I went to Camp Zama American Independence Day Festival to buy energy drinks.

Entering through Gate 1 looked like this. From here, I made my way towards the food court and stalls. The walk was quite a distance.

During base open days, you can enter through either Gate 1 or Gate 4, and the distance to the main area is about the same from both. Maybe Gate 1 is a bit easier since there are fewer slopes?

As I walked, I saw people pulling cases, sprinting past me. It was obvious they were after energy drinks.

Those who came for bulk purchases rushed straight to the vending machines, but I wanted to check out what was being sold this time, so I headed towards the main area.

When I finally arrived, the place was nearly empty. A DJ was playing music, but there were very few stalls. You can barely see some blue umbrellas in the distance—that's where the stalls were.

There was also a flea market, but it would have been more interesting if there were more booths. It didn’t feel like the kind of festival where everyone brings things to celebrate Independence Day.

Then, in the blazing heat, I headed to the other side in search of energy drinks...

To my surprise, there wasn't a single energy drink being sold! This caught me off guard, and it became a hot topic on my timeline as well. I never expected them to be completely unavailable.

So, I decided to check out the nearby vending machines. I looked at a few, but they only had drinks I already had at home, so I passed. Disappointing…

Giving up on energy drinks, I headed to the food court. Since the exterior was under construction, I didn’t even realize it was the food court at first.

I took some pictures inside, but since it was packed like a crowded train, I decided not to post them. It was so full that I couldn’t even buy anything.

As I wandered around, I noticed people carrying Mega Monster cans near and inside the food court! I wondered where they got them, and thanks to Twitter, I found out they were actually being sold inside the food court. Twitter is so useful!

Compared to Yokosuka, this festival was much smaller and quieter, and since energy drinks were a complete letdown this time, I didn’t take many photos.

Instead, I took pictures of a few places I could access in a short time, so here’s a quick tour.

First, the bowling alley. Yokosuka had one too. It’s pretty spacious and legit. I wonder how often it’s used.

The food area inside the bowling alley. Maybe I came too early because there was almost no one here. I like the retro vibe. No energy drinks here either.

There was also a bar. I really liked the laid-back atmosphere.

It extended further back but wasn’t too big. If I lived nearby, I’d definitely stop by for a drink.

It was a shame that I left without buying a single energy drink, but seeing how many of my followers were at Camp Zama was quite amusing.

While searching for energy drinks, I noticed people who seemed to be experienced with base visits (probably my followers). Their actions were so methodical—it was clear they were on a mission to hunt down energy drinks.

Some products sell out quickly due to bulk buying, so if you want to get energy drinks at a base open day, it’s best to arrive early and run straight to the stalls once you’re in.