BLUE SEAL Icecream is famous Okinawan icecream company. It was started to serve icecream for Americans in Okinawa. (Okinawa used to be occupied by US and there are many military bases in there) It is one of the place you have to go if you visit Okinawa.

but you dont need to fly to Okinawa, you just take a train to come here for icecream :) we have a new store in Fussa, where is west part of Tokyo, near US military base.
it’s always crowded but it worth to wait. they serve good stuff and cheaper than Baskin Robbins!

注意事項：

●　開放になるのは、サプライゲート側のハンガーとランウェイの一部です。会場以外への立ち入りはできません。
　（基地内のショッピングセンターやレストラン、フードコートなどには入れません。でも、会場への出店はあったような気がします）。

●　ビン類、アルコール飲料は持ち込めません。ビールは会場内で売ってたと思います。

●　アスファルトの照り返しがすごくて、日陰が少ないので、かなり疲れます。熱射病対策をお忘れなく。

●　駐車場はありません。まわりのコインパーキングも、当日はほとんど空きがありません。電車での来場をお勧めします。

会場について：

●　出店：食べ物屋さん（ピザ、ステーキ、タコス、ケパブ、焼きそば、カキ氷、アイスクリーム、スナック類、ケーキ、飲み物など）と、ゲームなんかです。

●　飛行機と写真も撮れます。横田には戦闘機ってなかったと思うのですが、厚木から艦載機が来るようです。パラシュート降下のパフォーマンスもあります。

●　ハンガー内ステージ・屋外ステージでは、バンド、ダンスなどのパフォーマンスがあります。

●　20日は花火があがります。（日本の花火大会と比較したらぜんぜんたいしたことありませんが…）

福生市公式ホームページより引用
※日時
8月19日（土）・20日（日）入場時間　午前9時から午後8時

※場所
横田基地第5（サプライ）ゲートのみ一般開放
（最寄り駅ＪＲ青梅線牛浜駅より徒歩10分）　→地図

※ご注意ください
駐車場がないため、電車をご利用ください。一般開放される第5ゲート横には自転車置き場が設置されます。危険物、ペット、クーラーボックス、大型手荷物の持込みはできません。安全管理上、ゲートで写真付身分証明書の確認や手荷物検査を行う場合があります。会場内は禁煙です。

※花火打ち上げについて
花火打ち上げが20日（日）午後8時30分から午後9時まで予定されています。

※問合せ
横田基地　電話042-552-2511　内線52100
（横田基地友好祭についてのテレフォンサービスの番号です。）

I havent been there but annual “bon” dance party is thrown at Camp Zama. anyone want to dance “bon” dance?
if you are interested, please visit the link below for more info and photos!

“Event details”
□日時／場所
2006年8月12日（土）午前11:00～午後9:00
・開場は午前10:30（第1ゲート、第4ゲートのみ）雨天の場合は中止
在日米陸軍　キャンプ座間
□入場について
駐車場は一般車両、自転車の乗り入れはご遠慮ください。
保安上、大きなバッグ、バックパック（ナップザック）、クーラーボックス、スケートボード、キックボード、ペット、ビンやコップ等のガラス類の持込みは禁止されています。ゲートでの持ち物検査の為、入門に時間がかかることがありますので、あらかじめご了承ください。
Bon Odori マップ
□会場までの順路・交通案内（電車）
小田急小田原線相武台前駅下車徒歩20分
□お問い合わせ
電話　046-407-4177

They have beauty pageant called Princess Vega contest, rock performance by US Air Force band, dance performance, Ninja performance, marching bands from fire dept, JGSDF and kids, Samba parade etc. there a lot to see through the weekend.

