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KANAGAWA, JAPAN - OCT. 1: The nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan arrived Thursday in its new home port at a U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, southwest of Tokyo. Arriving a day earlier than scheduled at Yokosuka Naval Base in Kanagawa Prefecture, the Ronald Reagan replaces the George Washington, another carrier of the same Nimitz-class that left Yokosuka in May after a seven-year deployment. Carrying about 5,000 personnel, the Ronald Reagan is approximately 97,000 tons and 333 meters long. The Ronald Reagan is the fifth U.S. aircraft carrier to be stationed at Yokosuka since 1973, following the Midway, the Independence, the Kitty Hawk and the George Washington. The Japanese Foreign Ministry has said the government "welcomes" the deployment of the Ronald Reagan at Yokosuka and "Japan recognizes that the continuous strong presence of the U.S. Navy will contribute to the security of Japan and the maintenance of peace and security of the (Asia-Pacific) region." But local residents are opposed to the deployment of the nuclear-powered vessel.