Ishiba decries civilian deaths at Okinawa memorial for slain nurses
ITOMAN, Okinawa Prefecture—In a rare move, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba visited the Himeyuri-no-to memorial here on June 23 as part of events marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa.
He is the first sitting prime minister in 30 years to visit the memorial on the anniversary day since Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama did so in 1995.
But Ishiba's visit follows another highly unusual move by ruling party lawmaker Shoji Nishida to denigrate the Himeyuri-no-to memorial, which commemorates 227 people, mainly student nurses, who were killed in the battle.
Nishida said the memorial was 'terrible' and distorted history.
Ishiba was asked by a reporter if he visited the facility because of Nishida's offensive remarks, but the prime minister did not mention the lawmaker by name.
However, a source close to Ishiba said, 'After the issue with Nishida, (Ishiba) could not avoid visiting the Himeyuri-no-to memorial.'
Ishiba stopped by at the site after attending a ceremony memorializing victims of the 1945 Battle of Okinawa.
He placed flowers on the altar and held a silent prayer for about five seconds, bowing his head in respect.
He also visited the adjacent Himeyuri Peace Museum, which exhibits video testimonies and photos to convey the realities of the Battle of Okinawa and the state of education that sent students to the battlefield.
'I really wanted to be here,' Ishiba told reporters. 'The desire that there should be no more wars and the tragedy of war … I have come here with the thought that I must engrave them on my heart once again.'
The Himeyuri (star lily) Student Corps, consisting of girls from two schools in Okinawa Prefecture, were mobilized as nursing personnel for the bloodiest battle of the Pacific theater of World War II.
Nishida, an Upper House member of the Liberal Democratic Party, made the disparaging remarks about the Himeyuri memorial at a symposium held in the Okinawa prefectural capital of Naha in May.
Behind his remarks were his claims that education in Okinawa Prefecture has distorted history, such as portraying U.S. troops as liberators.
Nishida was harshly criticized, especially by those who survived the battle, as 'not understanding the reality of the situation.'
The Okinawa prefectural assembly passed a protest resolution demanding an apology and a retraction.
Opposition parties and also members of the LDP joined in the criticism.
Ishiba stated in the Diet that he and Nishida have different understandings about the battle. The prime minister also apologized as the head of the LDP to Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki.
Nishida himself apologized and partially retracted his remarks about the Himeyuri memorial, but local anger has not abated.
By visiting the site himself, Ishiba wanted to clearly demonstrate once again that he was not in agreement with Nishida's remarks, sources said.
'The lesson that civilians should never be placed on the battlefield must continue to be taught,' Ishiba said.
More than 200,000 people from both the Japanese and U.S. sides, including tens of thousands of civilians, died in the Battle of Okinawa.
The island prefecture today continues to host around 70 percent of U.S. military facilities in Japan. Residents have long complained about the noise, accidents and crimes stemming from U.S. bases.
The prefecture is demanding revisions of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, which critics say is 'unequal,' particularly concerning accidents and crimes involving U.S. military personnel.
'We have to seriously tackle this issue,' Ishiba said on June 23. 'I would like to compare and contrast (agreements) in other countries and promote discussions in the entire political arena.'
Regarding the relocation of the U.S. Futenma Air Station in Ginowan in Okinawa Prefecture to the Henoko district in Nago, also in the prefecture, Ishiba has set up a forum for direct discussions with Ginowan city officials.
By doing so, he has made clear he will push ahead with the relocation project without the prefecture, which opposes it.
(This article was written by Kae Kawashima, Kazuyuki Ito and Kazuki Uechi.)
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