PCSing to Yokosuka w/kids, dog

We are looking at PCSing to Yoko next summer. We have a dog and realize that limits options, but we would like to live off base. Can anyone recommend names of areas/neighborhoods where we should look for houses? I also have an elementary-age child and a middle schooler. Are there areas that are more kid-friendly than others? I know we will have a small, expensive house; we have been in DC and San Diego, so I sort of know what to expect, but I have not been able to find any resources that identify the different residential areas of Yokosuka. Any info would be appreciated!

My wife, daughter and I will be PCS'ing to Yokosuka this winter, and have run into some of the same issues as yourself (child, dogs, etc) WRT offbase housing. Not sure if you've looked up CFAY's website, but they offer some (SLIM) information regarding living offbase. Most of what I've found, however, has come off this site, as well as another called Lifetown, Japan (lifetownjapan.com). They offer "western style" homes to military families who decide to live out in town. Check out their site, and shoot an email to Chris with any questions you might have. I've been in touch with him the past couple months, and he's been very amenable to answering questions and giving me the low-down on what their service provides. He's former Coast Guard, who decided to live fulltime in Japan, and is very understand as to the plight of military families dealing with the intricacies of finding housing in the Yokosuka area. If you have any other questions, let me know and I'll try to find some answers....

Alan
tatonka_usn@hotmail.com

In Japan, chances are you won't be owning your own home. You will probably be renting it from a Japanese landlord/lady. Generally, pets are not allowed in the homes, and, in the circumstances they are, the conditions can be very strict and limiting. My advice would be to leave your dog behind. My family encountered something similar with our pets before we moved to Japan. It's heart-wrenching and hard, but it will probably turn out better for you both. Most Japanese homes don't have yards or are very cramped by American standards (even if they claim to be Western-style).

The original question is from 2005...but I just want to note that there is ample base housing for military people to bring their pets, and there are places for people to have their pets off-base, and I would not recommend you leave your pet behind. Just FYI, housing at Negishi, which is near Yokohama, is nowhere near full. So check things out with the military base, and bring your pet.
For more information about PCS'ing to Yokosuka, check out the official CFAY site and also the Yahoo group YokosukaNavyFamilies.