Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka

Service to the U.S. Seventh Fleet

Support the U.S. - Japan Alliance.

For more information, please visit the CFAY homepage.

Completed in 1871, Yokosuka Navy Yard was built to assist with Japan's active role in world trade.  In 1944 the peak of World War II, Yokosuka Navy Yard covered over 280 acres and employed over 40,000 workers.  After a peaceful surrender of the Japanese, Commander Fleet Activities, Yokosuka was established shortly after the occupation occurred in 1945.  Since the Korean and Vietnam conflicts Commander Fleet Activities, Yokosuka continues to be America's most important naval facility in the Western Pacific. For more information on the history of Commander Fleet Activities, Yokosuka (CFAY) please visit CFAY's homepage.

The base has approximately 25,000 military and civilian personnel.

Area Population: 423,576 in Yokosuka, Japan.

The population of personnel assigned to or served by Fleet Activities Yokosuka is approximately 25,000. This figure includes Active Duty Members, Active Duty Family Members, Military Retirees and their Family Members, Civilian Employees, Japanese and other Employees.

Yokosuka City is located about 30 miles southwest of Japan's capital city, Tokyo, on the east coast of the main island, Honshu. It is an industrial and residential community, with an area of about 39 square miles, and a population of about 422,441. This 579-acre naval base occupies a small peninsula jutting into Tokyo Bay. A Navy Munitions Command in nearby Urago, and an off-base housing areas at Ikego comprise another 850 acres of U.S. facilities. Japan is known as a high cost of living area but with proper planning, it's also a great place to save money. When calling base operator from off-base using Japanese mobile dial 046-816-1110, or if you are calling from the U.S., dial 011-81-46-816-1110.

There are three airport options when traveling into Japan. If you are traveling commercially you will arrive at Narita International Airport or Haneda International Airport. If flying on the Patriot Express out of Seattle International Airport, you will land at Yokota Air Force Base.

Yokota Air Force Base is located approximately 73km (45.6 miles) from Yokosuka, which is a 1.5-2 hour bus ride to Yokosuka based on traffic. After your flight has arrived, you will be met by an AMC representative who will escort all passengers to the Inbound Customs and Immigration Area. There you will be given a general briefing concerning immigration and customs clearance procedures, instructions on how to complete the immigration and customs forms, and the location of the baggage pickup area.

After completion of immigration formalities, you will pick up your bags and go to the customs inspection area for inbound customs inspection. If any of your baggage is missing or damaged, you should file a claim with Lost and Found before you leave the baggage area.

Transportation to Yokosuka from Yokota is based on flights coming into the AMC terminal. Your Sponsor can sign you up for the bus to Yokosuka once you receive your itinerary by contacting the CFAY bus desk at 315-243-7777, the number to call from the USA is 011-81-46-816-7777. For more information, please visit the Airport Shuttle Services website. If arriving with pets, your sponsor needs to contact the FAST office at 315-243-9258 to arrange transportation.

Narita International Airport is located north of Tokyo approximately 120km (80 miles) from Yokosuka, which is a 2-hour bus ride to Yokosuka.

At Narita, passenger arrival processing is as follows:

• Immigration is on the second floor. After completion, go downstairs to the baggage claim area.
• Claim your luggage at the designated baggage carousel (first floor) and proceed through customs.
• If you have a pet accompanying you, please refer to the pet information below.

After you have cleared customs, buses leave Narita to Yokosuka at 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. If you arrive after the last bus please see FAST Transportation section below for more information.

At Terminal 1, if coming from the North and South wing after departing customs, turn left and walk down the corridor and proceed to the N2 exit leaving the building. Follow the covered walkway to the CFAY shuttle parking area.

At Terminal 2, once departing customs go to the airport's departure floor bus stop #1.  Await to the CFAY shuttle comes by at 4:40 p.m. and 8:10 p.m.

If landing at Haneda (with or without pets), be sure your sponsor arranges transportation.

