VOLUME 7 NO. 16 SEPTEMBER 11 – SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 SUBMIT STORIES TO: [email protected] STRIPESJAPAN.COM FACEBOOK.COM/STRIPESPACIFIC FREE INSIDE INFO HARVESTING ZAMA VETS GAIN TRUST WITH FURRY FRIENDS, HUMANS PAGE 3 TRADITIONDig deep into Japan’s lesser-known fall holidays Speakin’ Japanese Pages 8-9 AUTUMN AUDIBLES PAGE 4 WHY JAPANESE LUCKY CHARMS ARE AMAZING! PAGES 6-7 LIMITING PLASTIC USE IN JAPAN PAGES 10-11 Midnight and Mt.Fuji, full moon. Barbecues help Yokota’s new MELON PAN airmen get through quarantine MADNESS BY SETH ROBSON, U.S. personnel arriving in Japan must PAGES 12-13 STARS AND STRIPES spend 14 days in quarantine, which the Published: September 4, 2020 military calls “restriction of movement” or ROM, that’s designed to stop them YOKOTA AIR BASE — Some summer spreading the coronavirus to others at barbecues at the home of U.S. Forces Ja- their new home. pan in western Tokyo are To make sure the ex- a little out of the ordinary EXCLUSIVE NEWS FROM: Business cards, flyers, perience doesn’t feel like invitations and more! this year. a short stint in jail, the Contact The events for newly Air Force has come up arrived airmen are cho- with all sorts of things to printshop.stripes.com reographed affairs where 042-552-2510 (extension77315) amuse quarantined single airmen, in- the guests of honor don masks and keep cluding fortnightly barbecues. 227-7315 Volunteers dish out comfort food to quarantined service members at Yokota Air Base. their distance from the folks cooking Photo by Theron Godbold, Stars and Stripes their food. SEE BARBECUES ON PAGE 2 2 STRIPES JAPAN A STARS AND STRIPES COMMUNITY PUBLICATION 75 YEARS IN THE PACIFIC SEPTEMBER 11 − SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 BARBECUES: Fresh air, sunshine, morale on menu CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Staff Sgt. Valesia Williams, 30, of Wash- Max D. Lederer Jr. ington, D.C., was one of a few quarantined Publisher airmen chomping burgers Sept. 4 in a yard Lt. Col. Richard E. McClintic Commander about 20 yards from where meat sizzled on Joshua M Lashbrook grills and party music blared from a speaker Chief of Staff outside a tower block on Yokota. Chris Verigan The aerospace ground-equipment air- Engagement Director Marie Woods man, who arrived in Japan after 18 months Publishing and Media Design Director at Osan Air Base, South Korea, said she was Chris Carlson surprised when someone knocked on her Publishing and Media Design Manager door to invite her to lunch after five days in Eric Lee Advertising and Circulation Manager quarantine. Monte Dauphin “It was nice to hear there was somewhere Japan Area Manager for us to go and get food and go outside and Kentaro Shimura Production Manager see what’s going on,” Williams said. “Being Rie Miyoshi able to see the base and look around is really Engagement Manager good.” Denisse Rauda The time alone hasn’t been too hard, she Publishing and Media Design Editor said, adding that the two-bedroom apartment Publishing and Media Design Writers ChiHon Kim where she is staying is bigger than her digs Shoji Kudaka Takahiro Takiguchi at Osan. During the time alone she’s been A volunteer prepares food. Photo by Theron Godbold, Stars and Stripes Layout Designers studying Japanese and itching to get out and Mamoru Inoue explore Japan and taste local food such as ra- Yukiyo Oda according to the Air Force veteran and li- are trying to make sure we exercise all the men and sushi. Yuko Okazaki censed clinical social worker. proper safety measures,” Stevens said. Kayoko Shimoda Master Sgt. Christopher Smith, 43, of Other support for quarantined airmen in- Multimedia Consultants Rochester, Minn., was at the barbecue rep- “They take care of so many things in one Max Genao Doug Johnson cludes deliveries of letters from schoolkids, a resenting the Yokota First Sergeants Council. session and they’re fun,” Stevens said. “We Brian Jones Jason Lee game involving chopsticks and beans, more Hans Simpson Chae Pang Yi “I’m here to check on these airmen who can get them outside … get them some fresh Gianni Youn Robert Zuckerman homecooked food and a bag of Japanese are in ROM,” he said. “I’m seeing how their air and sunshine, get them a homecooked Graphic Designers meal. For some of them, just to be able to get treats, she said. Kenichi Ogasawara Yosuke Tsuji mental state is and making sure they’re be- A few airmen who have had birthdays in Sales Support out into the daylight is huge.” ing taken care of by their units.” quarantine received cakes baked by Stevens. Kazumi Hasegawa Hiromi Isa The barbecues, which last about 90 min- Ichiro Katayanagi Yoko Noro Yokota community support organizer Deb- “Having been an airman myself in rather Yusuke Sato Saori Tamanaha bie Stevens, 60, of Wyoming, said the barbe- utes and include a performance by members Toshie Yoshimizu Un Chong Yu austere