East Fuji Maneuver Area 2.01

JGSDF East Fuji Maneuver Area is the major training grounds for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force on Honshū, Japan. It is one of several military facilities located in the foothills of Mount Fuji and extends over parts of Gotemba, Susono and Oyama, in Shizuoka Prefecture. Its total area is 88.09 square kilometers.HistoryThe area around the base of Mount Fuji has been associated with the military since medieval times. The samurai of the Kamakura Shogunate conducted military training in this area in the 13th century. In the modern era, the Imperial Japanese Army began using the sparsely populated area as a training ground since 1898. The "Fuji-Susono Maneuver Area" was formally established in 1912. To support training activities, a number of military bases were established in the vicinity, including Camp Takigahara (1908), Camp Itazuma (1909), and Camp Komakado (1936).After the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II, these bases were occupied by the United States Army, and continued to be used for training. In 1951, the area was formally returned to the control of the Japanese government, but continued to be used exclusively by the American military under the status of forces agreement.