On November 19, Japanese police arrested 45-year-old Kei Takashi Mizuno, an employee from Sumitomo Corporation, for illegally entering the US Navy base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, with a counterfeit military ID card. Mizuno reportedly admitted to authorities that he idolized the US military and wanted to experience their environment. The ID card he presented featured his photograph and the name 'Yoshitaka Alex Mizuno' associated with a fictitious rank of Sergeant.

Mizuno was stationed in Iraq as a commercial employee for his company and, during a temporary return to Japan in October 2022, used the fake ID at the base entrance to gain access. Following this, he rented a vehicle from the base and drove outside, only to be stopped by Tokyo police for traffic violations. During the traffic stop, he inadvertently presented both his driver’s license and the fake military ID, leading police to investigate further and reveal his illegal entry into the military base.

The Kanagawa police concluded that Mizuno had used the fake ID multiple times to access US military bases, including Yokosuka and Atsugi, and they are currently investigating how he obtained the fraudulent identification. Sumitomo Corporation has acknowledged Mizuno's employment and stated they will fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation.