aero Club.
“We knew we needed an additional space for our airmen to be working out,” Capt. Philip Darby, sustainment services flight commander for the 374th Force Support Squadron, said during the June 4 ceremony. “Most of you are probably aware of how crowded the on-base gym gets.”
The annex supplements the Samurai Fitness Center, Yokota’s main gym, by providing additional workout space closer to housing and workplaces on the base’s east side.
A new fitness annex opened on the east side of Yokota Air Base, Japan, June 4, 2026. (Marc Castaneda/Stars and Stripes)
A new fitness annex opened on the east side of Yokota Air Base, Japan, June 4, 2026. (Marc Castaneda/Stars and Stripes)
The facility features a standing chest-press machine, barbells, a stair climber, two elliptical machines and a treadmill. Additional strength-training and cardio equipment is expected to arrive in the coming months, 374th Airlift Wing commander Col. Richard McElhaney said at the ceremony.
The annex is open during peak workout hours from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
McElhaney initiated the project to improve quality of life and increase access to fitness resources, wing spokeswoman 2nd Lt. Macaiah Honable said by email Monday.
The project repurposed existing space and relocated equipment already available on base, she wrote.
The annex follows a series of fitness-related improvements at Yokota. In April 2024, the Samurai Fitness Center added $100,000 in new weight machines and stationary bicycles and completed a $600,000 renovation of its indoor basketball court and added four indoor pickleball courts.
“Another thing we’re working on is a functional fitness area over by the softball field,” McElhaney said. “This has been huge.”
