Hello all, I recently received orders, and am starting the transition from CONUS to OCONUS orders.

Aside from the usual procedure with medical, PSD and commands, what else is recommended for a move to Yokosuka?

I have contacted my Sponsor, which has been very helpful and informative in many ways.

I am just curious as to what else others have brought with them from the states to make their stay in Yokosuka more comfortable. I have many intentions on getting extra stuff (I like to be prepared for the future), but not sure what to get, and if I should bring it or not.

If anyone has any suggestions or comments, please let me know. I was also wondering about the size of On-Base housing. I will be travelling with my wife, and we currently have a two-bedroom apt. with about 800-900 sq. ft. of space.

We have every room filled with furniture (br, living room, dining room, kitchen, office/guest room).

Will the base housing accomodate for this amount of stuff, or should I leave stuff behind? I can take pictures to give an idea of the property we have, if it helps to determine this.

I also ask if anyone can post a few pictures of their current apts, if possible (and comfortable, of course). It may assist me on this end to make an educated decision on this move.

Thank you all for you help, and I look forward to the transition to Yokosuka Naval Base.

-Adrian :D

Adrian,

Congrats with the orders, and welcome to the site.
Its great to hear that you have made contact with your sponsor. Allow them to help you transition, and get things arranged for you and your family. Ensure you and your spouse bring an official drivers license from the U.S. which can help you when you plan to get a Japanese drivers license. They want to see that you have actually driven before and in some cases, I have met people that either forgot to get, or forgot to bring to Japan. They didn't think they needed it so they left it in the U.S. so just make sure to bring your documentation.

When you travel you shouldn't need to much money on the day of the transit. About $100-200 on the safe side. When you arrive in Japan, there are several exchange places, or you could even exchange from the U.S. to get Yen, but I would recommend you do it when you arrive here, because the exchange rate may be a little better. Don't think you have to exchange your life savings.. You dont. Maybe $20-$30 in case you want to buy a drink or some food while your waiting for the bus or train to depart from Narita or Yokota. When you arrive onbase you can use American Dollars, and some of the food establishments accept Japanese yen. Its my RECOMMENDATION you do not use Japanese yen onbase. the yen exchange that the NEX does is not worth the money you lose... If you dont have $, go and pull some out from the ATM and pay that way. Don't be lazy and just think Yen is all you got so its okay. That's $ your throwing away. Think smart while your hear. Financial awareness is your key to success living overseas. I have seen people like myself save thousands and thousands of dollars. While there is an entirely different crew of people that cant save a $1. They are in the ATM lines every payday because they need to pull out money. If they had money in the bank yesterday, they wouldnt be waiting in those 20-30 minute lines. When I first arrived to Japan about 9 years ago, the yen rate was about 138 yen. That means for every $1 you get 138 Yen. Today's exchange is you use the same $1 and you get about 92 Yen.. Big Difference how the economy has been changing. One thing that will fluctuate is your COLA, and your housing allowance whenever you move into your home. Based on the cost of living, and the yen fluctuations, the amount you receive every 2 weeks can go up and down. Believe me, dont be worried! You will have plenty to live comfortable. Just be smart, and dont spend unwisely. Japan is a fantastic place to see, and you and your wife should definitely enjoy every minute of it.

In reference to your housing question, because I got a little off topic - sorry about that - but was in the talking mode.. I dont think you should worry about furniture. Some end up buying all new stuff here, or they bring it from the US. In many cases, you can find off-base housing that can suite your size requirements, it just takes a little work at looking at several properties. I personally love living off-base rather than on. Its a sense of relief to get away from the base at times. Some may argue about convience and the quality of life issues, but I love the Japanese economy..

Example: 1 person decides when they arrive to live onbase and the other person decides to move out in town.

Onbase Person: Close to the commisary, Close to the Gym, Kids can easily go to school, Free Bus Around the Base, American Food readily available, Delivery of food is quick and easy, Getting Gas, etc etc etc.. The list could go on and on.

Offbase Person: More interaction with Japanese society, You can avoid next door neighbors that will complain to you about every little thing, (not saying Japanese wont) but they would be a little more discrete about how they handle it), Learn the train systems and roads a lot better, Eat more Japanese Food, may actually shop at a Japanese grocery store than the base commisary, etc etc etc..

