[Josh] On this episode of Expedition X,
my team travels to investigate
the historic and reportedly haunted island of Okinawa...
[Jessica] Is there anybody out here with us?
[voice speaking]
Just me.
Did you jump from the cliffs here?
[pod beeping]
[voice speaking]
Yeah, I was killed.
-What you got? -[Phil] I think we got a tomb.
[Josh] ...where countless souls perished during World War II,
and where locals think many of those restless spirits
may still linger...
-[speaking Japanese] -[translator, in English] Whatever attached itself to me
was wanting to escape the cave.
-So it could leave with you. -[Jessica] Oh, whoa.
[Josh] ...thanks to an alarming rise in ghostly sightings
and reports of paranormal activity.
-[Airi speaking Japanese] -[translator, in English] I actually once saw the spirit
of a soldier crawling on the beach there,
but he didn't have a bottom half.
He was cut off at the waist.
[Josh] But as Phil and Jess probe for answers,
they soon learn the hard way
why this place is known by some...
-Oh, Phil, right behind you. -Yeah?
[Jessica] Don't move, don't move.
[Josh] ...as the island of the dead.
[Jessica] Hello?
[theme music playing]
Guys, I want to talk to you about Okinawa Island, Japan.
Ooh, sounds healthy.
-Sounds healthy? -[Phil] Yes.
Okinawa is one of the healthiest places on Earth.
There are more people there that live to be over
100 years old
than pretty much anywhere else.
Look at you. Good for
-useless trivia. -I'm good for something.
-I've always said that. -I love it. I love it.
Well, it's not Okinawa's
long lives that I'm interested.
It's actually their long deaths.
Ah, haunted Okinawa. All right. Surprise, surprise.
Jess has a paranormal angle for us here.
Is this because of the World War II history?
That's what believers say.
They say that Okinawa's dark history is alive and well.
And right now, in fact,
paranormal sightings are on the rise.
"On the rise." Okay.
Well, I mean, look, this place does have
an extraordinary history, and some of it very bloody.
And so if there's a place in Japan that's going to be haunted,
it may well be there.
[Josh] At 66 miles long and seven miles wide,
Okinawa is the smallest of Japan's five main islands,
but it has a sizable history.
Okinawa's origins trace back to the Ryukyu Kingdom,
which fiercely battled Japan for independence
after its formation in the 15th century.
It is only in 1879
when Japan finally annexes the island
and renames it Okinawa.
But the independent spirit of the Okinawans remains,
with their own distinct language, culture,
and their own religion.
The Ryukyu faith centers around
a strong bond between the living and the dead,
believing the spirits of the deceased walk with us.
In April 1945, it is the site of the last
and one of the bloodiest major battles of World War II.
Dogfights in the skies see Japanese pilots
engage in kamikaze suicide missions
into U.S. battleships.
On land, Allied tanks
battle stubbornly entrenched Japanese troops.
To escape the ferocious conflict,
Okinawans hide in the vast networks of caves on the island.
Tragically, many would never re-emerge.
In the end, over 12,000 American soldiers
die on Okinawa, but that's dwarfed
by the 90,000 deaths of Japanese soldiers
and over 100,000 deaths of Okinawan civilians.
It's no wonder many Japanese refer to Okinawa
as the island of the dead.
The military presence on Okinawa
is felt to this day,
with 32 separate U.S. bases.
But paranormal believers say the legacy of conflict
is felt in other ways,
with numerous reports of hauntings
all over the island.
There are sightings of phantom soldiers
on Okinawa's pristine beaches.
Frightening voices are heard all over the island.
And those who visit Okinawa's maze of subterranean caves
have reported overwhelming feelings of oppressive energy.
Amongst the many strange recent accounts to emerge,
two are particularly chilling.
The first is a recording
captured by a scuba diver just offshore.
If you listen carefully,
some say you can hear an angry voice say,
"Get out of here."
[voice speaking]
[Josh] And then there's serviceman Kenny Stokes,
who sent me this video message
about a recent ghostly experience.
You have the running path and then you have the beach.
And as I'm going around this bend,
I start to notice a figure,
uh, getting close to me as I'm jogging.
It looked like to be a male in his,
uh, at least 80s or 90s.
And as I'm going by, I start to know a couple of things
about his facial features. The first was his eyes.
They were completely blacked out.
And then, his mouth was
completely blacked out as well.
