Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

Tanabata decorations hang over a street during the 67th Annual Tanabata Festival at Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 4, 2017. The festival celebrates the yearly meeting of a mythical prince and princess among the Milky Way. This year's festival theme is Fussa City uniquely integrated with an international and American culture. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

A girl wearing a traditional Yukata walks on a street decorated with mixture of American and Japanese ornaments during the 67th Annual Tanabata Festival in Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 4, 2017. This year's festival theme is Fussa City uniquely integrated with an international and American culture. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

MyCool-Ryo, Michael Jackson impersonator, performs the anti-gravity lean during the 67th Annual Fussa Tanabata Festival at Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 6, 2017. This year's festival theme is Fussa City uniquely integrated with an international and American culture. The four-day festival featured Tanabata decorations on streets, dancers, food venders, mikoshi carry and other performances. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

Members from the Fussa Tennou Hayashi Hozonkai play Japanese flutes during the 67th Annual Fussa Tanabata Festival at Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 4, 2017. A form of Japanese music, called "hayashi" roused the movement of parade floats. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

Members from Yokota Air Base carry the wing mikoshi, or a portable shrine, during the 67th Annual Fussa Tanabata Featival at Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 4, 2017. More than 80 volunteers from Yokota carried the shrine during this year's festival; Yokota Airmen have attended the festival since 1958 and have actively participated in carrying a mikoshi since 1975. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

Airmen from Yokota Air Base carry the wing mikoshi during the 67th Annual Fussa Tanabata Festival at Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 4, 2017. The festival gave Yokota members an opportunity to build friendships with the local community while experiencing Japanese culture. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

A man stands on a street during the 67th Annual Tanabata Festival at Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 4, 2017. This year's festival theme is Fussa City uniquely integrated with an international and American culture. The four-day festival featured Tanabata decorations on streets, dancers, food venders, mikoshi carry and other performances. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

Members from Yokota Air Base carry a mikoshi, or portable shrine, during the 67th Annual Fussa Tanabata Festival in Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 4, 2017.The festival gave Yokota members the opportunity to meet and build friendships with the local community while experiencing Japanese culture. (U.S. Air Force photo by Machiko Arita)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

A lady from the Kumaushi Hayashi tightens a boys belt during the 67th Annual Fussa Tanabata Festival at Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 4, 2017. Ohayashi is a Japanese traditional play which roused the movement of the festival car. The festival car featured traditional Japanese characters such as the fox and oni, a Japanese demon, as part of the festivities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

Several festival floats face each other and compete in a hayashi performance, or a traditional Japanese orchestra, and dance. The festival included the carrying of Mikoshi, traditional Japanese dancing parade, live stages, food venders and more. (U.S. Air Force photo by Machiko Arita)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

Airman 1st Class Theresa Arzate, 374th Aerospace Medicine Squadron public health technician, holds a local child for Shishimai’s bite during the 67th Annual Fussa Tanabata Festival in Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 4, 2017. It is said that a Shishimai’s bite will remove bad luck and offer blessings for a child’s growth and study. (U.S. Air Force photo by Machiko Arita)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

A girl from the Kumaushi Hayashi steps off of a float after Ohayashi performance during the 67th Annual Fussa Tanabata Festival at Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 4, 2017. Ohayashi is Japanese traditional playing which roused the movement of the festival car. The festival car featured traditional Japanese characters such as the fox and oni, a Japanese demon, as part of the festivities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

Members from Yokota Air Base carry the wing mikoshi, or a portable shrine, during the 67th Annual Fussa Tanabata Featival at Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 4, 2017. More than 80 volunteers from Yokota carried the shrine during this year's festival; Yokota Airmen have attended the festival since 1958 and have actively participated in carrying a mikoshi since 1975. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

Master Sgt. Eric Moses, 374th Contracting Squadron section chief, carries the wing mikoshi during the 67th Annual Fussa Tanabata Festival at Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 4, 2017. The festival gives Yokota members an opportunity to meet and build friendships with the local community while experiencing Japanese culture. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

A child helps direct people carrying a mikoshi, or portable shirine, in the 67th Annual Fussa Tanabata Festival at Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 4, 2017. At many points during the mikoshi parade, the various groups carrying mikoshi would raise the shrines. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

Members from Yokota Air Base carry the wing mikoshi, or a portable shrine, during the 67th Annual Fussa Tanabata Festival at Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 4, 2017. More than 80 volunteers from Yokota carried the shrine during this year's festival; Yokota Airmen have attended the festival since 1958 and have actively participated in carrying a mikoshi since 1975. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

Col. Sergio Vega Jr., 374th Airlift Wing vice commander, carries the wing mikoshi during the 67th Annual Fussa Tanabata Festival at Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 4, 2017. The festival gave Yokota members an opportunity to build friendships with the local community while experiencing Japanese culture. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

Mikoshi guides push back the wing mikoshi during the 67th Annual Fussa Tanabata Festival at Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 4, 2017. More than 80 Airmen participated in the ceremonial opening parade, taking turns as they carried a mikoshi, or portable shrine, on their shoulders through the streets of Fussa. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)

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Yokota celebrates Tanabata Festival with local community

Published Aug. 8, 2017
By Yasuo Osakabe
374th Airlift Wing public affairs

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- Tanabata decorations hang over a street during the 67th Annual Tanabata Festival at Fussa City, Japan, Aug. 4, 2017. The festival celebrates the yearly meeting of a mythical prince and princess among the Milky Way. This year's festival theme is Fussa City uniquely integrated with an international and American culture. (U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe)