Japan's Haunted Military Bases

In Japanese tradition ghosts, spirits and demons appear more often than any other culture. In other posts I have shared several traditional Japanese ghost stories.

 In addition to Japan’s rich ghost legend tradition they have many locations that are today considered haunted by real ghosts. Not surprising many of these haunted places are military bases.

A short drive from Tokyo is Atsugi Navel Base. Today all the military bases in Japan are controlled by American Military Forces.

 One infamous American who was stationed at Atsugi in 1957 was Lee Harvey Oswald who assassinated John F. Kennedy. Another young Marine was killed while stationed on this base in a car accident in the 1960s. 

Witnesses state they often see his restless spirit wandering from room to room at Atsugi. Across the base from where his ghost is seen is an old airplane hanger. During World War ll Japanese Kamikaze pilots used this hanger. 

When Japan surrendered to the Allied Forces several of these pilots in disgrace, committed suicide in this hanger. Today soldiers state they still hear doors slam without cause in this hanger. Other witnesses have reported seeing floating “red eyes” in this area.

Sagami Depot another military base located in Kanagawa Prefecture is also said to be haunted. In recent years, a Marine staying in a field hospital located on this base went into a drunken rage and broke a mirror. He then picked up one of the broken shards and used it to slit his wrist. 

Since, late at night other American soldiers who have stayed in this same room have seen a ghostly face in the room’s mirror. More than one reported feeling very frightened when they saw glaring eyes staring back at them.

At yet another American Military base, Camp Hansen located in Okinawa a full-bodied apparition was seen by soldiers and these witnesses even conversed with this ghost. 

On weekends soldiers stationed at one of the Camp’s gates reported seeing a soldier approach them wearing bloodied WW ll fatigues. Holding a cigarette in his hand he would ask the MPs on duty for a light. Each soldier that obliged reported that once they lit his cigarette he then vanished where he stood. 

The base did not acknowledge this haunting but this experience so unnerved these soldiers that it was decided to shut this gate down permanently.

A ghost from an era even further back haunts one Navel base located at Yokosuka. On this base there is a narrow tunnel that runs through a hill. Countless witnesses have reported seeing the ghost of a Samurai warrior in and around this spot. 

The story that is told is that this Samurai was on his way to avenge the death of his master when he was ambushed in this tunnel and killed. It is stated that since he failed to avenge his master he must remain in the area where he died. 

In more recent years several motorists who have driven by this tunnel have been so disconcerted at the sight of this ghost that they have lost control of their cars. Unfortunately this has resulted in some bad accidents.