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Camp Zama is one of the few US posts built on Japanese territory, in the Kanagawa province. It is located between Sagamihara and Zama. Since it reaches the limits of both of them, it can be considered to be a path between these two. If decades ago the place used to be a rural area, things have changed lately. With the new camp in the area, multiple investments were pumped in this place. There are now dozens of administrative buildings, malls, shopping centers and even a particular very advanced train line to connect these cities. Years ago, none of these existed. As a matter of fact, these days, the train is the best way to go from one city to another. The traffic is a pain, since there weren’t any major investments in the road. Besides, the camp is relatively close to Tokyo too – about 40 km.
History
Camp Zama exists for decades, but it was not controlled by the Americans until recently. It used to be the most important academy in the Empire of Japan. It trained the best soldiers and troops in the country. Aside from the well known Japanese professionalism, the soldiers were also trained to be faithful and place their pride and honor among their priorities. The emperor had his own special road to this academy to inspect the training sessions. These days, the road has been transformed in Route 51, one of the most circulated roads in the area. Other than that, the emperor also had a hidden and secret shelter to hide in case of any major problems.
Things have changed a lot since those years. These days, Camp Zama is controlled by the US Army, but under the laws of the Japanese government. The base has been through a series of upgrades. The only building that has not been changed is the theater workshop, a huge hall used by the imperial army of Japan for ceremonies and celebrations. The camp got under American control after World War II.
These days, it plays a relatively major role in the area, especially since it is located on the Eastern side of Japan. Most of the Japanese employers heroically acted in Operation Tomodachi, launched after the huge earthquake in March, 2011. The staff acted both on the tsunami and the nuclear accidents. At the same time, most Americans inhabiting Camp Zama decided it is too dangerous for them to stay, so they left Japan.
Housing
The housing system in the camp is operated and dealt with by the Directorate of Public Works. It is a customer oriented service with a precise purpose – ensuring a proper accommodation process for any newcomers, not to mention about satisfying the needs of the current inhabitants. If interesting in relocating in this area, it is very important to announce your arrival and set up things from time. Call the office and request help, so you get a place to stay at as soon as you arrive. Large groups dispatched due to specific situations are hosted by the army.
