Whats the deal with Bar Row?
Everytime I listen to AFN (or specifically, Eagle 810, as the local variety of Armed Forces Network is called here) there are always these amusing PSAs being blasted about 100 times per hour. One of the more fascinating ones refer to a place called “Bar Row” in Fussa City, which is where the Yokota Air Base is located. The PSA goes something like this:
Remember that service personnel are not allowed to be within a one block radius of Akasen-dori in Fussa city, otherwise known as “Bar Row”, between the hours of 1 am and 6 am.
This has intrigued me for the last few months, because there was never any explanation (figures, being a military radio station) and I can’t recall reading or hearing about it anywhere else. So, I decided to use good old GOOGLE to find out for myself why this restriction was in place. Oh, did I ever find some interesting stuff!
FIrst of all; this is the official announcement made by the US Embassy in June 2005 about it:
Yokota Base Command has issued an order prohibiting servicemembers from being within a one block radius of Akasen-dori in Fussa city (near the base), otherwise known as “Bar Row”, between the hours of 1 am and 6 am. The order comes after a series of crimes, altercations and assaults at Bar Row involving base personnel, including one last weekend that left two airmen seriously wounded. Civilians are advised to exercise caution should they choose to enter the area.
Wow! Reading that, it sounds like the poor American soldiers are being assaulted by some bad people when they are innocently partying outside the gates. It really sounds like the Americans are the victims here. I decided to do some more digging, and I came up with some slightly more elaborate and different accounts of why the ban had come in place.
Alex at Rainbow Trite writes:
Yokota Air Force Base is INFAMOUS for the number of DUI’s that take place on a weekly basis. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday Nightly, select uniformed men and women are out carousing and rejoicing, heeing and hawing, and, against their better judgment, drinking and driving.
…
The base doesn’t publicize these “happenings”. No one hears about them or even has an inkling until Colonel Schissler is on the TV, making a plea that we not drink and drive. This, I blame on higher command. People should be made aware of the problem.
This I found in the base’s own newsletter, making it blatantly obvious who is to blame for the restrictions:
Since the restriction came into place, the number of incidents has dropped to almost zero. Fussa City officials have also noticed a
sharp decline in the amount of noise complaints they receive from citizens living between Bar Row and Yokota.
Yes, I know that the area around the base is not generally the nicest neigborhood in Japan, and that there are rumours of some yakuza presence etc., but still, drunken, loud, cocky American soldiers rumbling around at night causing all sorts of ruckus and provoking fights with the locals does seem like a reasonable explanation to me. Way to show your appreciation for your Japanese hosts.
Oh, and while I’m on this American-bashing high (sorry, it wasn’t meant to be this harsh…), GW Bush – what is with the SLICED PIG!??
First off, Yokota is not “INFAMOUS” for DUI’s, in fact our rates dropped 40% last year and this has nothing to do with Bar Row restrictions. We have 225-ride a program used to get people home from the gates. Our DUI’s are not off-base they are from on the base and it is publicized on base very well. We do this with a nice little ceremony at the Post office on base. The last squadron to recieve a DUI gets to stand proud in their service dress uniform and change the plaquered to read their squadron and the date of the offense. On top of that the individual that recieved said DUI is the one changing the info…In public where anyone can and may watch this event.
Secondly the residents of Yoota Air Base may go to Bar Row and be loud, but we are not out stabbing our cab driver’s, and co-workers like the Navy partakes in, or The Marines raping and killling. Lets be real hear…I would rather the base be synonamous for noise than international incidents.
Sorry Jay, that post was very harsh and partly made just to provoke feelings. Everything is not black and white, everyone at Yokota do not go out to Bar Row raping locals…. Of course!
Sorry if offended anyone by generalizing too much what a few bad apples do.
