Island Fever

When night falls outside the sprawling Kadena Air Force Base in the center of Okinawa, the streets turn into a bacchanalian fest of hard drinking, loud music and raucous, sweaty dancing. American servicemen are on the prowl for liquor and a good time. The local girls, Okinawans and Japanese, come out too, looking for some fun with the buff, dollar-rich and female-deprived American boys. Tattooed guys in muscle shirts and cargo pants rub against women in midriff-baring Tshirts and tight jeans, and as the crowd spills from bars onto sidewalks, the night shifts into hormonal overdrive. "Hey, we're 19-year-old guys, we're...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!