Bottom line: I have met people that have lived onbase and they NEVER EVER LEFT THE BASE! Why? Mainly because they were lazy, or they didnt know what to do, or where to go, or someone to go with..
Either way, if they lived off-base, those are all excuses they cannot use.. * Except the lazy part!
They atleast were 1 step further from seeing how Japanese take out garbage and the kids walk to school, and the way they walk their dogs. You really get a different sense of Japan and a completely different experience than someone onbase for their tour.

I dont think it will be ready before you transfer because I am still working on the housing section, but all the questions and picture issues you described are being worked on. I plan to build a very interactive housing section which has diagrams, and housing size layouts, pictures, etc.. There is just so much that I am currently working on, I havent had much time to finish everything with the site.

I can tell you, that you shouldnt worry to much about how much furniture to bring. Bring what you need. When you get here, you can find a suitable home to store all your belongings. I have a 1300 sq foot home, and its plenty. 4 bedrooms, living room, and kitchen. Of course its an off-base rental but its plenty space for the 2 of us.

They have sales all the time onbase for furniture, so if you happen to not bring your kitchen table, you can always find something new, or check our classifieds section, and people are always selling really cheap cheap stuff. I know there are a few couches on there for about $200 - $400.

Sorry I couldnt provide all the resources you requested, but eventually I will have all those things created and it will provide a helpful transition for people reporting to Yokosuka.

Please let me know if you have any other questions and post them in our forums for others to respond to... By the way, its late, and didnt re-read this post.. Getting tired, and didnt want to go to bed until you got my reply or someones reply.. Hopefully more people can provide you some feedback and help you with questions or give you some pictures of their homes. I have found when you ask people for pictures (WHICH I HAVE) they decline because they said their house was dirty

Take care..

Congrats on your Japan orders. My wife and I enjoyed our time over there.

First on your furniture question. While you can find housing to fit what you own, you may want to leave as much of it behind as you can for a couple of reasons. Nr. 1 you just won't need as much, #2 your moving allowance - if you take a lot and then buy more it could push you over the top. #3 Japan does get humid and that can be a problem off base with things getting moldy. and #4 the less stuff the movers are taking into and out of a house, the less wear and tear and it and your stuff.

Good extra things to take: rugs. While there may not be as many as there were in our time over there, you can still find off base housing with tatami mat floors. Used to be your off base choice was Japanese style (all tatami mats), Semi-Western (1 or 2 rooms with tatami mats) and Western (wood, tile, US style floors). If you get a place with tatami mat's you'll want to protect them from damage and once on base those floors can get cold and a few good area rugs will come in handy.

Onbase housing size's. All 3 times I've been over there I've ended up in one of the tower's onbase which size-wise is probably what you have right now. A kitchen area with dining bar. Combo dining / living room (large) and 2 large bedrooms plus a good sized balcony. Down in the basement of the towers were lockup cages for each apt. where we kept the Holiday stuff etc...

And since Admin touched on it. Off base vs On base living. We always felt everyone should live off base for atleast a year just to understand the place. We always enjoyed it, but we always enjoyed moving onbase too. It's like 2 different worlds. Off base has a lot going for it and against it and should be experienced and enjoyed and the exact same can be said for living onbase too. If you've ever experienced living in a small town enviroment that's pretty much what onbase will be like.

Enjoy

You will also be offered Ikego and Negishi housing areas. These are just like living on main base but a little further away. Ikego is the closest. That's where we are. It takes about 20-40 minutes to drive depending on the traffic. Usually it's not that bad. There is a train station just outside the gate. Extremely convenient. There is a "home-to-work" bus in the morning and evening. The nice thing about Ikego is that it is all families, no single sailors, so it is quiet. There is an elementary school. The middle & high schoolers are picked up & brought home on big yellow school busses (not a Japanese thing, they take public transport to school). We have a mini-mart, post office, swimming pool, campgrounds and skateboard park. There are towers and town houses that are identical to the main base ones. We have a 3 bedroom apartment. We find it quite nice. The cat loves the netted in balconies. As for furniture, we didn't have much to begin with so we bought everything after we got here. The NEX furniture store has your basic stuff, some variety. The bazaars, which happen just about monthly, offer Asian furniture which is really cool to own. Negishi is further away. I wouldn't recommend living there unless your children are elementary age. They don't have middle or high school so the kids are bussed to Yokosuka (that's pronounced "Yo-ko-ska", "u" is silent or whispered). The housing there is town houses and you get lots of yard. It's in Yokohama so your close to a lot of cool stuff. They, too have a home-to-work bus. The tolls to drive are rather pricey. You can take the "free" way but there are tons of stop lights.
So, as for furniture, I wouldn't recommend a king-size bed, queen will fit nicely. King will fit in the towers. The town house bedrooms are a bit smaller and you have those narrow stairs to deal with. Storage is pretty good in both places. Our storage bin in the tower is about 12 feet by 6 feet. For the 3 bedroom buildings, the storage is down the hall. We're on 7th floor and love it! Not as many bugs. We're also on the south-west corner so I can grow plants on the balcony. Hope this helps.

