A teenager with the Higashi Middle School softball

A teenager with the Higashi Middle School softball team swings at a softball during practice at the new Kizuna stadium in Iwakuni City, Japan, Jan. 25, 2018. The U.S.A National Women’s Softball team visited players from middle and elementary schools to practice together. The intent of the U.S. softball team’s visit was to determine if the stadium is suitable for the team to practice and play future games at. The stadium is a hallmark of what the U.S.-Japan friendship has accomplished in Iwakuni City. Everything from the dogwood trees planted just outside, to the name of the stadium itself – Kizuna, which means bond – represents the prosperous union between the two allies. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Mason Roy)