He had a smile that actually came up to the sides
of his ears.
His body is facing straight
and it's continuing in the path that I just came from.
And his head turns around
and it's completely staring at me.
The lower half of his body was actually faded away.
And his walk wasn't an actual walk.
It was as if he was floating away.
I knew what I was seeing wasn't a human.
[Josh] Shocking reports of supernatural encounters
on Okinawa are on the rise.
Has the historic tragedy of World War II
forever trapped tens of thousands of souls on the island?
So you have a small island
where hundreds of thousands of people died
in brutal violent combat.
Combine that with the local belief
that ghosts walk amongst us
and you've got some pretty active spirits.
It's fascinating for sure.
But, Jess, don't you think if this island's culture says
that ghosts are everywhere,
then they may be the first to see
something they can't explain and say,
"Oh, it's got to be a ghost."
And also, a few generations ago,
this entire place was a battlefield.
And so on some level, it might be comforting for people
to imagine that their friends,
their relatives are still with them, right?
But then you have the testimony of our marine, right?
So, clearly not all of these experiences
-are happening to native Okinawans. -[Jessica] That's true.
But I do think it's important to be sensitive
to the culture and understand it a little bit more.
So I reached out to an Okinawan high priestess.
They're called noro. She kind of acts
as a bridge between the living and the dead.
And she's had a lot of paranormal experiences herself.
I've heard of noros.
They're kind of like a medium, right?
Yeah, exactly that.
And I also have a favor to ask you.
Oh, boy.
Can you reach out to your contacts
and see if you can get us access
to these cave systems?
Apparently, that's where a lot
of the paranormal activity takes place.
And nobody's investigated them yet.
I will do my best. I will try to turn on the charm.
-No promises. -[chuckles]
But in the meantime, let's kick off the mission.
Get to Okinawa, investigate its haunted history,
and see what you can find.
-Yeah. -Will do.
Good luck in the land of the rising sun.
-Thanks. -Thanks.
[Josh] It's a 14-hour flight
from New York City to Tokyo, Japan.
Then, it's a three-hour flight from the Japanese mainland
to the archipelago of Okinawa.
[Jessica] As many times as I've been to Japan,
I've never been this far south.
It is Japan's southernmost island, right?
[Jessica] Yeah. I didn't expect it to be so tropical.
[Phil] It is like a tropical paradise here.
[Jessica] Not something that I normally would associate with Japan
-off the top of my head. -[Phil] Right?
This place is known for epic diving.
It has incredible forest.
Yet we know it has this
horribly tragic history from just decades ago.
It is amazing
how much history there is here.
Do you know what else I'm looking for out here?
-Hm? -An old man with a creepy smile.
Oh, that story is freaky.
I mean, I feel like,
based on that evidence,
the history,
the interviews that we have set up,
I really do think
we're gonna encounter something.
I do feel like something's gonna happen.
[Phil] Okay.
[Jessica] After navigating through the capital city of Naha...
we arrive at the home of the Okinawan spiritual expert
that I've arranged for us to meet.
[both speaking Japanese]
[speaking Japanese]
[Jessica] Airi Sueyoshi is one of only
three noros in all of Okinawa.
So she's uniquely qualified
to speak to the island's paranormal history.
Airi-san, how does one become a noro,
and what does that entail?
[Airi speaking Japanese]
[translator, in English] It's inherited. It's from birth.
When you receive this gift,
your life is a bit shortened compared to a normal person's.
But you're capable of hearing the dead
and speaking to ghosts.
-Wow. -And then how did you know
that you were blessed with this gift?
[speaking Japanese]
[translator, in English] I've always been able to converse
with the dead as far back as I can remember.
There are many different kinds of situations
where you can experience ghosts.
They can be seen as apparitions,
or they can be felt
as a possession or an attachment.
I am constantly in touch with the spirit world,
and that is where I offer guidance to people.
So, I guess we've come to you for some guidance ourselves.
Um, we've heard some accounts
of people both seeing and hearing,
-essentially apparitions... -[Jessica] Mm-hmm.
[Phil] ...right in this area of the island.
What can you tell us about the history of this area?
And have you heard any stories from this region as well?
[Airi speaking Japanese]
[translator, in English] Actually, this place is quite infamous
as a spiritual spot.
I often hear about people killing themselves,
jumping off the cliffs there.
This place also saw a lot of bloodshed during World War II.
