Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) Capt. Jeffrey Kim led the Joint Yokosuka Shitamachi Festival parade with Japanese civic and military leaders through downtown Yokosuka, May 26.

The joint festival is a celebration of Yokosuka’s five largest neighborhoods and this year included representatives from the U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF); CFAY joined Commander, JMSDF Yokosuka District Adm. Goujiro Watanabe, Yokosuka Mayor Katsuaki Kamiji and Rep. Shinjiro Koizumi of the Japanese House of Representatives.

“This is the first time I was invited along with Adm. Watanabe to lead the parade,” said Kim. “I very much appreciate the invitation and being part of the community beyond the gate because Yokosuka is our hometown and our community does so many great things together.”

Among the cacophony of chants and drums a smaller representative of both American and Japanese communities in Yokosuka stoically marched in the vanguard. Juno Jensen, a Japanese American child clad in a kimono and ceremonial wig led the procession of Shinto priests and costumed mythological figures, carrying a jingling staff to ward against evil and welcome good.

“It is a great honor for her to be here today to represent our communities,” said Tim Jensen, Juno’s father. “She was nervous this morning but once she put on the kimono she was very happy and proud to walk in the parade.”

Community celebrations like the Joint Yokosuka Shitamachi Festival are a great way for the U.S. Navy community to celebrate and enjoy the city.

“I was really happy to see so many members of the base community I recognized out here enjoying the festival,” said Kim. “It shows how greatly we feel about living in such a wonderful city.”

CFAY also participates in the annual Yokosuka Mikoshi parade in the fall. The decades-old tradition of carrying portable shrines representing Yokosuka communities starts in the heart of downtown and ends in the U.S. Navy base and attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the city and base.

CFAY provides, maintains, and operates base facilities and services in support of the U.S. 7th Fleet's forward-deployed naval forces, 71 tenant commands, and more than 27,000 military and civilian personnel and their families.

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