Passengers Traveling with Pets

Pets may be brought to Japan as excess baggage on the Patriot Express flights that land at Yokota Air Base. Pets may also be shipped as commercial cargo to Narita or Haneda. Shipment of pets is at the owner's expense whether moving as excess baggage or commercial cargo. Excess baggage is usually the cheaper of the two. It is extremely important that the required documentation is in order. The following procedures apply:

• Pets may be cleared upon arrival at Narita provided you have all the required documents
• Documentation of Rabies vaccination no less than 30 or no more than 360 days old
• Veterinarian health certificate issued within the previous 10 days
• Completed USFJ Form 380 (Customs Free Import or Export of Cargo or Customs Declaration)

Please contact the FAST office to make arrangements for pet transportation at DSN 243-9258 or from the U.S. 011-81-46-816-9258 or via email at fast_connect@us.navy.mil. 

NEX Taxi Chauffer Service

In addition bus and shuttle services provided by the base, the Yokosuka Navy Exchange operates a Taxi Chauffer (Van) Service.. Inbound PCS passengers for Yokosuka are mandated to use the regular scheduled Airport Bus Service. However, if you are on PCS orders and cannot use the CFAY shuttle bus due to other (valid) circumstances, the NEX Airport Shuttle Service might be an option for you.

The NEX Chauffer Taxi Service provides transportation for a maximum of 6 passengers per van and their luggage every day of the week. If requiring early pick up (driver has to be on the road at 0600 or earlier) or late pick up (driver has to be on the road 2200 or later), add $30 to the fare. Available if needing one-way transportation or round trip transportation. Please see the options below.

Pricing:

• Narita to Yokosuka/Yokosuka to Narita - $170 one way
• Haneda to Yokosuka/Yokosuka to Haneda  - $110 one way

To schedule a NEX Chauffer Taxi please email van_ride@yahoo.com or call 315-243-4511 from a DSN line or from U.S. phone 011-81-46-816-4511.

If PCSing to Yokosuka Naval Base, be sure to arrange transportation from the airport to the base in advance. Your SPONSOR can assist you with these arrangements. It is important to maintain communication between your sponsor and yourself.

If visiting Yokosuka Naval Base and landing at Narita International Airport, Haneda International Airport or Yokota Airport, the free CFAY Narita shuttle bus is an option, based on availability. Those without orders will be space available on the shuttle from Narita.

Public transportation is another great option if landing at Narita International Airport or Haneda International Airport. You can look up train schedules at hyperdia.com or purchase a train ticket while at the airport. If you can access internet from a device after landing (there is free Wifi at Narita and Haneda), Google Maps is another option.

You will likely not have the appropriate (US Forces Japan) Drivers License. If you plan ahead with your Sponsor, transportation from Yokota, Haneda or Narita should not be a problem and will ensure you are able to get to Yokosuka base safely.

Base Bus

Buses run fixed routes daily, from about 6:30 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. The route around the base is roughly circular, counterclockwise, stopping at about 15 residential and business locations. Buses stop at each location about every 15 minutes during off-peak hours; about every 5-10 minutes during peak hours in the morning and afternoon. Each bus stop has a route map and a timetable showing approximate departure times for that location. There is no charge for military, DoD Civilians, family members or other base employees to use the base bus. Be prepared to show your ID card to the driver, on request. Schedule subject to change on very short notice, especially in the case of heightened force protection conditions. 

Base Taxi

The Navy Exchange provides base taxi services under contract. A small number of vehicles in the NEX Taxi fleet are designated to take passengers off base to drop off at Yokosuka Chuo, Shioiri and Yokosuka JR train stations. The basic fare is currently 570 yen (about $5.50; varies with periodic exchange rate adjustments) for the first 2 km (about 1.2 miles), which will get you between just about any two points on base (if no waiting is involved.) There is a time-based surcharge of 100yen for every three minutes if the vehicle is requested to wait, or has to wait for traffic or other delays. There is a surcharge to the basic fare between 10:00 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. During these hours, the basic fare is 620 yen (about $6.00; varies.) The taxi meters show the fare in YEN amounts. Each taxi has a chart showing the conversion to dollars at the current approved rate. Fares may be paid in dollars or yen (base taxis only). Service is available 24 hours a day. (NOTE: This is a good part-time job opportunity for spouses and off-duty service members, as the hours can be flexible. You can apply at the taxi office after you get your US Forces Japan (USFJ) driver's license. You must be licensed to drive an automatic transmission vehicle, and be at least 26 years old.)

