April 7, 2026 Local community honors ancestors during Shimi at Kadena Okinawan families honor generations past during Shimi at Kadena Air Base, Japan, April 5, 2026. Shimi is an Okinawan traditional grave-sweeping festival where families gather to pay respects to their ancestors.
April 6, 2026 In Chatan Town, Kadena Airmen give back to the community they call home Since arriving at Kadena Air Base in August 2024, I’ve come to know Chatan Town as more than just where I live. It’s a community I’ve grown to care deeply about. From early morning walks along the seawall to evenings spent watching the sunset over the East China Sea, it’s the kind of place that
Feb. 25, 2026 Drumbeats and Friendship: Kadena, Chatan students unite through Okinawan culture The steady rhythm of taiko drums echoed through a community hall in Chatan on Feb. 21, 2026, as American and Japanese children clapped, laughed and stepped in time, turning a cultural exchange into a shared celebrationCo-hosted by the installation’s honorary commanders and local goodwill
April 26, 2023 America Fest 2023 returns to Kadena KADENA AIR BASE, Japan – Kadena Air Base opened its doors to the Okinawan community for the first America Fest in nearly a decade, April 22-23, 2023.