I was station there for 9 1/2 yrs two tours. Yes, there is a DUI problem there, always was. Glad to hear its is finally getting under control. Yes there are fights in Bar row with Airforce and bullying of japanese nationals…..I’ve turned in at least 5 Airman and NCO’s to their first shirts and commanders while I was stationed there. Three of which were kicked out. And if you think Im lying, ask about the gurl in the Comm group in 82 that lured a japanee man back to her dorm on the promise of sex, only to be robbed, beaten and thought for dead, then thrown into a dumpster. He came to, called the police, and she did 6 months in a all japanese prison, until she went crazy and was dicharged on mental medical discharge; she was only 19. The three males that assisted her during the robbery got 5 yrs in a japanese/american prison. True, we are not as bad as the Navy (Independance carrier)or Marine’s ( Camp Fuji) but that is still no excuse. I know of military that have done time for dealing drugs, weapons and ammo to the Yakuza. You’d be surprised at who was dealing. A 14yr Master Sergeant did 10 yrs hard labor for dealing and was the casue of over 50 other court matials that caused E&I to be shut down and moved back stateside. a Staff Sergeant SP got 10 years for allowing drugs to enter the base/country while he worked at the terminal and was caught trying to pass ammo to the Yakuza. There was a murder at the NCO club. A Marine stomping another marine to death to the NCO club fighting over a married Air Force wife in 91 or 92. No Air Force members stepped in to stop him.
Open your eyes! The truth hurts! ALL the clubs in bar row and some apartment complexes lived in by the military; The white Apartments on Hwy 16 acrross from the base, and the apartments accross from 7 Eleven are Yakuza (Japanese Mafia owned). If you dont believe me, ask about “fire insurance” that everyone pays, so their businesses dont get burned out. Like the club across from 7 Eleven that didnt pay back in the 90. Now if all that was going on in the 80’s and 90’s…I cant imagine what things are like now. I remember the police only carring night sticks back then, when I visited in 2003 they were wearing bullet proof vest and carry guns. So stop the Erkel act…..”Did I do that…”
And YEs, there were rapes back then too. a Tech Sergeant that lived in the white apartments across from the base did 5 years for rape back in 86; not to mention other airman that were sent to prison for the same thing.
Peace to all….Im glad things are getting better, but we american Airforce members made Bar row what it is today. I know we can make it better. The policy need to go back to NO first term airman being station overseas without being stationed stateside first. That way they have had time to adjust to the military. Reopen the Alcohol rehab center. Not in the Philipians, but at Yokota. By time you get the drunk calling for the ride, its to late. Counsel or if necessary report those that show up to work intoxicated. Prevention is the best cause; not a bandaid…”go ahead and get pissy drunk call 255-ride, and we will pick you up without fear of being delt with”. If you have a problem with someone that likes to fight, move their name to the top of the deployment list. See if tht calms them down. The AIrforce is a great force. Lets make it proud again for all the japanese nationals to see.
P.S. Stop OVERCHARING the japanese at the Annual Open houseand the TAMA golf course; its not nice.
Peace
To the Narc that posted last, FU. You are a typical schmuck that turns the innocent in… Yeah, I spent time at Yokota and it is apparent the 374 Maintenance Squadron is responsible for atleast 50% of the crime that is commited on Bar row… Speaking of which, Bar row is full of nonsense! Nothing but illegal filipinas and vatos patrol the area… Disco Eddie’s is whack and when times get slow, he tries to bargain you into his club for free… Nerie’s has some tight DJ’s spinnin’ the ones and two’s but right across the street you can find some slutty tagalog speakin’ biatches…
Japan is tight, just don’t spend it near a military base or with a Narc that will rat you out.. Fuck OSI
I was at Yokota between 1979 and 1981 and went back several times on business since. We all knew which were the bars run by the yakuza and we knew which ones had the imported hookers. We avoided them because we chose to take our money elsewhere. There were plenty of places to enjoy time off without the hassle or hustle. Yes, we got blasted a lot. I think that that was a product of being too young and going from the restrictions of a training base right to what was pretty much an all night party everywhere. The base could have alleviated that with some form of an orientation which filled in the blanks for us new victims. There should also have been a place to cal when your drinking was getting out of control where you weren’t going to be lectured or preached to. I certainly would have used it!
