In the spring of 1945, Okinawa was hit with a typhoon of steel as the U.S. Military launched one of the largest and deadliest amphibious assaults of World War II. The Japanese lost over 90,000 troops and there were over 100,000 Okinawa civilians killed in the fighting.
As the Americans took control of the island, desperate Japanese soldiers not only forced Okinawans to fight, they also forced them to commit suicide when defeat was inevitable.
The island, the people, the culture were all torn to pieces and life in Okinawa would never be the same.
The Okinawa prefectural peace memorial museum tells the story of the battle of Okinawa from the Okinawan perspective, what lead to the war, the atrocities that the island faced, and life after the war.
Next to the museum is Peace Memorial Hall, an easily recognized landmark. It stands high above the horizon, has a small museum and contains the largest Laquered Buddha in Japan.
For me, the cornerstone of peace was my most moving moment in Okinawa. Rows of stonewalls surround a small, placid fountain and on these walls are the names of over 240,000 people who died in the battle of Okinawa. But these aren’t just the names of Japanese soldiers, they have listed every officer, conscript and civilian that died regardless of nationality.
The cornerstone sits on the coast above a series of blocks known as “the suicide cliffs”. The story of why they are called this is disputed but one version says this is where Japanese soldiers and Okinawan civilians jumped to their death because they were afraid they would be tortured by the encroaching American G.I.S., a belief that Japanese military leaders had instilled in them.
On a hill above the cornerstone is a memorial path where every Japanese prefecture has erected a monument to their soldiers that died. The size, shape and ornateness of the sculptures varies greatly but they all add up to a very moving tribute.
Beyond this is a cave used to hide in during the war and a spectacular Panoramic view of southern Okinawa. Looking out, it’s hard to imagine that this beautiful scene was once the center of such a horrible tragedy.
There is so much to take in at the park. It’s really not something that you should rush.
Being at this moving memorial is a great opportunity to appreciate the relative peace and comfort that we have today and a good moment to hope for a more peaceful future based on the lessons of Okinawa’s past.
That’s the last stop on our tour of Okinawa. A DVD of this series will be available at my website straycompass.com and if you’re watching this on another video sharing website like You Tube or Rover, or Metacafé, don’t forget to comment, rate, and subscribe to my videos. I appreciate any feedback you can give. Also, if you’d like to e-mail me directly, you can e-mail me at James@AgileH.com. Up next, we invite you to cross the entire state of New York so tune in. Thanks a lot! I'm James Knott. Goodbye!
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