Business cards, flyers, invitations and more! Contact printshop.stripes.com 042-552-2510 (extension77315) 227-7315 VOLUME 13 NO. 33 AUGUST 8 − AUGUST 14, 2019 SUBMIT STORIES TO: [email protected] STRIPESOKINAWA.COM FACEBOOK.COM/STRIPESPACIFIC FREE INSIDE INFO KATSUREN CHANGES TO MILITARY MAIL MAY BE COMING PAGES 2-3 CASTLE Ruins hold special place in island’s history MARINES GET READY FOR OKINAWA, FUJI PAGE 3 ENJOY THE SIMPLICITY OF INARIZUSHI PAGE 5 PAGES 4 -5 IT’S EISA TIME! PAGE 8 gs rin a Kimodameshi b naw l to Oki hil shopping malls as seasonal attractions. Hor- BY TAKAHIRO TAKIGUCHI,c STRIPES OKINAWA ror movies and reports of haunted locations are televised, while popular kimodameshi uch like Halloween in October in (literally, to test your courage through scared the West, mid-summer is a sea- route) games are enjoyed in schools and local Mson to intersect with the dead in communities throughout summertime. Japan, as deceased ancestors are believed to Just like horror films and scary stories give visit and spend few days with us during tradi- you goosebumps, kimodameshi and haunted Special 8-page tional Obon period (August 13-15). houses make the Japanese cool with fear and Also similar to the U.S., temporary haunt- File photos pullout inside! ed houses are built in amusement parks or SEE KIMODAMESHI ON PAGE 6 2 STRIPES OKINAWA A STARS AND STRIPES COMMUNITY PUBLICATION AUGUST 8 − AUGUST 14, 2019 Military mail may be affected by US treaty withdrawal BY WYATT OLSON, to be counting on a meeting STARS AND STRIPES scheduled for September dur- Max D. Lederer Jr. Published: July 28, 2019 Publisher ing which treaty members will Lt. Col. Richard E. McClintic discuss changes to “terminal ervicemembers stationed “The Trump Commander dues,” which are the rates each overseas probably don’t Administration Joshua M Lashbrook member nation pays for deliv- Chief of Staff think much about how S is saying that we ery of mail within other coun- Michael Davidson their mail to and from the United are delivering Revenue Director States is delivered through the tries. “This will provide a new Chris Verigan Chinese packages in opportunity for UPU members Engagement Director immense system of Army, Air Force and Navy post offices. particular — but all to collaborate and develop so- Marie Woods lutions to end the distortionary Publishing and Media Design Director In 2018, the Defense Depart- foreign e-commerce Chris Carlson ment’s Military Postal Service effects associated with exces- Publishing and Media Design Manager packages, really — for sively low rates for certain for- Agency oversaw the delivery of somewhere between Eric Lee 88,618 tons of packages and let- eign origin mail, as compared Advertising and Circulation Manager a third to half of to domestic postage rates,” the Kentaro Shimura ters sent or received by over- Production Manager seas soldiers, sailors, Marines, what we’re charging Postal Service said in a state- Rie Miyoshi airmen and federal employees Americans for the ment to Stars and Stripes. Engagement Manager at about 1.2 million post office same service. That’s But the Postal Service is also Scott Wheeler boxes, unit mail rooms, buildings undertaking “parallel efforts” Okinawa Area Manager crazy.” in the event the U.S. withdraws Denisse Rauda and other delivery points. Publishing and Media Design Editor That was roughly equivalent - James Campbell Jr., from the treaty, including “ad- Publishing and Media Design Writers to mailing 1,310 Abrams tanks. Washington, D.C.-based attorney dressing and prioritizing mili- ChiHon Kim tary mailing issues,” the state- Shoji Kudaka The average military mail Takahiro Takiguchi customer has also likely given ment said. Layout Designers little thought to an arcane inter- The Postal Service declined Ayako Kamio national treaty called the Univer- Military working dog Roger sniffs mail for contraband at Joint Military Mail to elaborate at all on what those Yukiyo Oda Yuko Okazaki sal Postal Union — but they’re Terminal, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Dec. 1, 2017. Photo by Thomas Crough, U.S. Army military mailing issues might Kayoko Shimoda apt to hear a lot more about it by be. Multimedia Consultants October. “The big fight is over delivery Pete Graeve, chief of plans Max Genao Doug Johnson October deadline The Trump Administration charges,” said James Campbell and policy for the Military Post- Brian Jones Jason Lee The U.S. is slated to drop out Hans Simpson Chae Pang Yi announced last year that the Jr., a Washington, D.C.-based at- al Service Agency, was optimis- Gianni Youn Robert Zuckerman of the postal union treaty in Oc- U.S. would withdraw from the torney who specializes in regu- tic about the potential impact Graphic Designers tober unless changes are made 144-year-old treaty, primar- lations concerning international leaving the postal union will Kenichi Ogasawara Yosuke Tsuji by the Bern, Switzerland-based ily over growing complaints by shipping. “The Trump Admin- have on the APO — or Army Sales Support body that gov- Kazumi Hasegawa Hiromi Isa some U.S.