And the water there is a good element to manifest spirits.
But there's a big difference between
death by accident and death by suicide.
If you die by suicide,
usually the spirit remains in that place
with the same suffering that the person experienced
at the moment of the suicide.
Oh, so they have to replay it.
[Phil] That's awful.
[speaking Japanese]
[translator, in English] Locals do not want to go over there.
-[Jessica] Hmm. -Why not?
[translator, in English] It is renowned as a place for ghosts.
I hear there are many tombs along the cliff sides.
I actually once saw the spirit
of a soldier crawling on the beach there.
But he didn't have a bottom half.
He was cut off at the waist.
-No bottom. -Oh.
So when we are out in this area exploring,
is there anything that we can bring with us
to protect us while we explore that area in the caves?
[speaking Japanese]
[translator, in English] Yes, I usually make talismans
for people seeking to protect themselves,
like this one here.
[both speaking Japanese]
[Jessica] Airi makes us special talismans
to protect us during our investigation.
But before we go, she offers up an additional
and somewhat more unorthodox layer of defense.
[translator, in English] This is a powerful spirit called Habushu.
Don't be afraid by the snake. One drink gives you strength.
-Ah, okay. -[Phil] Mm.
[speaking Japanese]
Thank you very much.
-[Airi] Thank you. -[Phil speaking Japanese]
[Jessica] Phil and I head out to Cape Maeda,
the area Airi told us about.
It's also the site of the underwater EVP we heard with Josh
and the location the Marine reportedly crossed paths
with the smiling apparition.
Those are the cliffs where people would jump off.
It's an awe-inspiring landscape until you remember
its dark history.
I'm going to take Airi's word for it.
And just get as much protection as possible.
[Phil] Honestly, if that is the belief here
that this offers you protection, then bottoms up.
[Jessica] After a quick sip of our protective snake serum...
-Not as bad as I thought. -Oh.
[Jessica] ...night falls and we're ready to begin our investigation.
We start the night down on the beach
to get a lay of the land.
-[Phil] Look right here. -[Jessica] What do you got?
[Phil] What is that?
[Jessica] Oh, whoa.
What is that? Like a tile?
[Phil] Yeah, looks like old ceramic, some kind of pottery.
Oh, hey, here's another piece.
[Phil] Oh, wow.
[Jessica] Yeah.
Wonder where that would have come from?
-[Phil] See that? See that? -[Jessica] Oh, yeah, I do see that.
[Phil] Watch your step for snakes in here.
Holy [bleep]
[Jessica] What you got?
[Phil] I think we got a tomb.
Look at that.
[Jessica sighs]
[Phil] It's built on to the cliffside here.
[Jessica sighs] Oh, yeah, this is definitely manmade.
[Phil] Holy [bleep]
[Jessica] Do you see anything back there?
-[Phil] Oh, wow. There's a... -[Jessica] It goes back pretty far.
[Phil] Yeah, I could see some...
They look like little gravestones on there with writing on 'em.
-[Jessica] Oh. -[Phil] And ceramics.
No, it's a big ceramic pot.
[Jessica] No [bleep]
So those ceramics that are down on the beach
are in the tombs.
So there must be tombs all over this place
if they're even washing up on the shore.
[Jessica] I absolutely think you're right.
I think there's lots more.
-[Phil] Let's keep searching. -I agree.
[Phil] While over 99% of Japanese
opt for cremation after death,
many Okinawans take part
in the ancient Senkotsu ritual.
In it, they clean the bones of the deceased
after a period of open air burial,
which requires tombs like these.
-[Phil] Check out these stairs. -[Jessica] Oh, yeah.
[Phil] This must be Kenny's running path.
-Right? -[Jessica] Oh, yeah. He did say he came down.
-This has got to be it. -[Phil] Yeah.
Although, maybe it's overgrown a little bit
since the last time he was here.
-See what I'm seeing up here? -[Jessica] Oh, yeah.
-Found a spot. -[Phil] I think another tomb.
How's it look? Wow.
[Jessica] Oh, yeah. We've got another tomb.
I mean, these tombs themselves look very old.
[Phil] And a big spider right there.
[Jessica] That's [bleep] huge.
[Phil] Yeah.
I think that's a "Do not mess with this tomb" spider.
[Jessica] Yeah. No. No worries.
I'm totally convinced this place is haunted.
