滝本 匠 
June 30, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo
By Mariko Nakamura
The Ryukyu Shimpo, in collaboration with Shinano Mainichi Shimbun from Nagano, released the results of a survey they conducted regarding the 32nd Army Headquarters Shelter in Okinawa and the Matsushiro Underground Imperial Headquarters in Nagano. The two newspapers ask their respective prefectures’ residents about thing such as their level of awareness of the shelters. For both shelters, over 84% of respondents overall answered, “[The shelters] should be preserved and made use of.” As an example of how they could be preserved and used, the most common response was, “they can be used for teaching peace studies,” at 48%. There was a strong indication in the survey of support of preserving and opening the shelter in Okinawa to the public as a way to support survivors of Japan’s error in making Okinawans the victims sacrificed so that Japan could prepare for a decisive battle on the mainland.
The 32nd Army Shelter served as the location of the Japanese Imperial Army’s command headquarters in the Battle of Okinawa. The Matsushiro shelter was planned to be used to move the imperial household and Japanese government if need be, although it was never used.
Both shelters shared a similar purpose, to defend a national polity in Japan that had the emperor at its head. Okinawa became a battle of attrition to buy time for the final battle on the mainland, which resulted in a large number of casualties. Battle of Okinawa scholar Masaie Ishihara, profession emeritus of Okinawa International University said, “There was no meaning to sacrificing those lives to defend the country, but it is what the country’s leaders thought to do.” He emphasized that preserving and making use of the 32nd Army and Matsushiro shelters will help strengthen the connection to the current state in Okinawa.
Over 80% of respondents (322 in Okinawa, 364 in Nagano) answered the shelters, “Should be preserved and put to use.” Only 5% of respondents (27 in Okinawa, 25 in Nagano) answered, “They should not be preserved and put to use.” 46% of people in Nagano (206 people) answered they “knew nothing about” the 32nd Army Shelter, and 62% of people in Okinawa (252 people) similarly answered they “knew nothing about” the Matsushiro Shelter.
Among the people from Nagano who answered they “knew nothing about” the fact that the Matsushiro shelter was being constructed while the Battle of Okinawa, there were some who blamed the fact that textbooks in school do not touch on the sacrificial chess piece that was the Battle of Okinawa.
The survey was conducted from June 8-16, conducted in conjunction by the Ryukyu Shimpo and the Shinano Mainichi Shimbun, with answers collected over the internet. The survey included eight questions about the 32nd Army and Matsushiro Shelters, asking things about respondents’ level of awareness of the two sites and their opinion on preserving and making use of them. There were 1,119 respondents; 403 from Okinawa, 445 from Nagano, and 271 from other locations.
(English translation by T&CT and Sam Grieb)
