Misawa is a city located in eastern Aomori Prefecture in the northern Tohoku region of Japan. As of September 2015, the city has an estimated population of 39,685 and a population density of 331 persons per km². The total area was 119.87 square kilometres. Misawa is the location of a large military base, Misawa Air Base, which is under joint operation of the United States Air Force's 35th Fighter Wing, and Japan Air Self-Defense Force's 3rd Fighter Wing. It is also an important US base for signals intelligence and related activities. The city population figures do not include the estimated 10,000 American military personnel and their dependents stationed at Misawa Air Base.