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In this article, we will take a brief look at the unique housing market in Yokosuka City and the surrounding Miura Peninsula areas.  As you can imagine, with the presence of a large U.S. Navy Base (official name: Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka/CFAY), located in the middle of eastern Yokosuka's downtown & harbor district, many sailors and civilians who work on the base, live in rental units "out in town".  So, there many houses, condominiums, and apartments which are regularly rented to U.S.-military-related customers -- in Japanese, they are called: "Be-su bukken" ( ベース物件 ), which translates to: "base properties".  Our company specializes in managing Be-su bukken -- they are located all over the Miura Peninsula area, and some of them have been rebuilt or remodeled with Western features, while others are rented "as is".  Back in the 1950s and 1960s, there were several family housing areas owned & managed by U.S. Navy (e.g., Yokohama, Negishi, Nagai) and there was less demand for off-base rentals.  However, starting in the 1970s, with the arrival of the crew and dependents of the aircraft carrier USS MIDWAY (in 1973), along with the closure of the distant housing areas, the demand for Be-su bukken significantly increased.  Currently, there are Navy-managed dwellings (high-rises, townhouses) available inside CFAY and in Ikego Family Housing Area (located in Zushi City) -- however, there are not nearly enough units to meet the demand.  Circling back to the 1973 arrival of USS MIDWAY in Yokosuka, it was the first time for an aircraft carrier to be permanently forward-deployed outside of the U.S., and another "first" was the decision to pay for the crewmembers' dependents to move to, and live in, Japan, under a special budget line called "OFRP" (Overseas Family Residency Program).  Over the 50 years since then, the presence of aircraft carriers in Yokosuka has continued, with USS RONALD REAGAN currently being deployed -- the economic impact on the local economy has been significant, and the large numbers of Be-su bukken are all part of that.  We hope you will enjoy living in Japan and your off-base home!

Written by Goodfield

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Previous articles about Yokosuka

About Yokosuka City｜Off Base Housing Yokosuka | IINO REAL ESTATE is for rental housing in Yokosuka Japan...Civilian, Military house agency

history of Yokosuka｜Off Base Housing Yokosuka | IINO REAL ESTATE is for rental housing in Yokosuka Japan...Civilian, Military house agency