Photo By Senior Airman Alexzandra Gracey | From the left, Shingo Kurobe, 374th Security Forces Squadron civilian armorer, Aoki...... read more read more
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Usually lifted high and paraded through festival streets, mikoshi shrines are built for movement and celebration. Today, two of them rest quietly inside Yokota’s passenger terminal, where their presence represents a long story of tradition, culture and unity.
The mikoshi shrines’ arduous journey to the terminal began more than 20 years ago, in the workshop of a local Hachioji craftsman, Aoki Shijegi.
“My love for festivals began in childhood,” said Shijegi. “Watching the mikoshi in my neighborhood made me dream of creating one myself.”
Mikoshi shrines are traditional Japanese, portable shrines believed to serve as a temporary home for Shinto deities. During festivals, the shrines are lifted onto the shoulders of community members and carried through streets in lively processions, spreading blessings of health and peace and warding off misfortune.
Shijegi dedicated himself to the craft of building these shrines as a hobby, teaching himself the necessary skills along the way. Without formal training, he studied books, observed other shrines and used trial-and-error until he could bring his designs to life.
For five years, he painstakingly constructed the two shrines.
“I built each one by hand. For one, I made the phoenix’s wings from copper and the body from wood,” he said. “[My mikoshis] are completely original.”
Shijegi bought wood from local hardware stores and traveled to Asakusa, a Tokyo district famous for its traditional markets, to find the ornate decorations that would serve as the final touches.
Finally complete, the intricate shrines were paraded throughout Shijegi’s community for years.
But as the town aged, festivals became harder to uphold, and the spirited parades that once echoed through the streets gradually disappeared. Without the annual festivities to give them purpose, the mikoshi faced an uncertain future.
“Since the local festival was no longer being held, my neighbor wanted to donate the shrines somewhere,” said Shingo Kurobe, 374th Security Forces Squadron armorer. “After discussion amongst Japanese Welfare Association members, it was decided that the 730th Air Mobility Squadron would receive it.”
The news of the shrine donation had made its way to Nobuya Shimura, 730 AMS passenger service foreman and JWA worker, which was then passed to U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ephraim Oliva, 730 AMS passenger service shift supervisor, who happily agreed to take the shrines.
Through close coordination between Oliva, Shimura, and Kurobe, what began as a heartfelt handoff soon became a carefully planned effort to transport the shrines safely to Yokota’s passenger terminal.
“These shrines weren’t just objects to [Shijegi], he spent over 5 years building them by hand, pouring in detail and love,” said Oliva. “It wasn’t a simple donation–it was part of him and that is what he was entrusting to us. The experience felt almost sacred; standing with him, loading the shrines piece by piece. You could sense emotions, gratitude and sadness.”
For Kurobe, the moment carried personal meaning as both a neighbor and a partner in preserving tradition.
“I was deeply moved that we were able to solve the problem, and that the mikoshi is now on display at the terminal,” said Kurobe. “I’m glad that I could support my neighbor and revive the mikoshi.”
Ultimately, the effort was about more than logistics. For those involved, it became a reminder of the deeper value behind the mission.
“It wasn’t about moving shrines, it was about connecting people, preserving legacy, and making sure gratitude was expressed in a way that mattered,” said Oliva. “To me, that is the kind of work that stays with you.”
Today, the shrines serve a new role: not only preserving tradition, but offering a cultural welcome to those arriving at Yokota Air Base.
“I felt a sense of accomplishment when I saw the mikoshi, which had lost its home, spreading happiness to people in a new way in a new place,” said Shimura. “I would be happy if this project would help people become interested in Japanese culture and the various aspects of it.”
For those within the Yokota community, the shrines serve as a reminder of the bond between host nation traditions and the Airmen, families, and visitors who pass through the terminal.
“This project was important because it bridges two worlds: the local Japanese culture and the everchanging population of Yokota Air Base,” said Oliva. “For the newcomers, it serves as a powerful visual welcome, a way of saying ‘You are not just stepping to a new duty station. You are stepping into a new culture’.”
Amid the constant roar of aircraft engines on the Yokota flightline, the two handcrafted mikoshi shrines now proudly stand watch, welcoming all that pass through the terminal gates. Due to the combined efforts of U.S. Air Force and local community members, these intricately built symbols of Japanese tradition have been given a renewed sense of purpose. Their journey reflects more than just preservation, it tells a story of cultural respect, partnership, and the shared commitment to honor heritage, culture and community within the walls of Yokota Air Base.
Shijegi, who built the shrines by hand and watched them find new life, captured what the journey meant to him in simple words:
“Creating it has been one of the most rewarding things I have done. I’m truly grateful that it continues to be appreciated, and if seeing it brings comfort to anyone, that alone makes the effort worthwhile.”
| Date Taken: | 08.29.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.29.2025 03:29 |
| Story ID: | 546867 |
| Location: | YOKOTA AIR BASE, JP |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Blessings in a new home: mikoshi shrines find renewed purpose at Yokota Passenger Terminal, by SrA Alexzandra Gracey, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Pacific Air Forces
US Pacific Command (USPACOM)
Japan
Yokota Air Base
