Obake stories anyone?

[kaigunair]

not sure if this qualifies, but I've been told that when my great great great grandmother was misbehaving, she would be sent into the room which held the family gusoku (samurai armor). That usually did the trick, as they said it would go after bad little girls.

Unfortunately the armor was either sold off to settle debts during the meiji period or burned in ww2. wish at least pic had survived...

[Brukat193337]

Aloha Rodney,
Have been to Hawaii doing paranormal investigations and I must say Hawaii is one great place for hauntings. So much spiritual energy there. I Had the great pleasure taking tours around Hawaii with the late Glen Grant who wrote the Chicken Skin and Obake Books. I must say this was a interesting thread. Rodney that is one unusual picture. Was wondering if it was scratching into you a symbol of some sort. Would have to research that. As for can ghosts or spirits be attached to a military item?Tthe answer is yes. Ghosts can be attached to anything including people. I'm not talking about demons here, but yes demons can be attached to things to. Usually its a spirit that we call earth bound. for whatever reason their spirit refuses to go on. Perhaps it's afraid of judgment from the other side and would rather stay here where it feels safe. Some don't move on because of their loved ones or unfinished business. Many want to seek revenge, etc. Some don't even know they are dead. Those are usually ones who died in a sudden traumatic episode. So you see many will become attached to a object because it was very important to them when they were alive. Its like they can't let go of it. As crazy as it may sound many wanted to take certain items to the grave with them and if it isnt in the grave with them they stay with the item...sounds crazy but its true. Most ghosts I have encountered are either in homes, hospitals, nursing homes and yes the cemetery. Anyway the reason for the post is that I acquired a picture of what I believe shows a haunting of one or both of the soldiers or one or both of the items they are holding, the pistol or flag. when taking pictures of ghosts most of the time you will get a cloudy mist like form, ribbons or misty streaks of light, balls of light, or dark shadows. Its very rare for full apparitions but people do get them. Many people get recorded messages from objects but that is another subject. in the picture you will see a vortex or ribbon of light go through the leg of the soldier on the left. You will also see a foglike ribbon of light either moving up or down but it goes behind the flag then out. this picture shows strong spiritual energy all around the items and the soldiers. The foglike ribbons of light do not bleed onto the white border of the picture like it appears. It is on the picture only. Can I prove this is spiritual energy? No. Is this a chemical spill? Can't tell you would have to see the negative, which doesnt exist anymore. Could it be cigarrette smoke or was it cold and this is the photographers breath. I doubt it was cold. I see no fog breath from the other soldiers, and I doubt cigarette smoke is going to travel towards the soldiers then go behind the flag then back toward the photographer. Of course this is all maybe new to you here but those that are in Paranormal investigations will know what I'm talking about. I have been doing Paranormal investigations for over 12 years. Wish I collected Japanese militaria that long. So the answer is yes ghosts can be attached to that sword, gun, ring, or whatever is part of that collection. But not to worry most won't bother you. If they do get help.
Mahalo,
Bruce

[RodneyO]

Aloha Bruce!
Thanks for sharing your information on the paranormal. Did you find Hawaii full of paranormal activities? I never had a chance to catch the Glen Grant tour but living here in Hawaii one just has to ask where. The cuts on my back, never thought about it as a symbol but wondered if it was suppose to be XX and taking a shower stopped it from completing the other X ?

Here’s another story I have, when I first moved into my condo back in 1983, unfurnished I fell asleep on the floor only to be awaken by hand pushing down on my back. Don’t know if I was dreaming but it sure felt real, I swear I felt the HAND, fingers, palm and all….

In the photo of the soldiers holding the Japanese flag and pistol, do you know if they made it through the war safely? The smoke or fog doesn't look like cigarrette smoke as why would the photographer take a photo while smoking especially if it was going to be a souvenir shot to send home. I always wonder about photos especially group photos that have one or more soldiers (in the group) that are fuzzy or out of focus. Maybe those are the soldiers that never made it home?

