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The Mainichi
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Editorial: Never forget Okinawa's WWII history and the enormous civilian casualties
Okinawa on June 23 observed "Memorial Day," marking the day 80 years ago when organized combat between the then Imperial Japanese military and U.S. forces is said to have ended. We must never forget the history of forcing a tremendous sacrifice upon Okinawa residents due to the gruesome ground battle waged in the final phases of World War II. During the war, the Japanese military made Okinawa a "sacrificial stone" to buy time to prepare for decisive battles on mainland Japan. After the fall of its command headquarters in Shuri, present-day Naha, the Japanese military continued to resist while retreating to the south of Okinawa's main island, embroiling numerous residents in the fighting. Of the approximately 188,000 deaths on the Japanese side, half were residents. The Japanese military's attitude of prolonging the fighting without hesitating civilian sacrifices has left a lingering sense of distrust among Okinawa Prefecture residents. What is concerning is that there are moves to turn people's eyes away from this history. The past must never be distorted An epitome of such moves was the remarks made by Shoji Nishida, a Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker of the House of Councillors, at a meeting held in Naha this May. Regarding an exhibit at the Himeyuri Cenotaph in Itoman, erected in memory of female students and their teachers who perished in the Battle of Okinawa after being mobilized as nurses into the Himeyuri Student Corps, Nishida unilaterally claimed that there were descriptions to the effect that, "The Japanese military rolled into the area, leaving the Himeyuri corps to die. Then the U.S. troops came in, setting Okinawa free." He criticized the exhibit as "rewriting history," and also stated, "Japan cannot become independent unless we create a history that we can be convinced of." Of the 136 Himeyuri corps members who died, more than 80% lost their lives after being thrown out into the battlefield following a Japanese military order for the corps to disband. Nishida's remarks do not reflect the realities of the Battle of Okinawa and are unacceptable. Fumiaki Nozoe, a professor at Okinawa International University who specializes in Japanese diplomatic history, pointed out, "Mr. Nishida's remarks distort the facts. Okinawa residents are harboring a feeling of alienation that the history of Okinawa has not been shared with mainland Japan, and are becoming increasingly concerned that wars could be repeated again." It is precisely because of these circumstances that the importance of passing down the experiences of the war is ever growing. With the war generation dwindling, young people's activities to convey wartime records and survivors' testimonies have come under the spotlight. Nitsuki Karimata, 27, launched Savira, a company providing peace studies program for school trips, with her peers. The program not only introduces the testimonies of survivors while guiding students at former battle sites, but also provides an opportunity for them to discuss themes such as "what is needed for building peace." Karimata started the firm after finding the peace education she received was insufficient. "Even when people who experienced the war shared their valuable stories, it was hard to understand without advance knowledge. I also wanted a clear explanation for why the war had started," she recalled. Through her activities, she has increasingly felt, "It is important to not ignore the past. We must pass on the lessons even 100 years, or 200 years after the war." Japan must take Okinawa's burden as its own affair Even after 80 years have passed since the end of the war, Okinawa's "postwar" period has not ended. The prefecture has continued to face "structural discrimination," being forced to host U.S. military bases in the name of maintaining security, inflicting burdens on residents. During the 27 years of U.S. military rule of Okinawa before its reversion to Japan, residents were deprived of their land through heavy-handed tactics for the construction of bases. Even today, about 70% of U.S. military-exclusive facilities in Japan are concentrated in Okinawa in terms of land area, including airfields and maneuver areas. In disregard of Okinawa residents' calls for reducing the burden of hosting the bases, the Japanese government has been pressing ahead with the planned relocation within Okinawa of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the Henoko district of Nago. In a 2019 prefectural referendum, 70% of voters opposed the land reclamation of areas off Henoko for the construction of the new base. There is also no end to sex crimes committed by U.S. servicemen in Okinawa. The Japanese government has nevertheless failed to tackle the revision of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, which has hindered prosecution of U.S. military personnel in the country. Cases also emerged where the Japanese government and Okinawa Prefectural Police did not inform the Okinawa Prefectural Government of those incidents. Such actions that ignore the victims' human rights are unacceptable. The U.S. military bases that were installed in mainland Japan in the wake of the country's defeat in the war have subsequently been consolidated and compacted, yet Okinawa continues to bear a heavy burden. Professor Nozoe urged, "More of the U.S. military training in Okinawa should be hosted by mainland Japan to help reduce Okinawa's burdens." As China steps up its maritime advancements, a number of new Japanese Self-Defense Forces bases have been established on Sakishima Islands in Okinawa. A plan to evacuate Sakishima residents to Kyushu and elsewhere in the event of contingencies in Taiwan was also announced. The government should listen to the backlash by local residents harboring concerns that Okinawa could once again be the target of military attacks. What is required now is to treat Okinawa's security burden not as a local issue but as Japan's own problem. Facing up to the history and realities of the Battle of Okinawa will be the starting point for these endeavors.