Because of our dogs, we have no choice but to live in Negishi. This might sound silly, but do they have washer&dryer hookups for American products in the homes? From everything we've read, we were actually thinking of selling our cars and buying when we get there. I read it would cost $5000 more or less to get all things done to a car if we brought one. Did you bring a car to Japan? Thank you for talking & sharing with me. How long have you've been there?

Thank u,
Charity

Don't bring a car! or washer & dryer! You are provided with the w & d. you can get an inexpensive used car here on the "lemon lot". The Auto Port inspects them first. You can also buy a more expensive car out in town but I wouldn't know anything about that. Most cars on the lot are around $2,000-3,000. Some are cheaper. Of course, you know, we drive on the opposite side of the road, etc... like in England. I see people driving left-hand drive vehicles but I think that would just be too confusing! Also makes it difficult at the toll booths.
We've been here 3 years and will stay 2 more as my hubby is going to a ship this fall. We love it here.
So who told you you had no choice but to live in Negishi???? I know they are trying to get people to go there. Like I said, if you don't have kids in mid or high school, it would be okay. Also, the chapel in Negishi only has Catholic services at the moment. The main chapel is being gapped a couple of billets and that's just how the cookie has crumbled. I know several people who live in Negishi and love it. They have small children or home school.

So, if you have any more questions let me know!

You know, I forget exactly where it said it. But in housing site, I was looking at the waiting list. From there, there is a huge statement at the bottom saying "If you are 2 bedroom eligible & have a dog your only option for MFH is Negishi." To be honest, in all the yrs we've been in the military, we have never lived on Base. We have no idea what room size we qualify for. I sincerely hope you & I can get a cup of coffee together when/if we come in May. My husband is finding out a few other details today, before he puts in for this billet. The info on the cars and washer/dryer is fantastic! Thank you for taking the time to write and share your knowledge & experience.

Sorry I haven't been on for a few days. Yes, if you only qualify for 2 bedrooms, I'm assuming you have no children. Since you can't have dogs in the towers and the towers are the only 2 bedroom apts available, then Negishi would be the only option. Is your dog large or small? If it is small, you might be able to find a place in town that allows pets but I'm sure the Japanese are cautious of Americans with pets because of past bad experiences. Would there be a chance of you having children while you are here? If so, you might qualify for a 3 bedroom townhouse.

Good Morning,

We do have a child. Caroline is 5 yrs old. Our dogs, Ray is 44 lb boxer & Yoka is 8 lbs. Ray is my smart good girl. It's the little one who I really have to watch. We're not really interested in living out in town at least for a while. My husband put in the paperwork for Japan. If we get picked up, we will be there for 3 yrs, shore duty. I would love to see pics of housing.

As soon as I find out for sure about orders, I will let you know. I have many more questions and I sincerely hope you can help. Have a great week.

Charity

Congratulations on your orders to Yokosuka! I hope you have a great tour. Like anywhere else, your tour will be as good as you make it. A few thoughts:

1) You did not mention if you have kids. If you decide that you want to reside on-base (and you pretty much can as soon as you arrive), the age of your kids will drive you to chose the location of your residence (because of the locations of the schools). For example, if your kids are of High School age, then you would want to reside in Yokosuka Base itself. Your kids would not have to take a shuttle bus to go to/from school like they would if you lived in one of the off-base residence areas (Ikego, Neigishi). If you don't have any kids and are not afraid of residing 15 minutes (by car) away from the main base, then I suggest Ikego Housing Unit. It's nice and quiet there.

2) You did not mention if you have pets. Check with your sponsor. Japan is pretty strict about pets. Cats and dogs - easy enough. Anything else...If I'm not mistaken, there is a US Army veterinarian responsible for making sure pets are authorized for entry in Japan and that all the paperwork is ready to go. If you have pets, ask for a sponsor who has pets him/herself. Most don't so, despite the sponsorship training, many maybe unfamiliar with the process. If you don't have any pets, don't worry about it but keep this in mind just in case you end up being a sponsor some day.

