We recently arrived in Yokosuka and have already been given our first offer for housing.  We have heard and read good/bad things about all 3 areas (main base, Ikego and Negishi).  When we asked the housing office when they will take us to see these areas to look at our options we were informed they do not do this.  They say this is the job of our sponsor yet our sponsor says it is housings job.  Even the teachers at Sullivans School say housing should be doing this.  The explaination we were given is that since the earthequke in March, they are short handed.  I am not trying to be thoughtless about such a terrible event. 
Is this is infact the case, that info needs to be relayed to the sponsors.  Our initial sponsor took leave when we were arriving (which he had every right to do) so someone else volunteered to step up.  They met us upon arrival and that is all we have seen/heard!
I know we can take the trains to Ikego and Negeshi which is not a problem bt it still does not allow us to see the home in which we will live for the next 3 years.  Just frustrated!

Hi and welcome to Japan! It is frustrating that housing does not do this, but they have always been a bit short handed I think. When we arrived in 02 the first time we didn't really have a sponsor and we did everything on our own, same as when we came back here again in 08. It saddens me that the Navy tells people how much we should rely on sponsors, yet even on my husbands ship there IS no sponsor program, sailors are just asked, " Hey do you wanna email some info to some newcomers?" It's sad because it TRULY leaves a bitter taste on many newcomers because there first experience of coming here is so difficult. Everyone here has heard my story about a million times, but I was pregnant with my first kiddo when we arrived and because no one had explained the process and we were told we had reservations at the lodge but really did not, we slept the first night in front of McDonald's outside, so I truly understand how hard it can be.
With that said, if you can get to Ikego or Negishi and take a look around and talk to anyone you see, MOST people are willing to answer any of your questions, and honestly, about why they like or dislike living in each area. We have lived off base, and in Ikego and we love Ikego. Off base was fine, just more work and money that was going out.
We have never been able to walk around and see our house before living in it for 3 years, BUT we have loved living here and I hope it goes as well for you!
Also, the housing office staff in Ikego has always been wonderful to us. We currently live in a 4 bedroom townhouse and there are 4 open houses literally next to us.
Hang in there, see if you can ask people who live on each base what they think and I hope things get better for you!

Here is a list of my pros and cons for Ikego:

Pros:
Own little community with gas station, MWR filled with activities, track, great people, set back so you are in your own little world out here, and Jinmuji train station is so close.

Cons:
A commute to main base, minimart doesnt always have things you need and many products are expired, kids older than 4th grade take an EARLY bus to school.

Overall, like I mentioned, we love Ikego, but in all reality, main base would have been fine. We really did not want Negishi since we have 4 kids and the drive to base is really far and we tend to have doctor appointments all the time.

Your sponorsed lie and is just plain lazy. It is not fully the housing office job to show you around. Second they are extremely short handed and with the the new advancement result in and the GW in it just compounds the problem. Half of the interperters alone are trainees.

Welcome to Japan and what a rough start....I don't think housing has ever offered to show before you accept...We lived in Sasebo for 3 yrs and was never offered and got here in 2010 and Ikego was our only option. Ikego is great since you don't have to see all the single sailors, young teenagers at lunch time, crowds for base functions...and we have a train station right across the street...downfall, kids 4th grade and up must commute(bus provided), minimart is out of items a lot of times, our pools sucks, not many exercise things like at main base gym....With that being said, I would not change where we live for anything.
Take what you can get and be satisfied. We had a sponsor for one day and I had to fight to get that sponsor. The houses here are liveable and you get a/c and heat....Ikego housing staff are very nice and they take care of problems super fast.
Good luck and I hope you are able to get settled soon.

I'm not sure about Negishi or the main base but I know you can see the house in Ikego before you accept it. You just have to come over and go to the housing office and they will give you the keys to come look at it. My husband was able to see our house here before we accepted it. Housing didn't take him. He had to do it on his own but he could see inside. I will also add that I too love it in Ikego!!!
Good luck and welcome to Japan!!

The sponsors are a joke --unless you get someone above and beyond. The problem is that you'll have someone who is single trying to help a family. They don't even know you're 'spose to get lodging reserved. Or you get someone like us where we have no kids --I can't help with kid/school questions. Some kind of information sheet needs to be passed out to both parties so they know what's expected on their end. It sucks because people are pointing fingers at each other.

TBH, you should take at least the train ride to each base. The travel will be a big deciding factor for where you want to live. We have no kids so we don't like to be limited by the train curfew (and main base has taxis ON base), plus he can walk to work, so Ikego and Negishi were always out for us. So as you can see, it's something to think about.

Wanted to thank everyone for the encouraging words about Ikego. We were offered a unit, took the train to see it and have accepted the offer. Looks like we will be moving in next week. We are very excited to have a home and to start settling in. To the woman we met at the train station right outside of Ikego (I am sorry I did not ask your name). THank you for being so kind. Speaking with you really helped calm any nerves that I may have had. We are looking forward to moving in and becoming part of the community in Ikego.

Housing DID show my husband both Ikego and Negishi when he arrived. I believe they brought several newbies in a van. My husband had seen both before I arrived and we decided on Ikego and have loved living here for 2-1/2 years. Our sponsor also was less than helpful - he picked us up at the airport and helped move our things out to Ikego but that's it. We decided that we would do it differently and when we sponsored, we were there every step of the way and even took them to Costco and Homes. Heck, we even took their cat until they were able to get housing

It is the job of housing. Don't blame the sponsor, the sponsor isn't under any obiligation to do anything and the military can't force a person to be a sponsor. People are assigned it but it is an unlawful order and not enforceable. That may suck I have been places in Europe where you do it all on your own, the first thing they tell you is to buy a car because we aren't riding you around.
Sponsorship is a good idea but it is also the government trying to get something for nothing, Try and turn in a POV travel claim for fuel used while being a sponsor.

I have to say that our experience with housing has been very positive. They were thoroughly professional, flexible where they could be, and very willing to listen. I have been very happy with our experience with them so far. We will be moving in to our main-base tower on the 23rd.

Posted By Donna on 12-14-2011 12:53 PM
Our sponsor also was less than helpful - he picked us up at the airport and helped move our things out to Ikego but that's it. 

Not to be negative --but that sounds like a LOT MORE than most sponsors do! See, that's the problem. There is nothing written or enforced on what a sponsor should be responsible for! It sucks on both the sponsor and newbies end!

"Ikego is great since you don't have to see all the single sailors, young teenagers at lunch time, crowds for base functions...and we have a train station right across the street"

I would like to interject that I live on the main base and all of this is true for us as well. The residential side of the base is not the same as the working area (which includes the barracks), and it is not open to the public for open base events. We are right across from Shiori station and just a block from Chuo and JR Yokosuka.

I love the convenience of the main base to all of our amenities as well as the atmosphere of Yokosuka vs. Zushi. It's a little more hopping.

I like the convenience of the main base. There are tons of stores and restaurants right out the main gate, train stations close by, the base bus and taxi's make getting around on base easy. It's a 5min drive to get the kids to school my husband can walk to work. After having a 30+min drive to school and an hour plus commute for my husband for the past several years in the US ...we are really enjoying the promixity of everything.

Our housing area is quiet.

Sorry to hear that you're having a rough time. We arrived here in May and had the exact opposite experience that you had with housing. We were able to go on a tour to Ikego and they showed us both the town homes and towers. I know you'd rather see housing in person, but there are youtube videos as well, if this will help any.