USS Ronald Reagan left the Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo which marked the end of its nine-year mission.
USS Ronald Reagan will be transported to a Navy maintenance facility in Washington state, according to the U.S. military.
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier arrived at the naval base in October 2015 to perform patrol duties in the waters Indo-Pacific waters.
Before its official deployment, the navy vessel assisted Japan’s Self-Defense Forces in providing relief efforts following the massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.
Nearly 400 sailors in their white uniforms manned the vessel’s rails as the aircraft carrier left Tokyo Bay on Thursday.
The carrier took part in dozens of multinational exercises and visited more than 15 foreign ports during its nine-year stay.
However, some locals were not happy with their deployment, stating that the presence of aircraft carriers in the area posed a nuclear hazard.
USS Ronald Reagan is one of America’s largest warships and was deployed in Japan at the time of heightened tensions with North Korea and China.
USS Ronald Reagan will be replaced by another nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS George Washington, which was deployed in Japan from 2008 to 2015.
