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Sacred sites bring together Okinawans, Airmen

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Tara A. Williamson
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Though only 485 square miles in size, roughly a third the size of Rhode Island, the island of Okinawa contains many sacred and historic sites.

Just over 17 square miles itself, Kadena contains numerous cultural sites which hold meaning to both the Okinawan people and Americans, in both the main base area and the munitions storage area.

"There are 115 cultural sites at Kadena which are comprised of 750 features," said George Komine, 718th Civil Engineer Squadron environmental office member. "Features include tombs, sacred sites or shrines, domestic features, including farmstead, bridges and wells, and military features, including hardened hangars, tunnels, gun emplacements and lookouts."

For the local Okinawan people, being able to visit these sites is of great importance to the family members who were once able to live on Kadena before World War II.

"Family members remember where they used to live on Kadena and where their [family] tomb is located or their spiritual guard resides," said Hideaki Sakihama, 18th Wing Public Affairs community relations specialist. "Townspeople meet together and pray to the [spirits] for anything, like food or a good harvest, or to pray for the safety of their family members."

The main purpose of the visits is to give the local Okinawans the opportunity to pray for the safety, happiness and health of family members and also to show respect to their ancestors where they once lived. Locals also enjoy visiting sites to give an update to ancestors when they have news such as a marriage, delivery of a baby, someone passing a school test and also when family members pass away.

"Understanding the local culture," Sakihama said, "especially Okinawan people -- we're very spiritual people -- is really important for Airmen, especially who come to Kadena for the first time."

Airmen and civilians alike stationed at Kadena for the first time are often unaware of the smaller, more hidden sacred sites located on Kadena. For many Airmen who volunteer to escort Okinawans during visits, it's a chance to understand the local culture; it also gives them a chance to understand what the sacred site visits are and just how subtle the sites can be.

"We're raised in this whole Europeanized culture where if you have a religious site, you build something on it, like a church," said Casey Connell, 18th Wing historian. "Here, we've got these religious sites and all it takes is a small alter and you've got a shrine."

Base residents driving through base pass sites on a daily basis and are often naive of the significance of the tiny shrines.

"Many Airmen don't know about the sacred site visits on Kadena," Sakihama said. "If you go there just driving by, you wouldn't know. If you stop and get out of the car to walk there, you understand more of the mysterious atmosphere at the site."

Kadena also offers an "Adopt a Site" program, which gives units the opportunity to volunteer to clean up the sacred site by contacting the CEG environmental section.

"There are total of 13 adopted sites by 11 different organizations," Komine said. "Some organizations have adopted more than one site. It is recommended that clean-up occur monthly at the minimum and additional clean-up as needed, for example after typhoon."

Sacred site visits are given every Friday, but there are also special dates based on the lunar calendar. This year, 17 visits were given on the main base alone, which allowed 158 local Okinawans to visit their family shrines and pray to their ancestors.

The tradition of the sacred sites visits has been around for over 60 years and is essential to the Okinawan-American friendship. While these sacred sites remain on Kadena, it is the responsibility of Team Kadena to protect and care for these sites, showing respect for the local Okinawans.