YOKOSUKA, Kanagawa (Kyodo) -- The U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington returned to the Yokosuka base near Tokyo on Friday, its second deployment to Japan, in a show of the Navy's continuing presence in the region.

The George Washington was previously based in Kanagawa Prefecture from 2008, when it became the first U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier to be forward-deployed to Japan before being relieved by the Ronald Reagan in 2015.

"(The) George Washington, with all its capabilities, represents America's commitment to stability in the region," Rear Adm. Greg Newkirk, commander of Carrier Strike Group 5, the vessel's aviation arm, said in a press release issued in October.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry said earlier this week that maintaining the "robust presence" of the U.S. Navy including through the deployment of the George Washington is "essential to the security of Japan and the maintenance of regional peace and stability."

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier departed California's San Diego area in early October to start its journey to Japan, after completing a major overhaul in Virginia.

Earlier in November, the ship took part in a joint exercise that also involved the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the South Korean military in the East China Sea and its vicinity, amid the nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.

Safety and environment concerns linger among residents of Yokosuka, where the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet, the largest forward-deployed American fleet, is also headquartered.

The Kanagawa prefectural government gives out information of port visits by U.S. nuclear-powered vessels and radiation measurement data around the port to the public on its official website.