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Misawa is a small city of about 43,000 people which sits on the southern shore of picturesque Lake Ogawara. The nearest city of any size is Hachinohe which is 30 to 40 minutes away by car. The surrounding area is mostly rural and quite scenic. There is some limited nightlife. Tokyo is an hour away by air, about 3 and a half hours by train, and about 10-12 hours by car.

Climate
Misawa has well-defined seasons. Though short, autumn is beautiful with pleasant temperatures, late-blooming flowers, and the changing colors of the trees. Winter gets serious in early December, peaks in January and February (20's to 30's), and starts fading near the end of March. Strong winds often intensify the cold temperatures. Snowfall is erratic, however even the heaviest snowfalls can melt quickly. Icy roads are the greater concern as the sunshine will often melt the ice and then as afternoon temperatures cool down, the water from the melted snow and ice refreezes. As the ice and snow clear and the ground dries, dust storms become a hazard near farm fields.

In early spring, the winds switch and come from the east off the ocean. Thick sea fog is common in the morning or early evening. May is usually quite pleasant with warm temperatures. However, it is usually the "calm before the storm" or in this case before the rainy season.

The onset of summer usually brings the rainy season. This normally begins in mid-June and continues for an unpredictable period of time. However, it normally clears out around mid to late July. The end of July through August can get quite hot. It is not uncommon to turn on your heater one day because of the chill and dampness associated with the rainly season and be looking for the fan or Air Conditioning a few days later as the clouds clear and the heat and humidity take over [1].

Facts
Misawa hosts a United States Air Force base, Misawa Air Base. The base is currently home to the 35th Fighter Wing with F-16s, among numerous other tenant organizations.

During the Cold War and after, it was the site of an important US base for signals intelligence and related activities. As of 2003, the Misawa Security Operations Center (MSOC), located in the western part of Misawa Air Base, is comprised of components from the DOD, the 373rd Intelligence Group, the 403rd Military Intelligence Detachment and the US Navy Information Operations Command Misawa. MSOC was formerly known as the Misawa Cryptologic Operations Center.

The city was founded on September 1, 1958.

The nearby Lake Ogawara was reportedly one of the lakes used by the Imperial Japanese Navy to practice for the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in December, 1941. The lake was reportedly used because it somewhat resembled Pearl Harbor.

In the first successful nonstop transpacific flight, Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon, in the airplane Miss Veedol, took off from Misawa and landed in present-day East Wenatchee, Washington. 

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