3) I suggest that you bring your US Dollars in the form of Traveller's Checks. When you exchange them for Yen, TCs will usually get you an exchange rate up to 2 Yen higher than the rate for exchanging bills.

4) If you decide to bring your furniture, then I suggest you keep a record of measurements. If you decide to live off-base, guess what, that gigantic fridge or wardrobe may not even fit through the front door or the stairs to your bedroom. Bring the measurements with you so, when you hunt for a house off-base, you can make sure all your stuff will actually fit. Same thing with your car. A big SUV style car may not fit in the parking place. Or it will fit but you will not be able to get out of it! Most people don't bring their cars, though. They buy a second-hand one here (not too expensive and in good shape).

All I can think of at the moment. Will post anything else that may be of interest.

Your sponsor is the key to a smooth arrival and transition to FDNF. Don't be afraid to use him/her.

Great info!

Polly,

We are looking to move to Ikego when we arrive next spring. I have no problem living in the towers but was worried about storage for things like easter baskets, etc. It sounds like you mentioned that there are storage bins is that correct?

That would be such a relief to know there was somewhere other then our apt for those odds and ends.

Thanks

Yes, the storage is quite good. Inside the apartment there are 2 large hall closets and one smaller one. Above each are cabinets in which you can put more stuff. The master bedroom has two full size closets (@ 6 ft wide and 3 ft deep). One bedroom has 1 1/2 closets and the third bedroom has one closet. Each has the additional cabinet storage above. The laundry room has 2 cabinets above the washer & dryer. The kitchen has a lot of cabinets plus a pantry. Then, down the hall from your apartment is a storage area shared by 3 apts. You have a key to the door then inside you have a chain-link fenced area with a door on which you can put a lock. This area is about 10 ft by 5 ft. you can put shelves in there if you want.
Hope this helps!
Polly

I agree with Polly, I was really surprised at the amount of storage inside the tower units in Ikego, there is a lot!

Thank you all for the replies. I am very appreciative of all that had some information to submit. It seems difficult to get any pictures of the actual living space of the base towers. I've been asking for quite some time (almost 3 months) and have only received floor plans.

If anyone can help me with some photos of the interior spaces of any of the above mentioned locations, it will be a great help. I am arriving there in 3 weeks, and really would like to see these places prior to arriving. Thanks again everyone.

if you can give me your email address I can email you some.

Polly, i sent you a message with my email address. Thanks for the pics. We will be there in two weeks. Hope to meet everyone here. Thanks again for the help.

I'm sorry but I don't think I saved your email address!!! I'm sorry!

I live in one of the two-bedroom towers on the main base. If you disregard the commentary, the pics on my linked blog probably show you what you will be getting into (That is, if you get on the main base).

So, ignore the rest since it's a blog for my fam and friends and won't interest you, lol:

http://community.livejournal.com/ga...15383.html

I didn't show the second bedroom, but it's much the same just slightly smaller. Or the bathroom --that's incredibly tiny. Sink, toliet, shower, that's it. The tub is deep, that's all that's nice about it, lol.

Great pictures Liz, thanks for that. Been waiting for good shots from the interior. Any more can help out. I've got to figure something out with the computer systems I have.

Since we are expecting a baby in July, what are the odds to get a 3 or 4-bedroom?

You're welcome. I'm afraid I don't have any other shots. Is there a certain spot you want a picture of? I'd take a picture of my second room but it's full of boxes and misc items (and it's a mess since my husband just dumped off all his items from the ship, lol). Plus, it's pretty much identical to the other bedroom but with just a different window and no fire escape. But that's where'd I'd but the computers... there really isn't room in the main part of the house for a desk. There is a cable hookup in each of the two bedrooms.

Oh, there is also a small pantry in the kitchen and they give you a storage room downstairs. Probably 5X5 or 6X6. Put extra suitcase and such in there, you know.

