Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan

Warm smiles, refreshments, snacks and the laughter of children welcomed Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni residents to the Bon-Odori Festival-Yukata Experience in the Yokoyama area of Iwakuni, Japan, Aug. 13, 2016.

In honor of those who have passed over the year, residents and locals joined together dressed in traditional Japanese summer Kimonos called “Yukatas,” to honor the Shiroyama Hime shrine.

Masatoshi Ohno, Yokoyama 1st section representative and Iwakuni local, and Mikie Watanabe, cultural adaptation specialist for the air station, invited the station residents to celebrate the festival with the locals.

“Every summer is called Obon season in Japan and we have Bon-Odori festivals,” said Ohno. “The main purpose of Bon-Odori is for the people who have passed away this year. In the Yokoyama area, there have been 10 people who have passed.” 

The locals embraced the joining of the cultures during the festival and invited one of the station residents to participate in the ceremony honoring the Shiroyama Hime shrine.

“It was a very humbling experience,” said Chief Warrant Officer Marcus Major, chemical biological radiological nuclear defense officer for Marine Aircraft Group 12. “It was an honor to have been part of the ceremony. The Japanese really embraced us and made it easy to enjoy the time with them. I look forward to enjoying more events like this in the future.”

Following a moment of silence and honoring the Shiroyama Hime shrine, residents were invited to dance to the sound of elders singing and the steady beat of drums.

“I was worried that no one would know how to dance with us, but I was relieved when everyone joined in and began to enjoy themselves,” said Ohno. “I was able to feel the good relationship between us.”

Bringing the station residents into the Bon-Odori festival is part of keeping good relations with the locals and giving opportunities for everyone to experience a different culture.

“When I was younger, one of the higher ranking Marines from the air station came to my high school and taught us English,” said Ohno. “I was so impressed to learn from him and was motivated to learn more English. Now I want everyone from the base to come out and experience our culture and join us in these celebrations.”

There’s more of the Japanese culture to be shared with the station residents and events such as Bon-Odori open the gate to a variety of experiences.

“This is the first time we’ve held a Bon-Odori festival for the Cultural Adaptation Program since I’ve been here,” said Watanabe. “Before, we had a Yukata experience where we had instructors come to the base, but we wanted to invite everyone out and experience the festival in its (entirety). I was nervous since this is the first time I put the event together, but the community was welcoming.”

Before the night came to an end, everyone was given an opportunity to win prizes and have something to take away from the memorable night.

“I didn’t want to pass an opportunity to experience the culture while I’m here,” said Major. “I wanted to immerse myself into the new culture that I’m in. It was a good experience and I enjoyed it.”

Station residents and locals found ways to communicate even through the language barriers. Smiles and laughter continued through the night as both cultures enjoyed themselves.

“The festival was a bigger success than I thought,” said Ohno. “It makes me very happy to see friendships being built. I hope next time we can bring more of the residents out and give them the opportunity to experience our culture.”

For future cultural adaptation programs, visit http://mccsiwakuni.com/ or call 253-6165.