MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- After 67 years of living next door, the newest mayor of Misawa set foot on Misawa Air Base for the first time July 26.
Mr. Kazumasa Taneichi, the new Misawa City mayor, received a tour of the flightline, fire station, new dorms, and Grissom Dining Facility. He was even treated to a seat in the cockpit of the 35th Fighter Wing commander's F-16 Fighting Falcon. The mayor then enjoyed lunch at the Mutsu Officer's Club with base leadership.
Mayor Taneichi was appointed to the Misawa City position on June 17 after the former mayor passed away. For more than 20 years, former Misawa City Mayor Shigeyoshi Suzuki along with base leadership promoted a "co-existence and co-prosperity" philosophy.
The tour gave Mayor Taneichi the opportunity to get acquainted with base leadership and gain an understanding of the 35th Fighter Wing's mission.
"We have a long legacy of strong relationships with the community and its officials," said Col. Terrence O'Shaughnessy, 35th FW commander. "We wanted to familiarize the new mayor with our mission, promote cultural awareness, and increase our goodwill, so he would have a clear understanding of what we do here."
The mayor took time after lunch to convey his thoughts to the Japanese media and American Forces Network. He focused on the current relationship with the base and shared ideas for improvement.
"I'll takeover the late Mayor Suzuki's principle guidance of co-existence and co-prosperity with the base," said Mayor Taneichi. "Mainly, I will stay by this policy, but times change easily and I have to cope with the situations timely.
The mayor said he has an obligation to protect Misawa City citizens. By touring the base and getting a better impression of its servicemembers and their mission, Mayor Taneichi is able to relate to the Americans on base, and the Japanese citizens he serves.
"I realized they (Airmen) work hard to maintain (the) defense of the nations in this region," said the mayor. "I appreciated the base commander's special consideration to give me a tour today."
The mayor said he has much to do and has many ideas on how to improve the relationship such as continuing to promote events like American Day and Japan Day, which furthers cultural awareness.
Mayor Taneichi also mentioned the Misawa City Office efforts to make bilingual signs, "so Japanese and Americans can get together easily and expand the circle of friendship."
He also feels communication is the key to improving the base and community relationship, like when Colonel O'Shaughnessy informs him of situations that will affect the people of Misawa.
"This communication leads to a good, friendly relationship. We should maintain a good relationship," the mayor said.