Seeing the cliffside dotted with tombs suggests
Cape Maeda could be brimming with paranormal activity.
So Phil and I decide to split up and investigate.
He heads to the water to explore any potential
natural causes to the ghostly underwater EVP.
[voice speaking]
[Jessica] We've also heard reports of apparitions
appearing along the shoreline here.
I stay up on the cliff's edge
to scan the beach with a thermal drone.
All right, Jess, I got my kayak in the water.
I'll let you know when I'm out in position.
Okay. Copy. I'm gonna launch the drone.
Let me know if you get any weird EVPs on your end.
[Phil] Will do.
[drone whirring]
All right. We are recording.
In we go.
-[water splashing] -[radio static]
All right.
And we're live.
[drone whirring]
All right, so right now, I am looking at
the beach.
We've got the water here.
This red area, that is the water.
This kind of hot yellow streak,
that is the sand's edge, where the water meets the sand.
And then everything else down below that is
the actual beach itself.
So, anything that shows up as blue or black
is a mega-cold spot, which means
that we've got a hit.
[drone whirring]
Wow.
There's a lot happening down there right now.
[radio interference noises]
This should not be happening underwater.
[radio static noises continue]
I kid you not. It almost sounds like breathing underwater.
It's not waves we're picking up.
That's wild.
[drone whirring]
[Jessica] Oh [bleep]
Got something. Check that out.
Oh.
[gasps]
Holy [bleep]
Oh. Holy [bleep]
[grunts]
[muffled mumbling]
That sounded [bleep] insane.
[muffled mumbling]
Holy [bleep] What did I just hear?
Phil, you copy?
Yeah. What you got, Jess?
I got a hit on the thermal drone.
It looks like something
blue in the water is bouncing around
and trailing.
Blue as in cold?
Blue as in cold. Very cold.
Can you flash your flashlight up into the air so I can see
where you are from the cliff?
Yeah, no, you are not anywhere near me.
Okay. Then what the hell did you get?
I have no idea. It just looks like a blue spot that pops up.
Oh, it just left. Oh.
[Phil] I'm not gonna lie, what I heard underwater,
there were moments where it almost sounded like voices.
I'm actually really excited to dig through the audio we got.
I'm gonna head to shore. Let's meet up and head that way.
Copy. All right. I'm gonna head towards the beach. Meet you there.
-[Jessica] Hey, dude. -[Phil] Hey.
-[Jessica] Jeez, it's coming in hot. -[Phil] Oh, yeah.
[Jessica grunts]
[pants]
[Phil] It feels very good to be back on dry land.
[Jessica] Yeah? I got something weird
running around in the water just off the beach.
I'd say probably right around there.
[Phil] And then where'd it go?
[Jessica] I don't know.
It just disappeared.
[Phil] So you feel like we're not alone here?
Oh, no, definitely not.
I think that there's spirits all around this area.
-It's almost a new moon. -Okay.
Which is when sea turtles come ashore to lay eggs.
What are the chances that's what you're picking up on the FLIR?
I mean, I suppose that's a chance,
but then do you see any sea turtle markings coming along the shore?
-[Phil] No. -[Jessica] Plus, it was
way colder than the rest of the surrounding water.
Significantly different temperature.
Okay. Where do you think it came on shore?
I would say
probably right around down in this area.
-Okay. Let's keep moving. -All right.
[Jessica] We head down the beach
to the spot where the cold anomaly appeared
and set up all of our REM pods on the shoreline.
If any spirits are present,
believers think they can communicate
by manipulating the temperature
or electromagnetic fields around the devices.
All the red ones are temperature.
-All the blue ones are EMF. -[Phil] Right.
Come on FLIR.
[Jessica] I'm gonna get my phone out
so I can do a call and response.
[radio interference noise]
Is there anybody out here with us?
-[voice speaking] -Just me.
Who's just me?
[voice speaking]
Too late?
[radio interference noise]
[voice speaking]
Difficult.
[radio interference noises]
Can you tell us where we are right now?
[radio interference noises]
[voice speaking]
-It said beach. -Something about the beach.
[radio interference noises continue]
Why are you on the beach?
Did you jump from the cliffs here?
[REM pod beeping]
[voice speaking]
I heard killed.
Were you killed in battle here at the beach?
-[voice speaking] -Yeah, I was killed.
How were you killed?
[radio interference noises]
[voice speaking]
-[REM pod beeping] -[Jessica] Whoa.