settings, I think they have got it pret- cues are just one of the things the Air Force is of the Air Force Band of the Pacific-Asia, For feedback and inquiries, ty sweet,” she said. “It is not so much the set- contact [email protected] doing to support airmen in quarantine. have been going since late May and have fed ting as it is the human contact.” To place an ad, call DSN 227-7370 Barbecues help people with physical, about 150 quarantined airmen so far. [email protected] stripesjapan.com/contact spiritual, relational and emotional wellness, “We keep it short and sweet because we Twitter: @SethRobson1 SEPTEMBER 11 − SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 A STARS AND STRIPES COMMUNITY PUBLICATION 75 YEARS IN THE PACIFIC STRIPES JAPAN 3 Cpl. Madison Green greets Layla, a beagle. Dr. (Capt.) Mary McLean examines Roxy, a shepherd mix, as Green assists. Trust key to Zama veterinary team’s success STORY AND PHOTOS BY WINIFRED BROWN, Not all pets, however, are happy to visit Department of Defense. carry the gold-standard equipment and U.S. ARMY veterinarians, and Luna, a 5-year-old Lab Usually, however, MWDs are a healthy medications some species require,” mix, is one of them. population, so for the team to keep their McLean said. “We will always try to help, CAMP ZAMA – Staff at the Camp Zama Josie Salcedo, Luna’s owner, said Lu- veterinary skills sharp, the facility relies but may have to refer some pets to one of Veterinary Treatment Facility have al- na’s behavior has nothing to do with the on military pet owners to trust them to the better equipped, more specialized vet- ways worked diligently to gain the trust of clinic itself—she just gets anxious. care for their animals, McLean said. erinarians in the community.” their clients, and today under COVID-19 “Every time we come it’s an ordeal, but “The more experience we can gain The team also includes military food restrictions, those efforts are paying off. [the staff are] always really good with her from treating a variety of ill animals, the inspectors who are responsible for ensur- “I trust them,” said Carolina Chong, … and just giving her as much love as they better prepared we will be to care for our shortly after handing over her two dogs’ ing a safe and wholesome food supply by can while she’s here,” Salcedo said. “They MWDs if they become sick or injured,” leashes to Cpl. Madison Green, an ani- performing inspections of food vendors, make her as comfortable as possible.” McLean said. mal care specialist, so they could go in for such as commissaries, child care centers Maryn Nakasone, a veterinary techni- The facility offers a variety of servic- and dining facilities, McLean said. their appointments without her Aug. 25. cian, did exactly that with Luna during es, including routine preventative care The facility’s waiting and exam rooms Although the main offices are on Camp her visit, petting her and spending time through annual exams and vaccinations, Zama, personnel also provide support to are too small to accommodate proper so- with her, which allowed the dog to calm health certificate exams, quarantine ex- cial distancing under COVID-19 restric- Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Sagami General down. ams, laboratory services, surgery, radiolo- Depot, Sagamihara Family Housing Area, tions, so staff members check in pets at McLean said the clinic has remained gy, acupuncture and dental care, McLean and Camp Fuji, McLean said. the curb and bring them in without their open throughout the pandemic, but for said. Gloria Maxwell, who has been visiting owners, said Dr. (Capt.) Mary McLean, safety reasons, personnel made evolving Personnel see pets by appointment only the clinic for three years with her 13-year- the officer in charge of the facility. adjustments to some services based on on a space-available basis, McLean said, old Shih Tzu named Puaiki, said if she has McLean said she understands why staff and equipment availability. and since the clinic operates through non- any reservations about letting her dog go some owners may have reservations “When a majority of our staff was appropriated funds, or revenue other than inside without her, it’s only because she about separating from their pets, but the forced to work from home, we began of- taxes, clients must pay standardized fees would like to be there for educational rea- facility’s team does everything possible to fering telemedicine appointments when so the clinic can operate. sons. make patients feel comfortable. appropriate,” McLean said. “Because our Three soldiers and three civilians staff “We utilize low-stress handling tech- patients can’t tell us what’s wrong, veteri- the facility, McLean said, and two staff “The staff has been really, really great,” niques, have a wide variety of special narians rely heavily on a physical exam, members, including herself, are veteri- Maxwell said.