Where are we today? Day 2 Naha, Okinawa

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Across the enormous, beautiful Pacific, there is a shadow, and that is the effects of WWII.  Dave and I took a taxi about 40 minutes from Naha to the Okinawa Perfectual Peace Memorial Museum, where the names of the 200,000 people who died in the bombing of Okinawa are etched in granite. 




There is no way I can show by photo how huge the memorial is. Of course, it made me think of the Vietnam Memorial in DC. 



It was only in the 60’s today, and it was misty and cloudy.  That only added to the serious ambiance.  


Inside, we learned of the horrendous suffering of the Okinawan people.  The exhibit traced the beginnings of the conflict in Asia and the Pacific, and gave a brief history of the Japanese domination of the original Ryukyu kingdom of the Okinawan islands in the 1870’s. Thereafter, the Okinawans were propelled through Japanese conflicts in Asia toward the events of WWII and its aftermath.  The things that happened are too many and too sad to blog about. 

The picture above is a child that a soldier rescued from one of the many mass suicides that took place in places like Saipan and Okinawa as the Americans advanced.  People were told propaganda against the US that terrified them more than the prospect of death. They were also told that to die at their own hand was more honorable than to surrender. 



From the Okinawan point of view, they suffered at the hands of both the Japanese and the Americans.  

At the end of the exhibit are message boards where you can leave prayers for peace. 

We had a cheerful afternoon, so I will save that for the next blog. 

Sayonara! 




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