Deadly mushrooms prompt warnings for US military personnel in Japan

A U.S. Air Force official has warned residents against picking and eating wild mushrooms at Yokota Air Base, where fungi are growing near recreational areas. The Air Force is warning people not to harvest or eat wild mushrooms growing on Yokota Air Base, Japan. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes) YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan – A U.S. Air Force official has warned residents against picking and eating wild mushrooms at this airlift hub in western Tokyo, where fungi are growing near recreational areas. The warning follows Japanese government advisories about poisonous mushrooms that can resemble edible varieties and have caused hundreds of illnesses and several deaths over the past decade. George Matusak, Yokota’s deputy civil engineer, advised residents not to harvest mushrooms on base after someone raised the question during an Oct.

7 town hall meeting. Wild mushrooms are a common sight on U.S. military installations in Japan. Hundreds of large brown mushrooms were growing near one of Yokota’s barbecue areas over the weekend. Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare warns that some poisonous species closely resemble mushrooms commonly used in Japanese cooking. More than 540 people were poisoned by toxic mushrooms in Japan between 2016 and 2025, including five who died, according to figures published on the ministry’s website. “Food poisoning occurs every year! Dangerous mushrooms are nearby. Do not