[Jessica speaking]
[REM pod beeping]
They're all going off.
Are you here on the beach with us right now?
[radio interference noises]
[Jessica] Are you the one that came out of the water?
[radio interference noises continue]
Why were you in the water and coming on shore?
[radio interference noises continue]
[noises stop]
It just died.
Just complete...
Well, that's fricking weird.
What?
I'm not getting anything.
-What do you mean? -It's not working.
I am totally convinced this place is haunted.
-Let's go explore the beach. -I agree.
[Phil] We comb the cave for another three hours,
but just like Jess's spirit box,
the REM pods and FLIR go oddly quiet.
The following morning, we begin to plot
our next steps when we get a call from Josh.
Oh, hey. Looks like we missed a Josh call.
-Do you want to call back before we hit the road? -Let's do it.
[Jessica] Okay.
Hey, Josh.
[Phil] Hey, Josh.
Hey, guys. How's it going?
Our investigation went really well last night.
Yeah, we went to Cape Maeda to follow up on
Kenny's story and some of the other stories that have happened out here.
-[Jessica] Mm-hmm. -[Phil] And there's a lot going on here.
Guess what we found
all over the cliff sides there?
-Tombs. -[Phil] Tombs.
So many of them.
That entire area is essentially
one big burial ground.
Wow. That is crazy.
Phil, you have any alternate ideas
as to what's going on out there?
So I headed out to sea,
and I was basically trying to recreate
that EVP recording,
and I'm not gonna lie to you,
some of the stuff that I recorded
sounded kind of like human voices.
In my mind, that just goes to show that
your brain can pick up patterns
wherever it wants to and hear words,
-but I'm sure you have a different take. -[Jessica] Or
you're getting talked to by a spirit.
All right. I'm gonna let you guys sort out
your paranormal quarrel on your own,
but I do have some good news.
Jess, I have an update on your request.
I have been able to secure
access to the Matsuda caves.
This is the cave system that you were talking about
where many Okinawans tragically lost their lives
during World War II.
-Okay. Tell us more. -Awesome.
Well, not only do you have access to the caves,
but I found a great eyewitness for you,
a woman named Nanae Yorikawa,
who recently claims to have had a very disturbing
paranormal experience inside the caves.
She's gonna meet you there.
[Jessica] I mean, that sounds awesome.
All right. Good luck.
-[Jessica] All right. -We'll head right there.
-[Jessica] Bye, Josh. -Sayonara.
[Josh] I'm sending Phil and Jess 20 miles northeast
to the Matsuda limestone cave.
It sits on the Pacific side of Okinawa,
but like Cape Maeda,
it is said to be a paranormal hotspot.
[all speaking Japanese]
Hi.
-[speaking Japanese] -Hi. Phil.
[Jessica] So, do you mind telling us what happened
with you and the caves?
Would you mind walking us through that day?
[speaking Japanese]
[translator, in English] Something very strange happened to me
when I was on a school trip in the Matsuda Cave.
It was famous for being used in World War II.
Many Japanese soldiers would use it to hide.
Some even got trapped in there.
That's why my school was visiting it.
But shortly after I entered, I got this awful feeling
and I started to feel very sick.
-What kind of sick? -[speaking Japanese]
[translator, in English] I felt dizzy.
With a migraine headache.
And I felt an odd pressure in my chest.
During that time,
I had visions of someone stalking me from above.
Oh, whoa.
[translator, in English] When I woke up, I was crying.
My classmates were worried
and tried to help me and comfort me.
Eventually, one of our guides came and threw
salt over my shoulders.
Wow.
[speaking Japanese]
[translator, in English] Apparently, this happens quite often.
That's why the guide had salt with him.
And when he was helping me, he was yelling,
"Please come out! Go away!"
He had the feeling that whatever attached itself to me
was wanting to escape the cave.
-[Jessica] Hmm. -Whatever it was
-tried to attach to you so it could leave with you. -Could leave.
[speaking Japanese]
[translator, in English] Yes.
Many people died in this cave during the war.
Not just from battle, but also from sickness
and suicide.
I've heard the bodies were taken
to the back of the cave after they died.
Have you ever been back to the cave since then?
[translator, in English] Never. I'm too scared to go back.
Well, Jess, I think it's time to gear up and head to this cave.
Yeah, I agree.
What direction is the cave located in?
Cave? Here.
