Living next to a foreign military base may not seem like an ideal situation, given the antibase rallies in Okinawa, antinoise lawsuits elsewhere and new Tokyo Gov. Ishihara's calls for the return of Yokota Air Base.

But for those who do live outside their gates, the bases are a part of daily life.

This is certainly true for residents of the western Tokyo city of Fussa -- where Yokota's major military facilities, residential areas and eight major entrance gates are located, and which has traditionally based a large part of its economy on the base.