Camp Fuji hosts 2016 Fuji Friendship Festival

Photo By Staff Sgt. Janessa Dugan | Mount Fuji watches over the Fuji Friendship Festival May 7 aboard Combined Arms...... read more read more

Photo By Staff Sgt. Janessa Dugan | Mount Fuji watches over the Fuji Friendship Festival May 7 aboard Combined Arms Training Center Fuji, Gotemba, Japan. The festival included fun and games for all ages, such as bounce houses, face painting and live music from local artists and the U.S. 7th Fleet Band’s Orient Express. The festival also had numerous displays of weapon systems along with aircraft and vehicles. Among them were Japanese tanks, a UH60 Black Hawk and the MV-22B Osprey.  see less | View Image Page

CATC FUJI, SHIZUOKA, JAPAN

05.07.2016

Story by Cpl. Daniel Jean-Paul 

Marine Corps Installations Pacific

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Thousands of Japanese residents strolled through the gate of Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji, despite the fog clouds sweeping through the installation, for its annual Friendship Festival May 7.

The Fuji Friendship Festival is the largest of many community relations events for CATC Fuji. Other programs and events include Marines providing off-base English classes to the residents of surrounding communities every Monday and Tuesday, regular public-access events aboard the camp and hosting multiple holiday parties throughout the year.

“The Fuji Friendship Festival is the most significant community relations event that we host,” said Col Todd R. Finley, the commanding officer of CATC Fuji. “We are humbled by the graciousness of the people who live in Gotemba, Oyama, and Susono. To honor that graciousness, and to show our appreciation for the partnership between the Marine Corps and the local Japanese community, we host the Fuji Friendship Festival every year.”

The festival included fun and games for all ages, such as bounce houses, face painting and live music from local artists and the U.S. 7th Fleet Band’s Orient Express. The festival also had numerous displays of weapon systems along with aircraft and vehicles. Among them were Japanese tanks, a UH60 Black Hawk and the MV-22B Osprey.

“For most of the visitors, this is the first time they’ve ever seen any of the aircraft, especially the Osprey,” said Capt. Andrew Jones, an MV-22B Osprey pilot with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force. “It really gives them that hands-on experience. They get to see the inside of aircraft, such as Osprey, and get any questions they had about it answered. It really removes the mystique and mystery around the aircraft and fosters a more transparent partnership.”

At noon, Finley took center stage to address the thousands of visitors in attendance. Finley thanked the Marines aboard CATC Fuji for their hard work that made the festival possible. Finley also expressed his gratitude to local community leaders and members of the Japan-U.S. Friendship Association for their constant support to CATC Fuji. He then took a moment to express his sorrow and sympathies for those affected by the recent Kumamoto earthquakes. Finley explained how the partnership between the U.S. Marine Corps and the Japanese Self Defense Force was paramount in the hasty disaster response and was responsible for saving thousands of lives.

According to Finley, despite the recent tragedy, the festival is essential to the spirit of friendship between the local Japanese and U.S. community. The entire event is a symbol of unity, letting everyone know that they are never alone.

“Camp Fuji considered whether it was appropriate to hold the festival in the aftermath of the Kumamoto tragedy,” said Finley. “We ultimately decided that it was best to host a happy event to help everyone recover from the devastation.”

As the day came to an end, aircraft began to take off from the flightline and visitors made their way down to the Roadhouse, a club aboard CATC Fuji. The visitors and Marines enjoyed a night of music, dancing and socializing; strengthening the long-standing partnership between the U.S. Marine Corps and Japan.

“The festival was really fun,” said Ayumi Tereda, a festival attendee. “We don’t always get the chance to see the aircraft such as the Osprey, so getting to see the inside of the Osprey was my favorite part.”

CATC Fuji plays a crucial role in the Marine Corps’ mission in the Asia-Pacific-Region, providing unique training areas not found anywhere else in the world. The partnership fostered by CATC Fuji and its numerous community relations events is not only important to the Marine Corps’ mission in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, but also across the world allowing Marines to utilize CATC Fuji’s training area to help Marines maintain the highest state of readiness.