Thanks also to those who added their experience, real chicken skin stuff!!! I sure hope more would share their experience not only with militaria hauntings but any frightening encounter they had growing up.

Mahalo,
Rodney

[tokashikibob]

Saipan Sword

Hi All,
Now that I can post pictures (best $25.00 spent!!) here's the markings on my back...
Oh, and last year I heard my name being called from down stairs, and this was during the day when I was home alone . I also saw a (dark) figure in the door way of our master bedrooms bathroom door. At first I thought it was my wife gone to use the bathroom but I reached to my side and she was lying down next to me !!..
Ghost or my imagination.....
now for the photo of my back (shoulder) near my neck...
[ATTACH]1674976[/ATTACH]

I've been having the same types of problems ie. black forms, poking me awake, rattling, whispering, and missing objects. My wife even talks to it asking to return things which it complies with. It's either this Katana that was reported to be picked up after a banzai charge in Saipan or my case of personal watches and compasses a few of which are burned by a flamethrower that I dug in Okinawa. So far I'll keep both until things get outta hand.
http://okinawarelics.com/SaipanBanzaiSword.aspx

Semper Fi,
Bob

[RodneyO]

Aloha Bob,
Did anything happened in the house before you started collecting? Did you ever think about getting the house or the objects blessed? For me, didn't bless the house or any of my militaria collection yet. By the way that's a nice sword and history that comes with it. I like your Okinawa Relics website, been there twice for vacation. Best part of my vacation was visiting the Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters and Shuri Castle.
Thanks for sharing your experience!!

Rodney

[J.von Canon]

Macabre photo

Bruce's photo of the two soldiers & Japanese flag-with image between-looks very much like a sitting individual seen in profile,back straight & arms akimbo(a zen posture of unhappiness).

[taikonaut]

Aloha Bob,
Did anything happened in the house before you started collecting? Did you ever think about getting the house or the objects blessed? For me, didn't bless the house or any of my militaria collection yet. By the way that's a nice sword and history that comes with it. I like your Okinawa Relics website, been there twice for vacation. Best part of my vacation was visiting the Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters and Shuri Castle.
Thanks for sharing your experience!!

Rodney

Rodney, you seem to be spooked by all this. If you ever get a Muramasa and you are afraid of it please let me know I can exorcise it off you

I did bought a shinsakuto about 13 years ago and since owning it I had fair amount of money comming my way enough not be in financial difficulty. I have sold it a few years ago but luckily not to have any money problem.

[AMAC50]

In the mid 1960's I worked EOD on Okinawa there was a lot of live left overs all over the island. We used to ask the locals where the ghosts stay, 99% of the time they would point out Japanese positons, from a distance of course. Most were hard to locate at that time and usually had been sealed since 1945.

Once inside they were creepy, cold drafts even in the heat of summer. When working on ordnance you always felt some one standing behind you. My partner and I heard noises in a lot of them, like ejected cartridges hitting the floor, metal on metal, running foot steps, sometimes like something brushed up against you, that kind of stuff. We knew it wasn't locals in the tunnels they wouldn't come near the places. We wrote it off as active imaginations or rats, and nothing ever really felt like a threat other than the explosives in the ordnance. Maybe the Japanese soldiers that died there knew we were helping their people and were watching over us. I hope so, soldiers are soldiers and pretty much the same no matter what side they are on.

Jim

[RodneyO]

Aloha Jim,
I got the same kind of feeling years ago walking around at night at the Pali Lookout .. It was there that King Kamehameha and his warriors defeated the O'ahu armies by sending them over those steep, forested cliffs and claiming his victory and uniting the Hawaiian Islands.
Okinawa is also a beautiful island (visited there twice), I bet there's chicken skin stories there too and even those from WW2 as it claim many civilian and IJA/IJN lives (suicide and battle). Many are still buried (entombed in caves) through out Okinawa still waiting to be found and taken home.
Thanks for share your story,
Rodney

Taikonaut, I'm not so much spooked but believe that spirits hold on to what ever object they had. Check out post #15, the cuts, how were they made?? now that gave me real chicken skin for the night!!