Off-Base Taxi

There are many commercial taxi companies serving the Yokosuka City area. Empty (off-base) cabs may wait at designated taxi stands throughout town or may be hailed from the curb. Most of the (off-base taxi) drivers do not speak English. Not all of the off-base taxis are certified to enter Yokosuka base. Access Certification is granted to individual drivers, not the whole company. If you call the dispatchers speak slowly and clearly, giving your location, name and destination. Be prepared to pay in yen only. Off base taxis are a little more expensive. The basic fare is about 710 yen (about $7.00) for the first 2 km. Basic taxi fares are posted on the outside of the car doors. Tipping of commercial (off-base) taxi drivers is not necessary unless the driver performs an extra service such as baggage or package loading or unloading. In the event of Heightened force protection conditions, off-base taxis will not be allowed to access/enter the base.

Airport Shuttle Bus

There are several ways to sign up for the shuttle bus from Narita Airport and Yokota Airport. Reservations can be made in person, by phone or fax, or via e-mail. You are strongly encouraged to ask YOUR SPONSOR to assist with this, or you can do it yourself since you will need to provide a copy of your orders to secure "space required" reservations. Whichever way you choose, you will have to provide the following information:

• The number of people in your party.
• Your arriving flight number.
• The date and time of your arrival (note that if you are coming from the U.S., you will lose a day due to crossing the Int'l Date Line. That means if you leave on Monday, you'll get here on Tuesday. Please keep this in mind when giving us your arrival date. Your flight itinerary is the best reference in this case.).

However you make the initial reservation, you still have to provide the reservations clerk a clear copy of the following documents:

• PCS Orders (required for all "space required" seats).
• Family Entry Approval Letter (if applicable or required),
• Travel document (itinerary) showing arrival date (if required). 

With current technology, many military personnel are now receiving orders via e-mail. The reservations clerk will be happy to accept your orders in this format. Paper copies of orders (and any other documents) can also be scanned into PDF files at many commands through their Admin or PSD offices. The PDF files can then be sent to the reservations clerk as an e-mail attachment. Your orders (and any other required documents) can also be faxed directly to the reservations clerk, or to your sponsor.

Passengers using the Navy shuttle bus/van from Narita Airport will need to provide photo ID prior to boarding. In the event of a heightened force protection condition, two types of photo ID will be required, one of which must be a Military Identification Card, before passengers will be allowed to board the bus/van. The Navy buses to Yokosuka are scheduled to depart the parking area near Narita Terminal One at the following times daily: 4:30 p.m., 8:00 p.m. These are coach buses with a maximum seating capacity of 41 passengers. The Narita shuttle buses run 365 days a year.

NEX Airport Shuttle (van) Service

The Yokosuka Navy Exchange operates a commercial Airport Shuttle (Van) Service. Inbound PCS passengers for Yokosuka are mandated to use the regularly scheduled Airport Bus Service, as described above. However, if you are on PCS orders and can not use the regular bus service due to travel with a pet or some other circumstance, the NEX Airport Shuttle Service might be an option for you. The charge for this service is $150.00 from Narita airport, for van and driver. The van can take up to six passengers. To contract with the NEX Taxi chauffeur service for transportation to or from one of the locations listed, call DSN 243-4511 or visit the NEX Taxi office. Payment can be made in person by credit card, check or cash (dollars only), or by providing your credit card information to the Taxi chauffeur service agent over the phone.  If you are calling from the USA or U.S. phone, please dial 011-81-46-816-4511 to schedule a pickup at Narita Airport.  You will be required to provide your credit card information to the Taxi chauffeur service agent over the phone, as well as the names of all passengers being picked up, and if any pets will be transported.

To contact the base operator, Dial 0 from a DSN line on Yokosuka Naval Base, dial 046-816-1110 from a Japanese cell phone, or dial 011-81-46-816-1110 from the United States.