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Think about war and peace at the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum

During WWII there were land battles on Okinawa that affected innocent local residents. There were hundreds of thousands of victims of those gruesome battles and the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum was built in 1975 in order to repose the souls of those who perished and pray for eternal peace.

Okinawa is known for its southern island resorts, marine sports and the history of the Ryukyu Kingdom. However, to truly understand Okinawa you must understand its experience during the war.

At the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum there are exhibits explaining why the war occurred and the history of Okinawa leading up to the Battle of Okinawa. There are also graphic recreations of the Iron Storm, which were harsh air raids and naval bombardments that occurred over 3 months during the final stages of WWII and the Battle of Okinawa, as well as damage sustained by raids and flamethrowers and forced mass suicides.

There are also exhibits on post-war life in Okinawa during American occupation such as life in internment camps.

In the Okinawa Peace Memorial Park, where the Peace Memorial Museum is located, are the Cornerstone of Peace Monuments, which are inscribed with the names of all those who perished in the war. There is also a large statue of Buddha to repose all those who lost their lives in the war and pray for eternal peace.