-Okay. So down that road. -Yeah.
-Grab our stuff? -Let's grab our stuff.
[all speaking Japanese]
[Phil] The caves on this side of Okinawa
are notorious for their stalactites.
Helmets are a must.
There's also no telling what kind of insects
and wildlife we might encounter.
So, we're being a little extra cautious
with our protective spelunking gear.
[Jessica] Good.
-All right. -Let's head in.
Ooh.
[Phil] That looks deep.
[Jessica chuckling] Oh.
[Phil] It's hard to believe local schools
are taking class field trips here.
This cave is deep, dark, and very treacherous.
We got a stream down here.
Whoa. That's like a full-on river.
-[Phil] Look at the size of this cave, Jess. -[Jessica] Oh.
[Phil] Holy [bleep]
That is the biggest centipede
-I've seen in my life, Jess. -[Jessica] Oh, gross.
-[mimics retching] -[Phil] Oh, my God. That is bigger than your hand.
[Jessica] No, thanks.
[Phil] Imagine something bigger than this crawling.
No. I don't want to imagine that.
-Oh, check this out. -What?
Look it. We've got clay pot fragments.
-[Phil] Oh [bleep] -And over here, too.
[Phil] Oh, my God.
-Yes, we do. -[Jessica] Right over there.
[Phil] Oh, wow.
-We got more pottery. -Holy [bleep]
-[Jessica] Here's more like... -Look at these ceramics.
We got this, like, what we saw up top.
[Phil] Then we got these.
-[Jessica] Maybe offerings? I mean... -It's there...
[Jessica] It's all over the place.
[Phil] It is all over the place right here.
And it makes you realize that if people were hiding out in here,
they would bring items from their home here.
-[Jessica] Yeah. -So that they could still
eat on plates, even if they're eating in the dark.
[Phil] Of the 150,000
Okinawan civilian deaths during World War II,
casualties that came in caves like this
numbered in the thousands.
This cave alone is believed to have seen
hundreds of deaths,
many by way of starvation and disease.
But untold others would also end up taking their own lives,
thinking suicide was better
than falling into the hands of American forces.
[man] Moving inland, the first village is taken.
[Jessica] I mean, it's just covered. It's all over.
[Phil exhales]
I'm starting to feel a little bit of that cave pressure.
You know, it's muggy. The air is still.
I'll be honest, not feeling great.
[Phil exhales]
So I legitimately feel as if
there's like two fingers pressing
right here on the side of my head,
and a little nauseous,
and very, very, very, like, tired and heavy,
like, I can't move my arms.
-So... -[Phil] Well, if you're dizzy and nauseous,
-that is what Nanae felt before... -[Jessica] Yeah.
...she fainted and before she,
you know, as she claims, had possession or attachment.
Well, and so that's what I'm thinking.
If Nanae felt the same way,
then I'm wondering if there is an entity
or something that's either trying to attach itself
or just keeping an eye on us
and I'm picking up on it or I don't know what.
I say we bust out the SLS and see what shows up.
[Phil] You want to try to get visuals on whatever's around here?
-[Jessica] Yeah. Let's see what we can get. -All right.
[Phil] Just use that...
Jess wants to run the SLS camera
to try and see if there's anything paranormal in here
causing her to feel sick.
Believers claim this camera could map out
any spirit or entity as a stick figure.
I think there might be another explanation.
And I have my gas meter handy
just in case the cause of Jess's illness
is something more natural.
[Jessica] So...
Let's see.
Is there anybody in these caves?
Oh, God. I don't feel good.
Oh [bleep]
-[Phil] What? -[Jessica] There's one right there.
Where?
-[Jessica] Oh. -[Phil] Just left.
[Jessica speaking Japanese]
[in English] Is anyone here?
Hmm.
Is there anybody in these caves with us?
Holy [bleep] Did you see that?
-[Phil] What? -Another one popped up right there.
-That'd be right there. -Yeah.
[Jessica] Can you come closer?
We just saw you.
You don't have to be scared of us.
We're not here to do any harm.
We are not here to hurt you.
Okay.
[grunts]
Let me just go over here and try this.
[bleep]
[grunts]
Oh. Phil?
-Yeah? -Right behind you.
Don't move, don't move.
The U.S. still has 32 military bases on Okinawa,
but they're not safe from ghost stories.
Our brave men and women in uniform
have shared numerous frightening experiences
from their tours in Okinawa.