Fireworks Exhibition in Showa Memorial Park: July 29th (Sat) 19:20-20:30
This is one of the biggest fireworks exibitions in Tokyo. If you are living in nearby west county of Tokyo area, you must come to see!
A lot of people coming to Showa memorial park on that day, a lot of women wearing Yukata (a kind of kimono for summer). cotton candy, yakisoba, alcohol beverages and other things are sold at stands along the road in park.
the venue is 15mins of walk from Tachikawa station (JR Chuo line), 30secs from Nishi Tachikawa station(JR Ome line). Parking is very limited. Usually, all slots are fully occupied in daytime for festival. Also vehicles are prohibited in park. Please get on a train and enjoy flowers in sky!
(Firework is called Hanabi in Japanese, which means fire flower)

昭和記念公園花火大会公式ホームページ:http://www.tbt.gr.jp/hanabi/

ABSOLUT ICEBAR TOKYO is the first permanent icebar in Japan located in Nishiazabu. Experience the extreme - the ABSOLUT ICEBAR is kept at minus 5 degrees Celsius year around and everything inside is made out of crystal clear ice transported down from the Torne River in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden. Step into an environment where the walls, bar, tables, and even your own personal glass with a vodka cocktail is made out of ice. The ABSOLUT ICEBAR is operated in 45 minute time slots and you will be given a cape to keep you warm during your visit.

　This is one of my favorite cafe in Tachikawa. Honey bee is serving yummy waffles. see the picture above. Not only waffles, they have sandwiches, frozen custard, fresh juice and some. always crowded with female customers:)

　立川のHoney bee,たまに行くと、カロリー気にせず食べちゃいます。連休中に食べたのは、写真のカスタードプディングワッフル。食べたことはないのですが、サンドイッチやフローズンカスタードもおいしそうです。

7th of July is Tanabata night.

Tanabata story from wikipedia:

On the night sky of the late summer days the stars Altair and Vega are high in the night sky and the Chinese tell the following love story, of which there are many variations:

A young cowherd named Niulang (牛郎, “the cowherd”, the star Altair) happens across seven fairy sisters bathing in a lake. Encouraged by his mischievous companion the ox, he steals their clothes and waits to see what will happen next. The fairy sisters elect the youngest and most beautiful sister Zhinü (織女, “the weaver girl”, the star Vega) to retrieve their clothing. She does so, but since Niulang sees her naked she must agree to his request for marriage. She proves to be a wonderful wife, and Niulang a good husband, and they are very happy together. But the Goddess of Heaven (in some versions Zhinü’s mother) finds out that a mere mortal has married one of the fairy girls and is furious. (In another version, the Goddess forced the weaver fairy back to her former duty of weaving colorful clouds in the sky because she could not do her job while married to the mortal.) Taking out her hairpin, the Goddess scratches a wide river in the sky to separate the two lovers forever (thus forming the Milky Way separating Altair and Vega).

Zhinü must sit forever on one side of the river, sadly weaving on her loom, while Niulang watches her from afar and takes care of their two children (his flanking stars β and γ Aquilae).

But once a year all the magpies in the world take pity on them and fly up into heaven to form a bridge (鵲橋, “the bridge of magpies”, Que Qiao) over the star Deneb in the Cygnus constellation so the lovers may be together for a single night, the seventh night of the seventh moon.

Those two lovers are way too blissful from my eyes (they are happy to meet each other then, make everybodys wishes come true……………..) but anyways, it’s nice.

As wikipedia says, we write wishes on paper and hang them on bamboo. The picture above was taken at Yotsuya Station. When you find a bamboo, pen and papers at subway station, drop by a couple of minutes to make a wish!

As you know, yesterday was 4th of July. I dont think Japanese will celebrate it much but, in my town Fussa where has big US Armed force base, we can see fireworks from building. It is little too early for fireworks festival though, it always reminds me the season.

It is little too early to inform though, if you are interested in visiting Yokota Air Force base, come here on August 19th and 20th. They have Friendship Festival in there.
However you cannot enter military facilities (it is held on runway), you can see air planes (including fighters from Atsugi Naval base), parashoot troops and you can buy some snacks, icecream, food, snowcone and etc at stand.
More information will be updated later!