Fall is a favorite time of year for many. The air is crisp, the leaves are changing, everything is flavored with pumpkin spice (no judgment if that’s your favorite part). But if haunted houses are your thing, look no further than Okinawa, Japan.
Military Spouse magazine recently published a guide to the most haunted spots on military bases on the island.
Kadena Air Base
Building 2283 was supposedly the site of not one but two murderous sprees. The first is said to have occurred in the 1970s, when an Air Force officer killed his family and himself. According to Military Spouse, the next family to live there “experienced feelings of unrest and paranoia—until the father of the family stabbed everyone.”
After that, the military said enough is enough and converted the space into a storage shed. But, unusual sounds can still be heard coming from the building, including crying children, laughter, and even “a woman washing her hair in the abandoned house’s sink.”
But even attempts to demolish the building were met with challenges. Workers complained of “headaches, hallucination, and suffered from a high rate of on-the-job injuries.”
Another site on Kadena, the Banyan Tree Golf Course cave, is said to be the site of a mass suicide of Japanese nurses who took their own lives rather than face incoming American troops during World War II.
A Halloween story based in Japan would not be complete without a Samurai warrior haunting the residents. He supposedly rides through the living room of Building 2283, while his buddy hangs out on Stillwell Drive, leading to the base housing at nearby Camp Foster.
Camp Hansen
A little further to the north, you may encounter a ghostly World War II-era Marine Corps gate guard at Camp Hansen. Also known as Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler, the installation is home to 4 Marine Corps units.
There were so many sightings and reports of a ghostly gate guard covered in blood that the military eventually closed the gate that he kept showing up at. But, I maintain that there were probably other motivating factors to closing the gate. I mean, Marines don’t get scared of anything, not even a creepy ghost asking for a light for his cigarette.
Local Ghosts
While you’re on Okinawa, swing by scenic Maeda Point for some scuba and snorkeling. But, if you see “an elderly man walking around a tomb near the water,” you should probably hightail it back to dry land as soon as possible. The story goes that when his ghost is seen, a body washing ashore nearby is soon to follow.
The official website of Kadena Air Base doesn’t mention any of its haunted sites, so maybe the military is full of skeptics not ready to believe in the paranormal. Or maybe the spooky noises and unusual happenings are just the legacy of bored teenagers looking to pull an epic Halloween prank.
Either way, it’s a fun exploration into the base’s storied past. You can even take a haunted tour to really get into the spirit and explore.
Now, to find a Space-A flight to Japan…