Asahi Shimbun
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Ishiba decries civilian deaths at Okinawa memorial for slain nurses
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba tours the Himeyuri Peace Museum in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, guided by the museum's director, Chokei Futenma, on June 23. (Pool) 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.)
23-06-2025
- Politics
Ishiba Visits Himeyuri Monument in Okinawa
News from Japan Politics Jun 23, 2025 19:04 (JST) Itoman, Okinawa Pref., June 23 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Monday laid flowers at a monument in the city of Itoman in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa that was erected to remember the Himeyuri corps of female students who died in the Battle of Okinawa during the final phase of World War II. He was the first sitting prime minister in 13 years to visit the monument. "I visited this place with a desire for peace and the admonition that I must etch the misery of the war in my mind again," Ishiba told reporters. The visit by Ishiba, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, came after Shoji Nishida, an LDP member of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, faced a public backlash for saying that exhibits about the Himeyuri corps were a rewriting of history. Earlier on Monday, Ishiba attended a memorial ceremony to remember people who lost their lives in the 1945 fierce ground battle in Okinawa. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Asahi Shimbun
23-06-2025
- General
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: Himeyuri Student Corps survivors pass on cruelty of war
The Himeyuri-no-to memorial in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, stands on top of a natural cave where many girls of the Himeyuri Student Corps were buried after the 1945 Battle of Okinawa. The Himeyuri Peace Museum is seen in the back left. (Kazuyuki Ito) Why didn't they flee? That question was often asked by visitors unfamiliar with the 1945 Battle of Okinawa when the Himeyuri Peace Museum first opened 36 years ago. The Himeyuri Student Corps—comprised of students age 15 to 19 from two local girls' schools and their teachers—had been mobilized as nursing aides during the Pacific War's bloodiest battle. Swept up in the chaos, they were later disbanded by military order, left to wander the battlefield with no shelter, and many lost their lives. From elementary school, these students had been steeped in militaristic education. The notion of defying orders or fleeing conscription simply never entered their minds. When the military abandoned them, there was nowhere left to run. Survivors of the corps have spent decades bearing witness, determined to convey the harrowing realities they endured. They speak not only for themselves, but for the classmates who never made it home. In a commemorative publication released in 2010, Tsuru Motomura (1925–2023), a survivor of the student corps and former director of the Himeyuri Peace Museum, who died two years ago at the age of 97, reflected with others on their shared commitment to passing the memory of the war on to future generations. As part of that effort, they visited Takeshi Nakatani, the sole official Japanese-speaking guide at Poland's Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, which is dedicated to educating visitors about the Nazi death camps. They were deeply moved by his words. It was through this encounter that they realized: Even without having lived through such atrocities, one can still bear witness. That understanding gave them the resolve to entrust the mission of remembrance to those who would follow. June 23 is Okinawa Memorial Day, a commemorative date established by Okinawa Prefecture to honor those who perished in the Battle of Okinawa. Now, 80 years after the brutal conflict, a vital question remains: How can we ensure the memory of the Himeyuri tragedy is carried forward? So long as the stories are told, future generations can grasp the true face of war—and imagine that it is ordinary people who are caught in its path and sacrificed. Coincidentally, on June 22, Japan time, the U.S. military announced it had conducted airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities. Watching U.S. President Donald Trump boast of the strikes as a 'spectacular military success,' I did not think that he saw the people who have gotten caught up. We owe thanks to the survivors of Himeyuri. Because they shared their stories, we can imagine what it was like for those who lived through war. And we are able, once again, to renew our resolve that this must never be repeated. —The Asahi Shimbun, June 23 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
22-06-2025
- General
The Battle of Okinawa
Cultural Snapshots Guide to Japan History Jun 23, 2025 One of the most important war anniversaries in Japan each year marks the June 23, 1945, end of the Battle of Okinawa, a conflict that resulted in the death of more than 200,000 soldiers and civilians. Lasting from April 1 to June 23, 1945, the Battle of Okinawa was a major land-based conflict between Japanese and US forces in the closing stages of World War II that resulted in the deaths of more than 200,000 soldiers and civilians. The Himeyuri student corps, who were female students and teachers mobilized to care for soldiers, are particularly remembered in Japan for the terrible conditions they faced on the front line; many died, including by mass suicide. June 23 is Okinawa Memorial Day in Japan, marking the last day of organized fighting on the island. Each year, a memorial service is held at Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture. The park's Cornerstone of Peace records the names of all who died in the battle, regardless of nationality. It has been declared a prefectural holiday, dedicated to consoling the dead and praying for peace. (Originally written in English. Banner photo: A man leaves an offering of flowers before the Cornerstone of Peace at Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, Okinawa, on June 23, 2019. © Jiji.) Okinawa World War II
