Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Japan District’s Iwakuni Resident Office has readied several more new buildings for handover to Marine Corps Air Station directorates.
In early
April, the final inspections, with the air station’s facilities department, for
the new commissary, Sakura Theater command assembly hall with parking structure
and Kintai Inn addition were completed.
Kuniaki
Nakamoto, U.S. Army Corps of Engineer, Iwakuni Resident Office, mechanical
engineer, said the new commissary has a sale area of approximately 26,910 square
feet – the same as nine tennis courts. That almost doubles the retail space of
the old commissary, which is the size of about five tennis courts, according to
Nakamoto.
He said some
of his favorite features of the new commissary building are the solar power system
on the roof that supplements the power, the remote monitor system that allows
the Defense Commissary Agency staff in the U.S. to monitor the temperatures in
the freezer and refrigerators and finally the interior décor which was designed
by a Defense Commissary Agency designer.
“Working on
this project was a good experience for me,” Nakamoto said. “I found the
cultural differences interesting at times, especially working with Defense
Commissary Agency personnel in the U.S.”
Nakamoto
also worked on the new assembly hall.
He said the
new building has 981 seats, 13 wheelchair spaces and 11 seats for those
assisting people in wheelchairs.
The new
theater was built with 3-D movie capabilities and the main stage curtain depicts
cherry blossom season at the Kintai Bridge, according to Nakamoto.
“There are touches
of the picture that are Japanese traditional art Ukiyoe. My hope is that people
will have a nostalgic feeling of spring in the auditorium,” Nakamoto said.
Just down
the street from the new theater and next to the new commissary is the Kintai
Inn addition.
According to
Nakamoto, the Kintai Inn addition includes 60 new rooms, a conference room,
laundry room and linen rooms.
Chief Petty
Officer Matthew McFarlane, Transient Billeting manager, said he is excited
about the new expansion because his team can now accommodate more transient
personnel and better support the growth expected on the base.
“My favorite
thing about the expansion - it's brand new.
We will be able to provide already existing 5-Star service in a larger
capacity,” McFarlane said.
Nakamoto
said he tried to think about what kind of hotel room is best while working on
the Kintai Inn project.
“Every time
I stay at a hotel I check out everything inside of the room,” Nakamoto said.
McFarlane said
the goal is to open the new Kintai Inn expansion for occupants by July.