滝本 匠 
June 24, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Takuya Kayo
Seventy-seven years have passed since the end of the Battle of Okinawa. On Okinawa Memorial Day, June 23, the prefectural government and prefectural assembly hosted a memorial service at the Peace Memorial Park in Mabuni, Itoman to honor the more than 200,000 people who lost their lives in the Battle of Okinawa. Governor Denny Tamaki read a peace declaration, saying “We will teach the next generation about the realities and lessons of the Battle of Okinawa so that the horrific memories of war are not allowed to fade.” From early morning, memorial events were held throughout Okinawa Prefecture, where people swore to take on the mantle of opposing war and reaffirmed the prayers for eternal peace carved into monuments.
This year marks 50 years since Okinawa reverted to Japan. In his peace declaration, Governor Tamaki explained that in 1971, the Ryukyu government gave the Japanese government a proposal for the upcoming reversion, expressing a wish for a “peaceful island without military bases.” In spite of this, Tamaki said, incidents and pollution caused by the excessive burden of U.S. military bases in Okinawa continue to this day.
The prime minister attended for the first time in three years. Addressing attendees, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that the current peace is “because of the difficult history that Okinawa experienced,” and said that “we will do our utmost” to reduce the burden of the U.S. military bases. However, the prime minister did not comment directly on the relocation of Futenma Air Station and the construction of the new base in Henoko in Nago.
As the clock struck noon, attendees participated in a moment of silence. Then Chairman Tokumasa Miyagi of the Okinawa Prefecture Bereaved Family Association shared a message of condolences, saying, “Peace and prosperity are built on the most precious of foundations: those we have lost to war. We must never forget that.” He also touched on the Russian invasion of Ukraine during his comments. Afterwards, he explained, “The reports of the war coming out of Ukraine evoke the tragic experiences that are carved into the hearts of every bereaved family. That’s why I particularly wanted to share the feelings of bereaved families who were unable to attend today due to their age.”
After the peace declaration, Honona Tokumoto, a second grader at Yamauchi Elementary School, recited her poem of peace, “Learning Fear, I Understood Peace.”
More than 5000 people normally attend the ceremony, but the annual memorial has been scaled down since 2020 due to COVID-19. This year, attendance was increased to 340, ten times the attendance in 2021, but still scaled down out of consideration for the old age of the survivors of the Battle of Okinawa.
(English translation by T&CT and Ellen Huntley)