If you want to live on the main base, and it's just you two, you're going to get a two bedroom tower no matter what, even after you have the baby. But, if you don't mind living in an annex of the base like Ikego, you could get a three bedroom in a tower. I have a friend where it's just the two of them, living in one of those apartments. And the rooms are A LOT bigger, it's amazing. So the upside is more room --but the downside is no commissary, no big NEX (there is a mini one, tho), none of the commodities we have on base really and you'll have to travel to work... driving, train, or work bus. :/

If you don't mind me asking, how do your friends feel about living off base? I'd really love to maximize my options the best, and if a drive to the commissary and the NEX is the trade-off... it may be worth it.

It would be great to get their perspective on the On-Base vs. Off-Base Housing living situation.

Oh yea, can you hear your neighbors at all? It looks as if the floors are tiled. Does the noise transfer pretty easily (whisper with the neighbors eavesdropping), or is it pretty quiet?

The only noise we hear in the towers is when children are noisy in the halls or when someone is really jumping or banging stuff upstairs. Can't hear a thing through the walls. Of course, as I typer this, I'm hearing some strange sound from somewhere. It may be someone trying to learn to play a horn of some sort. My biggest complaint about noise is from outside. We are on the 7th floor and our balcony faces the south which is nice and sunny. However, it also faces the road, a playground and the driveway for the building. Only when kids are yelling at the top of their lungs or when the skateboarders go rolling down the street do I get irritated. People in town houses tell stories of hearing their neighbors singing in the shower,

Polly, thank you so much for the pictures. They tell a great story of good times. I have an idea to show to my wife now, so we can make an educated decision on the location, and what location we plan to live at.

The breaker for her is the commute and proximity to everything. I take it both you (Polly) and Elizabeth live On-Base?

Is there anyone here that lives within the Off-Base Housing locations?

Your opinion may assist us on our decision, as well as others reporting here later. Thanks again everyone for the valuable information submitted.

To add on to Polly's comment... the noise isn't an issue. Well, in the hallway you can hear people in their kitchens. Only if people get pretty heavy-footed do you hear them upstairs... and yeah, the kids on the playground can be annoying. But I'm coming from Oceana with jets flying over, so this is great! Lol.

As far as living off base, everyone who has lived off-off base, not in Military housing, has been in a pretty small place. Big culture shock if you have no idea what's coming obviously. Thin walls, horrible heating and AC, and the kitchens and bathrooms are very Japanese. Not all places are so "horrible" but when you move here you tend to take what's offered first, you know? I'd advise moving on base first and then shopping around for a nice place off base if you have the luxury and want to escape base. And some of the places can be pretty cool!

As far as Ikego, my friends out there like it because it's AWAY from the base, but still western living. They also like to get away from the Single Sailors, which hey I have no problem with them since I've worked on bases in the past, but to a new spouse I can see how it's all intimidating. The commute by train from Ikego is thirty minutes to Yokosuka, and you have two train stations to choose from. My friend's only issue is when it comes to grocery shopping but they don't have a car... and if you get one I think that'll solve all your problems. Also in Ikego it's mostly families with (small) kids. I really think Ikego might be the way to go fro you guys because of the room. That's your best bet for optimal living space.

Anyway, this is getting tl:dr. I hope someone can help you with off base housing options!

We live in Ikego. It can be a bit inconvenient to go to base for groceries, etc.... but how far did you have to drive to the store in the states??? A car is a must if you are in Ikego and have a child. I know one couple who don't have children that decided to "go green" while they're here. Everyone is really scared about the driving. I was, too, but once you learn your way, it's not bad at all. The Japanese drivers are very good and polite. If they aren't, they are the exceptions. There is the "home-to-work" bus so that your wife can have the car or you can take the train or form a carpool with some others. Or, if your wife is extra nice, she can take you to work and come pick you up!!! Yes, Ikego is single sailor free. There are quite a few teens but they are fairly well behaved for the most part. If they aren't you say something to them or call security. There is a fire department and ambulance here so if you need to get to the hospital.... I look forward to meeting you and your wife.

