Japan’s first naval headquarters was established in Yokohama in 1876 and relocated to Yokosuka (now Fleet Activities Yokosuka (FLEACT Yokosuka) in 1884. Due to its extensive history, FLEACT Yokosuka is rich with cultural assets and is committed to the protection of a variety of cultural resources. These include 38 archeological sites registered by Kanagawa Prefecture, 234 historical buildings and architectural structures, 23 monuments that memorialize historical events, religions, people and animals, World War II tunnel networks used for protection from bombing and shelling, and French-engineered dry docks constructed in the late 1800s of stone blocks with stepped sides. PWD Yokosuka Environmental Division ensures the preservation of these cultural resources to link the region’s past with its present and provide a valuable connection to the installation’s rich cultural heritage to future generations. The Environmental Division’s cultural resource management efforts include a volunteer Adopt-a-Monument program, routine monitoring of projects to avoid cultural impacts, a History Resource Center and cultural and historical tours, briefs, and lectures.
PWD Yokosuka Environmental Division also works diligently to protect its natural resources, as well, which include 37 threatened species. FLEACT Yokosuka works closely with U.S. and Japanese officials and natural resource experts to ensure compliance and adherence to stringent U.S. and Japanese government environmental protection standards. The Environmental Division’s natural resource preservation efforts include invasive species control, maintenance and protection of natural areas, monitoring of wildlife and sponsoring community events such as an annual eelgrass planting and flounder fish releasing event designed to reintroduce native species into the environment. These events serve to not only produce beneficial effects for the environment, but to engender a spirit of concern for the environment that involves the entire community.