The United States Army
07/27/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 07/27/2026 02:45
Carrying on tradition together: USAG Japan leadership joins local festival
U.S. Army Garrison Japan Commander Col. Erik Davis, right, and Command Sgt. Maj. Rick Meeker, center, participate in the Kamimizo summer festival July 26 near Camp Zama. Together with Sagamihara Mayor Kentaro Motomura, left, and local residents, Davis and Meeker helped carry a "mikoshi" - a portable Shinto shrine - and took part in the parade. (Photo Credit: Noriko Kudo) VIEW ORIGINAL
SAGAMIHARA, Japan - The commander and command sergeant major of U.S. Army Garrison Japan participated in a festival here near Camp Zama July 26, experiencing a unique aspect of their host country's culture.
The Kamimizo summer festival is a celebration with a proud tradition and history dating back to the late 1800s.
The centerpiece of the event is when traditional "mikoshi" - portable Shinto shrines passed down through generations - gather from various neighborhoods to parade through the town streets.
U.S. Army Garrison Japan Command Sgt. Maj. Rick Meeker waves to the festival crowd during the opening ceremony of the Kamimizo summer festival July 26 near Camp Zama. (Photo Credit: Noriko Kudo) VIEW ORIGINAL
Together with the mayor of the city of Sagamihara and residents, Col. Erik Davis and Command Sgt. Rick Meeker helped carry the mikoshi and took part in the parade.
"It was a great experience to participate in the local customs and attend this festival," Meeker said. "All of the people I interacted with were awesome, and I really enjoyed the event."
Meeker added that these types of events help bring the communities of Sagamihara and Camp Zama together, much like the Army installation's open-post events do.
U.S. Army Garrison Japan Commander Col. Erik Davis, second from right in the front row, and Command Sgt. Maj. Rick Meeker, third from left in the back row, participate in the Kamimizo summer festival July 26 near Camp Zama with the Sagamihara Mayor Kentaro Motomura, second from left in the front row. (Photo Credit: Noriko Kudo) VIEW ORIGINAL
"The locals see the garrison command team participating in their festivals alongside their leadership and it lets them know that we are a team working together to strengthen a partnership built over many years," Meeker said.
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