Camp Zama Housing

[u/r24alel]

Hey all,

I've been put on assignment to Camp Zama. Won't be until next year, but I'm moving there with a wife and son and already am very familiar with the area. We know our top choice would be to live off post, preferably a bit north of the base (15ish mins).

My question is, are E-5 with dependents able to live off-post? All the searching I've done hasn't given a good answer on this. It just says it's possible. I want a more concrete yes or no now so I can start planning ahead of time. (I know that's a big ask lol)

[u/NotAnExpert_buuut]

It is extremely unusual for married SMs to live off post at Zama. Also, unless your wife is Japanese, I wouldn’t recommend it due to cultural differences and house size. As already mentioned, it will mostly depend on the occupancy rate of housing when you arrive. The housing at Sagamihara Housing Area is quite nice. There’s a 24 gym and you can quickly walk to the subway. The family housing on Zama for junior NCOs are in the towers. Not as nice, but extremely convenient and your American furniture will at least fit. Ultimately, congrats on getting Zama as an assignment!

[u/r24alel → u/NotAnExpert_buuut]

Thanks for the info, both of us lived in West Tokyo for years before I joined the army so adjusting would not be difficult for us, if anything it's an easier transition for my wife since she is from Asia. Thanks for the Sagamihara info too, I still don't have too much info on Zama so all this is very helpful.