From a ghostly soldier at a checkpoint asking for a light
to an entire phantom troop
parading spectrally past a security camera.
The most frightening story of all
comes from Kadena U.S. Air Force Base,
Building 2283.
Airmen would regularly hear crying coming from inside
when no one was there.
And the service members' kids
would throw toys into the building,
claiming they were asked to by children.
But no children lived there.
Some on the base even said they saw the building glowing.
So, was the building haunted?
Well, the military certainly isn't saying,
but at some point they did seem to feel the need
for a counterattack.
Building 2283 was unceremoniously demolished
in 2010.
[Jessica] Hello?
[bleep]
Hid again, the minute you turned to look.
[Phil] Wow.
Right behind you.
So, you know I'm not a big believer in the SLS,
but it's...
pretty unusual for it to behave this way.
Pretty much everywhere else we've used it,
-if we get something, it sticks around... -[Jessica] Mm-hmm.
...recognizes some kind of object as human,
and it stays there for 30 seconds or a minute.
These are quick.
Super quick. Every time we speak, too.
It pops up every time we're speaking.
And then something will pop out,
look at us, and within seconds disappear.
You're right. SLS has never done that before.
I absolutely think
we're getting hits of people
checking to see who's here
and then going back into hiding.
Did you live in these caves?
You don't have to hide from us.
We're not here to do any harm.
I actually felt a breeze.
-[Phil] Really? -[Jessica] Yeah.
Here, there's another opened area back in here.
I want to go back down into that section of the cave
and go back a little further.
If the ghosts of local Okinawans
are reluctant to show themselves,
we press on to try to build trust and make contact.
[Phil exhales]
Do you want to come speak with us?
-Oh. Right there. -[Phil] Right there.
-[Jessica] Yeah. -[Phil] Holy [bleep]
-[Jessica] Did you see that? -[Phil] It went away again.
[Jessica] Two seconds.
It's so fast.
[Phil] What's back there?
[Jessica] Nothing.
Yeah.
-[Phil] Anything, anything? -[Jessica] No, nothing.
We aren't soldiers.
So I'm wondering if
whoever's down here hiding,
checking to see who's talking
-'cause they don't recognize the voice or the language... -Mm-hmm.
...realizing and then disappearing again.
Well, if you think about it,
at the time that people were down here,
-they were told that if they left these caves... -Mm-hmm.
...Americans like us
-would kill them. -Yeah.
We are not here to hurt you.
The war ended a long time ago.
Hmm. Yeah, I'm not getting anything anymore.
SLS is behaving super weird,
which I've never had happen before.
We've been getting hits every time we start talking.
I felt awful.
And getting that nice cool breeze
-right at that moment. -And a nice cool breeze.
Which... I don't feel any breeze right now.
[Jessica] Nothing.
Nothing in here.
[Josh] Phil and Jess would spend another four hours
conducting their paranormal sweep
inside the limestone cave,
but they would not get any further hits
on the SLS camera.
In all their years of investigating with that piece of tech,
my team has never recorded more fleeting,
erratic activity than what they witnessed there.
[Jessica] Oh [bleep] Did you see that?
[Phil] What?
[Josh] As for Jess's theory that the anomalies they witnessed
might somehow be cautious spirits
observing the team and then retreating
in an act of spectral self-preservation,
it could have some merit, especially when you consider
a potential piece of audio evidence
that was recorded during their sweep.
Jess went back and analyzed the recorders
and discovered this bizarre EVP
after one of her call-outs.
[Jessica] The war ended a long time ago.
[voice speaking]
[Josh] That may not mean anything in English,
but the word gaijin in Japanese
translates to foreigner.
And after some research, we learned that this term
was often used negatively
to refer to American forces during World War II.
As for other audio evidence...
Holy [bleep] What did I just hear?
[Josh] While we cannot verify
the authenticity of the original EVP
that helped prompt this investigation,
after scrubbing through the audio taken from his kayak,
Phil did identify a strange, voice-like sound.
[voice speaking]
[Josh] The Allied amphibious assault on Okinawa
was the largest of its kind in the Pacific.
The American forces that took the island in 1945
came from the sea,
much like the disembodied voice captured on our recorder.
Okinawa is a place of great culture,
history, and natural beauty.
But a word of advice to any visitors,
whether on the beaches or in its caves,
it's best to stay on alert.