-based businesses that istration is saying that we are Post Office, also Ichiro Katayanagi Yoko Noro erns the system. used by the Air Yoichi Okazaki Yusuke Sato packages sent to the States from delivering Chinese packages in EXCLUSIVE NEWS FROM: Chae Yon Son Saori Tamanaha other countries — primarily particular — but all foreign e- Because the Force — and the China — have much lower postal commerce packages, really — treaty has been Navy’s Fleet Post rates. for somewhere between a third in effect so long Office, or FPO. For feedback and inquiries, In some cases, U.S. businesses to half of what we’re charging and includes al- “The bottom contact [email protected] spend more to mail a package Americans for the same service. most all the world’s nations, the line is that we have host na- To place an ad, call DSN 645-7419 domestically than a China-based That’s crazy. The domestic mer- ripple effects of withdrawal are tion agreements/status of stripesokinawa.com/contact firm would pay to ship to Amer- chants are complaining about unpredictable. forces agreements/diplo- ica. that.” The U.S. Postal Service seems matic notes that allow the AUGUST 8 − AUGUST 14, 2019 A STARS AND STRIPES COMMUNITY PUBLICATION STRIPES OKINAWA 3 [Military Postal Service] But the Trump Administra- only hope for the best.” to operate in host nations, tion is already at odds with Eu- One likely and immediate and we expect host na- ropean allies over his unilateral outcome of U.S. withdrawal tions will not unilaterally abro- withdrawal from a 2015 nuclear from the postal union would be gate those agreements,” Graeve deal with Iran in which the na- increased customs security for wrote in a response to questions tions traded sanctions relief for both military and civil mail, said by Stars and Stripes. Iran’s delay in enriching ura- Campbell, who sits on the State “The UPU issue pertains to nium. Department’s Advisory Com- international civil mail postage Trump has also frequently mittee on International Postal remuneration, not military mail criticized fellow NATO-state and Delivery Services. which is considered domestic members for contributing too “The reality is that postal and does not have international little for operating expenses. packages have become the con- postage,” Graeve said. Consequently, some countries duit-of-choice for drug smug- “[The Defense Department] may not have the appetite to ne- glers, intellectual property vio- is developing contingency plans gotiate a postal agreement with lations and all kinds of stuff,” he in the event a host nation does the United States. said. “The reality is that Cus- abrogate an agreement to mini- John Couch, a co-founder of toms has no idea what’s in the mize any potential disruptions ShipitAPO, which helps over- mail stream. and continue providing support seas servicemembers receive “If the U.S. leaves the UPU in to our service members and packages from retailers that October, my guess for APO/FPO their families.” will not send to APO and FPO mail is that there’s going to be addresses, has tried unsuccess- increased customs scrutiny, at Reserve Marines prepare Customs scrutiny fully for months to get clear an- least in the big countries. That’s Among the primary host na- swers from government officials going to entail more costs.” for deployment to tions are Germany, Italy, Portu- about what the military-mail That increased scrutiny and gal, United Kingdom, Belgium, landscape will look like if the cost will come regardless of the Netherlands, Romania, Bulgar- U.S. leaves the postal union. treaty status, though, he said. Okinawa, Fuji ia, Greece, Turkey, Kuwait, Aus- “Even if new postal treaties Last year Congress passed a law tralia, Japan and South Korea. can be re-established with each that beginning in 2021 all post- STORY AND PHOTO BY Chief Warrant Officer 2 Sean P. If these host nations were APO-FPO host nation, this will al packages must undergo the SGT. ANDY MARTINEZ, Doel, the information manage- MARINE FORCES RESERVE only dealing with U.S. with- not happen overnight,” Couch same strict customs procedures ment officer for 1/25. “One is drawal from the Universal said. “And there’s no guarantee required for packages shipped n preparation for an upcom- with the Japanese Self-Defense Postal Union treaty, it seems that the new agreements will via Federal Express and the ing deployment to Okinawa Forces supporting exercise For- less likely they would abrogate be as favorable regarding al- like, he said. and Camp Fuji, Reserve est Light. We also have iterations agreements governing military lowable items, package sizes, [email protected] I U.S.