J-pop group Spin performs during the inaugural MCON Asia at Tokyo Tower, March 1, 2025. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes)
TOKYO — Supporters of American and Japanese troops gathered at Tokyo Tower over the weekend for a daylong conference that combined panel discussions with entertainment, food and drink in support of the military.
The inaugural MCON Asia on Saturday was an offshoot of the four-day MCON in Las Vegas, which has been held annually for the past three years, said event organizer Greg Ellis.
“It’s a festival of gratitude for anyone that provides service in any branch of their respective governments,” he said at the conference.
The event took place on the third floor of Tokyo Tower, the 1,092-foot orange-and-white radio mast inspired by the Eiffel Tower in the heart of the Japanese capital.
Attendees reached the venue by ascending escalators and passing through high-tech arcades featuring augmented and virtual reality, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of Tokyo Comic Con.
A video showcasing the work of U.S. Forces Japan played alongside energetic stage performances by J-pop group Spin. About 1,000 people registered to attend the event, Ellis said.
MCON Asia attendees watch a video about U.S. Forces Japan at Tokyo Tower, March 1, 2025. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes)
MCON Asia featured booths hosted by organizations such as the USO and Mission 22, a nonprofit that raises awareness about mental health treatment and builds memorials for veterans.
Among the featured guests were veterans speaking on ways to support the U.S. military and Japan Self-Defense Forces.
Panel discussions covered a range of topics, including resilience, brain health, leadership, artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency.
Among the speakers was Army veteran Michael “Rod” Rodriguez, president of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation.
The former Green Beret and sniper instructor, who deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan before being medically retired in 2013, emphasized the ongoing fight against terrorism.
“We are still fighting terrorism globally,” he told Stars and Stripes at the conference. “It’s not over.”
Congress has tasked the foundation with planning, funding and building a memorial to the war on terrorism, Rodriguez said, adding he hopes the nation will “take a knee and respectfully recognize” veterans.
USO Indo-Pacific regional vice president Scott Maskery, Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation president Michael Rodriguez, and Mission 22 ambassador Scot Northcutt participate in an MCON Asia panel at Tokyo Tower, March 1, 2025. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes)
Scot Northcutt, an Air Force veteran and ambassador for Mission 22, also spoke at the event. Northcutt and the Mission 22 logo are familiar sights at Yokota Air Base, the headquarters of USFJ in western Tokyo.
“My whole mission is just being out there to talk to service members,” he said of his work in Japan.
Scott Maskery, the USO’s Indo-Pacific vice president, described how the organization helps familiarize U.S. service members and their families with local culture.
A former Air Force officer, Maskery oversees 24 USO centers in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, mainland Japan, Okinawa, and Korea, managing 95 staff members and more than 1,500 military and civilian volunteers.
“Our teams do a wonderful job of using the local culture,” he said during a panel discussion on military mental health in Japan.
Language programs are especially popular with the USO clientele, Maskery said.
“When you learn the language, you become a more competent and informed person in the place you live,” he said.
