Photo/Illutration A street of Johnson Town in Iruma, Saitama Prefecture, is lined with American-style homes once used by families of U.S. servicemen, creating an atmosphere resembling that of a U.S. suburb. (Reina Kitamura)

IRUMA, Saitama Prefecture—A suburban area here is trying to attract tourists by reproducing the “laid-back” atmosphere of a time and a place that were more associated with war.

Efforts over two decades have made visitors to the area, known as Johnson Town, in Iruma, Saitama Prefecture, feel as if they were in a suburban residential area in the United States.

The streets there are lined with American-style, one-story homes with peaked roofs and shiny white wooden walls.

Before World War II, the nearby Air Self-Defense Force’s Iruma Air Base served as the Imperial Japanese Army’s air force academy. After the end of the war, the U.S. military turned the school into the Johnson Air Base.

During the ensuing Cold War, the 25,000-square-meter district, half the size of Tokyo Dome, was inhabited by U.S. personnel and their families.

After the Korean War broke out in 1950, Isono Shokai, a Tokyo-based company that now operates Johnson Town, commissioned residences in the town for the families of U.S. military officials.

Like their counterparts within U.S. military bases, the homes in Iruma did not have steps between the entrances and the rooms. They were also equipped with flush toilets for comfort.

The district was left deserted after the Johnson Air Base was returned to Japan in 1978.

But Isono Shokai began renovating the American-style structures there at the start of the 21st century. Now, the area is home to 160 residents and around 80 buildings, including houses and grocery stores.

Old-fashioned houses resembling those built in the past were also introduced to revitalize the area. No fences were installed between the homes so that residents can casually speak to each other.

With the recent increase in tourist numbers, a diner called Blue Corn opened in a Johnson Town building that used to be the home of an American family.

U.S. radio programs aired in the 1970s and 1980s are played at the eatery, which is open between 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., with occasional closures. The interior is also packed with dolls, fancy goods and secondhand clothing.

The most prominent item on its menu is the J.T. Burger set, consisting of a large American-style hamburger and drink for 1,650 yen ($14).

The “open” burger allows eaters to view the beauty of the ingredients between the buns and to combine the toppings by themselves before taking a bite.

Mikie Takahashi, who lives with three family members at a refurbished U.S.-style home that doubles as a store, opened Mellow Food Cafe in 2012.

A pillar and soap holder found when walls of the house were dismantled in DIY work are displayed as they were.

“That type of home is a legacy of the war and shows stuff that Japanese people had coveted,” Takahashi said. “I want to share the culture and feeling of those who used to live here.”

Tatsuo Isono, 83, president of Isono Shokai, who spearheaded the redevelopment of Johnson Town, welcomes sightseers to the area.

“We would like people to enjoy the laid-back ambience and beautiful landscape while behaving themselves,” he said.

Johnson Town is located 15 minutes on foot or three minutes by taxi from Irumashi Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line. The station can be reached by train in around 40 minutes from Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo.

Motorists need to drive for 10 minutes along the 5-kilometer route from the Iruma interchange on the Ken-O (metropolitan inter-city) Expressway to reach Johnson Town. Pay parking lots are available on the town grounds to accommodate 86 vehicles. Some shops offer discounts for motorists.

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