Adrian,
My personal thoughts are that you don't really experience Japan unless you get into the community. I lived in base housing for two years but it was a remote housing are next to the beach, surrounded by vegetable fields and the former Yokosuka "air base" during the big one. So that means I've lived off base for some 23 years. Yes, there are challenges, but guess what? The Japanese do it. They ride the bus, trains, shop in town, eat in off-base restaurants and all that good stuff. Friends over the years who lived off base generally loved it and moved on only for convenience: kids' school activities, parents activities, etc. I've toured new arrivals for years, showing them the good off-base housing locations and, based on their input, made recommendations. Usually they just go where they want anyhow. Local grocery shopping can be little mom and pop places or fairly large super markets. Local non-chain restaurants are superb. Your Japanese neighbors can steer you in the right direction. When in Rome...cliche-ic but so true. Living on base means you'll have much fewer adventures to talk about when you return. (Before anybody gets spun up, the man asked. These are opinions of a guy who doesn't like to live where he works and enjoys the company of my neighbors.) Keep an open mind, Adrian, and you'll do fine. Oh, yeah. Just in case, leave that big-assed sofa and bed at home. Plenty of Japan-sized furniture available at "recycle" (second hand) shops.

Thanks again for the inputs.

I am bring my sofa and queen sized bed. I am leaning more toward the Off-Base Military Housing at the moment. I agree wholeheartedly about not living in the same location you work. I'd feel pretty confined to the base. I've experienced that several times on DET, and prefer to live away from the base, if possible.

I've heard several inputs about off-base renting. 9 times out of 10, I've heard that they are small, and are not very accomodating to the American lifestyle (big everything).

We are very fortunate to have family that has been in Japan for over a decade, so car hunting and other incentives are being afforded to us pretty well. I hope if we do find a location off base, it is relatively close to points of interest, shopping, and other things.

I can see how grocery shopping can be a burden sometimes, but I think the benefit outweighs the risk of finding a comfortable living space during our stay in Japan.

You have all been extremely helpful in the question I've had. My wife and I send our deepest Thanks.

I think I should create another post about points of interest near off-base housing. It may open people's eyes to the things they may overlook while living in the area.

I just thought of another question (me and my one million questions).... watching movies on a Home Theater system. How much noise bleeds from one apt to another if someone is watching a loud action or entertaining movie?? If someone is listening to music pretty loud, is it noticable?

If you are off base and you cause noise and the neighbors call the land lord or police on you HOUSING will evict you. One of my guys just had this happen last month. He had one warning and then out! If you live out in town and plan on loud music you will likely not live out in town for long. Head phones are the option if you must kill your ears. Tinitis- I have it real bad is the result. The noise, if you must play music loud for your neighbors to hear it too if played after hours at night will not be tolerated in this polite respectful society....

Are you trying to get an on base housing here in YOKOSUKA? Is this baby your first child? If yes to both, you are only eligible to get a two bedroom unit(which are the towers). But if you are E7 & above or got 2 or more kids, they'll give you a 3 or 4 bedroom unit(towers & town houses).

Thanks for the info Yokosailor. I am aware of a noise policy (I have one here at my apt. off base in Philly). During the day I can play pretty loud, but after 11pm (I am sure it is different there), it's basically a silent time until morning.


Just to be clear on one thing... On-Base Housing and Off-Base Military Housing.

I have been referring to living ON BASE as physically living on the Yokosuka Naval Base, within the confines of the fence line. Where the ships pull into port, the Commissary is located, Auto Hobby Shop, self-help, Base Gym, PSD, etc. is located.

Off-Base Military Housing is referred to as Ikego and Negishi - the two locations located OFF the main base. Not to be confused with receiving OHA or renting a privately owned property from a Japanese resident.

I just want to be clear for the following posts. I understand that both ON BASE HOUSING and OFF BASE MILITARY HOUSING fall under the same jurisdiction (U.S. Navy). I just want to put that out there, so we aren't confused as to which locations are being referenced as.

I am an E-5, travelling with my wife that is 3 months pregnant. What is the probability of me being able to live within the OFF-BASE MILITARY HOUSING locations? I prefer to live away from the base if possible.

Adrian, I would suggest contacting the housing office directly for your specific questions. We live in Ikego, and love it! It's great for families with children. We live in a townhouse.

Thanks OrdieWife for the info. I have a question about living in Ikego or Negishi. Is the only cable/internet company available to those locations Americable? I'd like to get something more reliable than Americable if possible.

Ikego is EASY to get to and usually has no wait. 8 Killometers away, 15 mintues - 45 minutes depending on when you travel. A toll road costs 400 yen or so if you prefer that but every day on that each way can get expensive. Negishi is further out and again usually has room. We have kids and like Yoko base, it has it all and very convenient but Ikego would have been fine too. Housing usually offers Ikego right away and if you are willing to wait it out in the Navy Lodge Yokosuka is offered when it is opened up.

