Sagamihara Housing Area (known as SHA) is an area of land designated as living space for

United States Military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

personnel and Department of the Army Civilians in

Sagamihara is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 723,470, with 334,812 households, and a population density of 1,220 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Sagamihara is the third-most-populous city ...

Kanagawa is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

prefecture,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. Married American soldiers who are stationed at

Camp Zama is a United States Army post located in the cities of Zama and Sagamihara, in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about southwest of Tokyo. Camp Zama is home to the U.S. Army Japan (USARJ), I Corps (Forward), U.S. Army Aviation Battalion Japan ...

may live on SHA instead of living on the main post (although some Married Soldiers do live on Camp Zama). Camp Zama, SHA and Sagami Depot all fall under the command of United States Army Garrison-Japan (USAG-J), the installation management command for the

United States Army, Japan United States Army, Japan (USARJ) is a Major Command of the United States Army. It consists of operating port facilities and a series of logistics installations throughout Honshū and Okinawa. USARJ participates actively with the Japan Ground Se ...

(USARJ).

Location

SHA is located approximately 3 kilometers away from Camp Zama. There is no military operated transportation directly to or from SHA to Camp Zama or Sagami Depot. The closest train station to SHA is Odakyū-Sagamihara Station on the

Odakyu , commonly known as Odakyū, is a major railway company based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for its '' Romancecar'' series of limited express trains from Tokyo to Odawara, Enoshima, Tama New Town, and Hakone. The Odakyu Electric Railway Company ...

train line. Military operated buses transport children to the schools on other military installations.

Housing

The housing on SHA is for both military families and families of American civilians who work for the Army. Single parents and families can live here as well as on Camp Zama; however, single soldiers and civilians without dependents (spouse, child, parent, etc.) are restricted to housing on Camp Zama. There are both attached and detached houses on SHA, ranging from two to four bedrooms and one to three bathrooms. The Enlisted Personnel are allowed to occupy very modern quarters that were built from the late 1990s forward. Officers are required to occupy post occupation dwellings that were constructed in 1951 and 1955. Some of the officer's quarters haven't been renovated since they were constructed.

Facilities and activities on post

Food and gas

The main

commissary A commissary is a government official charged with oversight or an ecclesiastical official who exercises in special circumstances the jurisdiction of a bishop. In many countries, the term is used as an administrative or police title. It often c ...

for the Camp Zama community is located on SHA. Larger than the commissaries of Camp Zama and Sagami Depot, the SHA commissary stocks approximately 6000 items.U.S. Army Camp Zama, JAPAN
The pay at the pump

gas station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gasoline ...

with a small attached convenience store is located in the same shopping area as the commissary.

Sports and recreation

SHA has large lawns and park areas that give families plenty of room to play. There are several parks for younger children throughout the housing area. There is also a pool on the post, which is open seasonally. Tennis courts are located near the school. The gym at SHA is small in comparison to the Yano Gym at Camp Zama. However, it does have the added bonus of being accessible 24 hours.

Dining and entertainment

On-post dining options include a Taco Bell restaurant and the Pacific Rim restaurant which serves general American-style cuisine. There is also a small bar called The Blue Moon Lounge. The single screen movie theater plays four nights a week. Many families also travel to the

Naval Air Facility Atsugi is a joint Japan-US naval air base located in the cities of Yamato and Ayase in Kanagawa, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy (USN) air base in the Pacific Ocean and once housed the squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5), which dep ...

, which offers a wider variety of movies.

Emergency services

The city of Sagamihara and the command of the United States Army Medical Activity - Japan (MEDDAC-J) have come to an arrangement that in case of a medical emergency, a host nation hospital will provide services for American patients. This can be confusing at first, but is necessary because Camp Zama and its satellite posts do not offer urgent or emergency care. The BG Crawford F. Sams Army Health Clinic located on Camp Zama offers acute outpatient care only. There is a fire team on post for rapid response to fire emergencies, as well as military police (MPs).

Seasonal activities

Though many of the seasonal celebrations and holiday recognitions take place on Camp Zama, the SHA community does have its fair share. At the beginning of the winter holiday season, there is a tree lighting for the SHA tree located near the gate. SHA also hosts its own

Easter egg hunt An egg hunt is an Eastertide game during which decorated eggs or Easter eggs are hidden for children to find. Real hard-boiled eggs, which are typically dyed or painted, artificial eggs made of plastic filled with chocolate or candies, or foil-w ...

and

trick-or-treating Trick-or-treating is a traditional Halloween custom for children and adults in some countries. During the evening of Halloween, on October 31, people in costumes travel from house to house, asking for treats with the phrase "trick or treat". The ...

during the appropriate times.

Services for children

Education

The

DoDEA The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is a federal school system headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and managing prekindergarten through 12th grade educational programs on behal ...

is the area school district. Students from

, Sagami Depot, and SHA attend John O. Arnn Elementary School (Preschool - 5th grade) in SHA as there are no elementary schools in the other two posts. A new school was built and opened in 2004. It two stories and more recreation and classroom areas. It is complete with a large playground area, a grass field, basketball court with two full courts and 3 "mini courts" that cover the sides, and a running track that is specifically designed for running a mile during physical education.

School Age Services

Also known as SAS, this program is devoted to keeping kids pro-active and teaching them how to be responsible adults. SAS is a fun place for kids from ages 6–12. They are located across the street from the School.

References

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References and resources

Facilities available at USAG-J installations

Monthly magazine for the Camp Zama community, ''The Bugle''

Child and Youth Services information
Military installations of the United States in Japan