47th Negishi Bon Odori Festival / 第47回 日米親善米海軍根岸盆踊り祭り

Saturday, August 18 from 15:00 to 21:00



Join the Negishi Community for a fun-filled day of live entertainment, delicious food, vendor booths, carnival games, and air toys as Negishi celebrates our friendship with our Japanese friends and neighbors!
Please call 242-4120 for more information.

Schedule of Events
15:00 - Gates open to inbound visitors.
20:30 - Gates close to inbound visitors.
21:00 - Gate close for outbound flow.

Negishi opens its gates for Bon Odori Festival
Story and photo by Emma Damsky, Seahawk-Umitaka contributor


Attendees of the CFAY Negishi Housing Detachment 47th annual Bon Odori Festival stand in line for American-barbeque Aug. 18. In addition to various types of food, live music air toys and carnival games provided by CFAY Morale, Welfare and Recreation, were provided for attendees. More than 4,000 people attended the event.


Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) Negishi Housing Detachment opened its gates to more than 4,000 visitors on Aug. 18 for the 47th annual Bon Odori Festival.

The festival began with an opening ceremony lead by Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka Capt. David A. Owen.

“It’s always great that we get to do these events,” said Owen. “This is my third Bon Odori and every time we do an open-base event, it is always fantastic to see all the community and everybody who shows up. The Japan-American relationship and alliance is the most unique one probably in the world. I can tell you that as Americans, we don’t look at you as another country, we look at you as neighbors and friends.”

Distinguished guests joining Owen on stage included Yokohama City, Naka Ward Office Director General Koichi Makino; Mieko Nakabayashi and Jun Matsumoto, from the House of Representatives, Japan; Yokohama City, Asogo Ward Office Director General Muraji Sakamoto; and Kazuko Kosugi, president of AHL Company and representative of AIU Insurance.

According to Koichi Makino, speaking on behalf of Naka Ward and Asogo Ward, Negishi Bon Odori Festival is now one of the fundamental summer activities in the Negishi district.

Mieko Nakabayashi described in her speech what she sees as a part of the American culture.
“I saw beautiful boxes of pizza,” Nakabayashi said. “It is so America! And I saw lots of barbeques, the size is so gigantic.”

Nakabayashi went on to express her thanks for relief efforts following the March 2011 earthquake.
“Everyone in Japan and in the government appreciated that effort and we will never forget that.”

Jun Matsumoto congratulated everyone on the Bon Odori festivities and also thanked CFAY for Operation Tomadachi following the Great East Japan Earthquake of last year.

Matsumoto said that the key to foreign diplomacy and Japanese defense is based on the Japan-U.S. alliance. He added that it not only relies on the government, but it is important to deepen mutual relationships within small communities like this we see here today at Negishi base.”

The ceremony closed with the guests performing the traditional opening of a sake barrel together with wooden hammers. The sake was donated by AIU Insurance and was then distributed free to festival-goers.

The Far East Edition U.S. 7th Fleet Band kicked off the entertainment on stage. Other performancers included the
Hongo Ohayashi Music Team preforming a lion dance, the Sagami Dragon Drummers playing Taiko drums, and folk dance displays from the Kanon Awa Odori Team followed by Bon Odori folk dancing amongst the crowd. Numerous vendor booths provided food, fun and refreshments.

Festival attendees commented on how much their families were enjoying the air toys and carnival games run by Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR).

Yokohama resident and Negishi neighbor, Yoshiaki Shimamoto said the carnival games and bouncy houses were very enjoyable.

Yoshinori Mamiya, a Yokohama resident, was happy to be visiting again with his wife, son and daughter.
“Last year we visited and my son got a dinosaur but this year his sister got a prize,” said Mamiya.
The Equine Museum of Japan had two ponies on display and children were allowed to sit on them.

According to Fumihiko Murai, curator of the museum, it was his first time onboard Negishi and he was excited to see interesting bands and interesting American things.