Congrats on coming to Japan! It's a great country! I posted a reply to an earlier question regarding housing off base that might help you make a decision about where to live:

http://www.japanbases.com/home/foru...topic.aspx

I always take a peak at the housing agents' listings outside Yokosuka Base to see what is currently available. There are always a lot of homes to choose from. I'm pretty confident that you can find what you would need to live here comfortably off base. We have dogs, so we were limited quite a bit more than most people and we found tons of homes that worked for us. We held out until we found the perfect house that we would be happy living in for years to come.

If you live off base, then I suggest making a list of your priorities of what you "have to have." For us, this was our priority list in order from most important to least important. Be sure to let the housing agent assisting you know what your exact needs are:

1. Allows dogs (that was a must!)
2. 2 car parking spot (looking back at it now, we only really needed 1 car since we live so close to the train station).
3. Small yard for dogs
4. 1300 sq ft or larger
5. No more than 25 minutes from Yokosuka
6. W/in 5 - 10 minutes to train station (preferably Keikyu Line)
7. Nice looking interior; not dated or old

We don't have to worry about the noise issue like a lot of people living in towers. It can get a little chilly in the winter, but we have heaters and AC's in every room of the house and they work quite well! So, we're very comfortable in the heat of summer and the chill of winter. If you move off base, make a mental note of how many AC/heater units you have in the house. The interior of our home is far nicer than anything on base. We also have an outdoor area where we can grill (which is really nice in the summer!). We're within walking distance to small shops and restaurants.

If you do live off base, be prepared to make a minimum of 4 month's deposit up front.....we had to pay 5 months because of the dogs. We had to shell out quite a bit just to move in. We were lucky we saved up for this. We would have had to wait to move in if we waited for our advance pay. Moving overseas is VERY expensive, so save every penny you can prior to moving....you'll be thankful you did!

This is just a little perspective on what living off base is like. I'll try and take some pictures of our house for e/one to see and post them. If you have any other questions about off base living, feel free to ask!

My wife, son and I will be moving to Japan in the next month. I will be stationed onboard the GW. I have heard nothing from my sponsor, but not too worried about it as I was previously stationed in Atsugi for 11 years. However I have some questions regarding housing I've seen on the CFAY website. Does anyone live in or have toured the RPP project Sakura Hills complex they built recently. If so does anyone have any information on prices for the town houses. I'd also love to see any pics anyone has as the "Virtual Tour" they have on the site shows little to nothing of the unit. We are not too familiar with the Yokosuka area as we spent little time down that way other than deployments or TAD time., but we are looking forward to getting back to Japan and getting some real Japanese food again...esp a hot bowl of Ramen on a cold winter night.

AZ, here is a link to a youtube video I found of a Sakura Hills townhome:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQIw_KBa5tw
I don't know about the prices, though.  Would be nice to know if anyone has that information.

I'm curious....how far is Sakura Hills from the closest train station? Is it off the Keikyu Line or JR? Is it in a pretty rural area?

Posted By Yoko-girl on 13 Jan 2010 04:18 PM
I'm curious....how far is Sakura Hills from the closest train station? Is it off the Keikyu Line or JR? Is it in a pretty rural area?

I have e-mailed the housing office requesting as much information as they could give me about the RPP Sakura Hills project. I'll post what they give me here for others to see. Although you can probably get that info from the housing office faster than they'll get it to me.

Baba thnx for the youtube link I'll check it when I get home as I'm at work and NMCI here in the states has blocked youtube on the government computers...cant imagine why.

Ok this is stupid compared to the move that you make. But for a while I work at Pizza Inn as a driver while I served. My first night working there some people were trying to give me $8.00 tips. They just saw coins and would give them to me. Remember paper means nothing until you reach 1,000 yen (about $10.00 (back then)). Being a good person I was nice enough to tell them how much they were tipping me. They thought they were giving me $2.00 in quarters. They were actually giving me 100 yen coins, so roughly $8.00.
That's one thing to watch.
Oh the pizza sucked as well. Much better to buy a frozen pizza and add your own toppings. You could get 3 of them instead of 1. Hope they got rid of them and brought in someone better.
Like I said stupid, but don't want you or your family to suffer for a few months because no one mentioned the small things.

Oh man just realized this has nothing to do with housing size... Umm, I don't know about that but hope I still gave some good advise. I'm sure you can make it work if need be. Umm "Honey we will just put the microwave in the bathroom and the love seat in the kitchen".