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Okinawa |
to Japanese Version
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In late March 1945, a fierce battle took place on these islands. The Battle of Okinawa for more than 90 days, resulting in the death of more than 200,000 Japanese and Americans, including some 120,000 Okinawans.
The Japanese military planned to wage a "war of attrition" - to drag the battle out, even for one day longer, to force the U.S. forces to delay the impending assault on the mainland.
Himeyuri Monument : Memory of 219 students and teachers |
| The Japanese forces stepped up nurse training at the girls high schools in the prefecture, and when the U.S. forces finally landed on Okinawa, organized them into student nurse corps and dispatched them to the battlefield. |
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"We cannot condone the crimes of the educational system of that age that blindfolded us from truth, deprived us of our right to think and judge as individuals and denied us even the right to live as decent human beings, finally herding us like animals and the battlefields of certain death. 
Today, memories of the battle are fast being eroded away by the passage of time as the post-war generations have formed the majority of our population. In addition, when we think of today's international situation with increased threats of nuclear war, we are determined all the more to do our best to continue to tell our stories of war, and by so exposing the brutality and insanity of war, to never allow it happen again in the future." - June 23, 1989 Himeyuri Alumni Association - |
Admission Fee : Adult 300 yen , Student ( High School ) 200 yen ,
Child ( Grades 1-9 ) 100 yen
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The "Typhoon of Steel" that lasted for ninety days disfigured mountains, destroyed much of the cultural legacy, and claimed the precious lives of upward of 200,000 people. A significant aspect of the Battle of Okinawa was the great loss of civilian life. At more than 100,000, civilian losses far outnumbered the military death toll.
In order that we may mourn for those who perished during the war, pass on to future generations the historic lessons of the Battle of Okinawa, we have hereby established, displaying the whole range of the individual war experiences of the people in this prefecture, the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum.
- 1975 (partially revised April 1st 2000) Okinawa Prefecture -
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Road to the Battle of Okinawa |
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The Typhoon of Steel (The battle as seen by Okinawan residents) |
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Battleground of Hell (The battle as seen by Okinawan residents) |
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Testimonies (The battle as seen by Okinawan residents) |
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Keystone of the Pacific |
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We think noting is more brutal, more degrading than war
In the face of these horrifying experiences,
To be sure, it is human beings that would start a war,
Since the battle ended, we have detested all kinds of war,
This is our unwavering principle |
Admission Fee : Adult 300 yen , Child 150 yen
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