I was stationed at Yokota from 1969 to 1974. Probably the last of the good ole years when the American dollar meant something. I spent many nights on bar row having the time of my life without any fear that something negative might happen. The Japanese loved the American GI and the money that came with them. I will honestly say tho that you got what you paid for. Back then the japanese police only had to speak to you (always in a nice manner) in order to get your attention. You had better sense to talk back. Those were the good ole days – sad to see that off base Yokota has changed so much. Bar row was opened 24 hours a day, each bar had three shifts of workers. I have never wanted to go back because I knew I would be disappointed. This web site confirms that.
Back in 1967 when I was stationed at Yokota, Bar Row as it is called these days saw it’s share of over-exuberance by Air Force personnel as well as some of the citizens. The local police patrolled the area but seemed to remain in the background allowing a certain amount of fun. But when it began to get out of hand they would not hesitate to politely step in. We listened when they spoke. Back then a Japanese jail was not where one wanted to be on a Friday/Saturday night. My favorite hangout was the Bar Cairo everyone that came in there and worked there were friends and friendly to all. One final comment about Eddie’s Bar. That wasn’t around at the time however I do remember Eddie when he was a bartender.
I remember that marine that got stomped to death .Bring’s beck memory’s for me as I worked at the club and I saw the aftermath of it all . The two marine’s were roommates and one went out with this air force wife one night and the next night went out with the other , I can remember leavin the club and hearin fighting but it was in the housein area . When I came back to work I don’t recall any thing but when I left again the emt’s and sp’s were there .they said he died at the hospital but he really died in the club parking lot .this matine that did this all did it by stomping his head in . My car was two spaces away from all this and the sp’s had to see my car as it had blood split’s on it .The poor night manager’s that night were up for 12 hours or mors filling out report’s .
Holy cow. I was at Yokota from 1979 to 1983 with my husband, the base optometrist. I worked and taught for the University of Maryland until our first child was born. I see now that I was too sedate too have been so young (21 when I got there); I don’t think I knew Bar Row existed. I did know, however, that some of the wives got up to hijinks when their husbands were TDY. An older wife showed me some of the base housing out of which prostitution rings were allegedly run. And once, on a space A trip to Kunsan, I saw a quite amazing pornographic “dance” performed during the day, at the NCO club, by two wives. That knocked my socks off. Very sad to hear that the yakuza are in Fussa. It seemed to be so safe and civilized when I was there.
Frank Padgett wrote:
“I was stationed at Yokota from 1969 to 1974″.
Frank do you remember Sargeant Carol Manion, who died in Fussa City in 1974? He was from Evansville, Indiana.
Wow… Discussion has really contiuned behind my back here, haven’t paid enough attention I see.
Need to read all your replies – my original post seems so old when I re-read it now…
I WAS STATIONED ON YAKOTA AFB .. THE TRANPORATATION SQ.
I WORKED HOUSHOLD GOODS SHIPPING..
I REMEMBER YAKOTA AND FUSSA AS BEING VERY BORING ..EXPENSIVE AND AN ALL AROUND CHALLENGE.
OFF BASE THE SMELL WAS TERRIABLE ..
BAR ROW WAS LIKE GULLEVERS LAND ALL SMALL AND EXPENSIVE,,
DOES EVERY ONE REMENBER GINY ROSE .. A MARVELOUS OLD LADY .. BOB HOPE HAD A JOKE ABOUT HERE..YES HE PLAYED TACHI AFB ..
SO SORRY I REGRETED MY TRIP THERE ..
SOUTH AMERICA ANY WHERE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER AND NOW I SPEAK FLUENT SPANISH TOO..
JAPAN ALL SERAMONEY AND VERY LITTLE SUBSTANCE ..
TUS MAY 18 2010..
I would like to make a comment of the use of the word “SOLDIERS”, this word is in reference to service members who are affiliated with the United States Army. There are no units located at Yokota AFB or in the Fussa area. Please refence as “AIRMEN”.
Thanks
Open your mind and think about life and how you can make yourself a better person. Learn about why and what causes people to do drugs. The way the brain works to certain situation.Choose a DUI course to help you.
it’s spelled YOKOTA not YAKOTA you retards!
it don’t matter twiss, it’s americans… what do you care anyway?