[achern]

An hour or so after reading this thread two nights ago, I felt a burning sensation near my right ankle. It was not too painful, but it was there. Anyhow, I ignored it until I took a bath and the soap got into the cuts...



I have no idea what it was, but it sure wasn't there before I started reading this thread. Very strange.

Hi All,
Now that I can post pictures (best $25.00 spent!!) here's the markings on my back...
Oh, and last year I heard my name being called from down stairs, and this was during the day when I was home alone . I also saw a (dark) figure in the door way of our master bedrooms bathroom door. At first I thought it was my wife gone to use the bathroom but I reached to my side and she was lying down next to me !!..
Ghost or my imagination.....
now for the photo of my back (shoulder) near my neck...
[ATTACH]1674976[/ATTACH]

[RodneyO]

Hi achern, now that's weird/scary...... had you purchased any militaria recently? For me, was that wakizashi with the two notches on the nakago. Still have it but make sure I take care and clean it.... so far no more cuts on my back...knock on wood!!

[achern]

I did, but they are mostly 'harmless' insignia such as badges and patches. Unlikely that anyone of them could have prompted such a strange thing to happen. And what a coincidence, that it happened right after reading this thread. How odd.

[Brukat193337]

Achern,
It doesn't have to be harmless. Jewelry and small trinkets like a badge or medal could easily be attached by a spirit.
Rodney O,
Yes the Pali lookout is a very haunted spot in Hawaii. I have been there late at night. I remember it being very cold, and the wind was something else. They say at times you could literally stand at the edge of the cliff and fall forward and the wind is so strong it would keep you from falling off the cliff. I wouln't recommend trying it though...lol!!

[NARVIK1940]

Ghosts on Attu

I had a roommate in college here in Alaska that was an Aleut from Atka. During the summer he and another buddy of mine worked for the government eradicating introduced blue foxes from several islands in the Aleutian chain, including Attu. He and his partner were alone on Attu for several weeks, killing every fox they found. It was in late spring, and there was still snow on the ground, so they could track the foxes. This was the summer of 1976.

After about three weeks, the Fish and Wildlife Service boat came to pick them up. They were anchored in Massacre Bay, the site of not only the horrific and largest banzai charge of the war, but also of a massacre of Aleuts by the Russians in the 1700's (hence it's name).

The ship's cook kept a lookout for my friends, as they were supposed to come and meet the boat on that date to be transported to another island (Kiska, I believe).

The cook was watching from the bridge with binoculars. After a while, he saw three figures, with rifles, slowly ascending the mountainous island about a mile or so from the boat. They were walking laboriously up the mountain, in the snow. The cook thought this very odd, as there were only two fox trappers on Attu, not three! He watched as they slowly disappeared into the low hanging fog. About an hour later, my friends came into few, walking with rifles.

They passed right over the spot where the three figures were earlier observed.

The cook hopped in a skiff, and went to shore to meet them. He told them what they had seen. They didn't believe him at first. They said they had been looking at the snow the whole time, looking for fox tracks, and had seen no sign of other people or their tracks.

He said they were all a bit spooked by this, as it is a rather creepy place to be. Completely uninhabited, with a very violent history. The cook was sure of what he had seen, and was not someone given to delusions.

I am getting in a KIA helmet from Attu this week. Sure hope there are no ghosts attached to it!

[Bob Coleman]

For years, I was a close friend of the late John Yumoto Sensei, who authored the first definitive book on Japanese swords in English. When coming to the Chicago Sword Show, he would stay with me. I learned many obscure things from Yumoto Sensei. He once told me that if a sword does not like someone, it can actually have life and cut that person. I bought a very nice signed blade with beautiful mounts and sent the blade to Japan for polish. It returned to me by mail on a Saturday at my office. As I was alone, I opened the box to look at the blade. While examining it, I swear it moved on it's own and badly cut my hand. I remembered Sensei's words and soon sold the piece. It is said that a sword has it's own life when it is tempered. I am a firm believer in that.