Battle of Okinawa 75 years "Memorial Day" The memorial service for the war dead is reduced with the new corona 5:22 on June 23

On the 23rd, Okinawa celebrated the "Memorial Day" 75 years after the Battle of Okinawa where more than 200,000 people died. Due to the new coronavirus, it is difficult to remember as usual, but the prefecture is filled with prayers for peace.

In the Battle of Okinawa 75 years ago, more than 200,000 people were killed in a fierce ground battle involving residents, and one in four Okinawans lost their lives.

In Okinawa Prefecture, June 23, which is said to have ended the organized battle of the former Japanese army, is designated as "Memorial Day", and the memorial service for the war dead is held from noon in the Peace Memorial Park in Mabuni, Itoman City.

Due to the effect of the new coronavirus, the number of attendees, which had been about 5,000 until now, will be reduced to about 200, and guests from outside the prefecture, including Prime Minister Abe, and the general public will not be allowed to attend.

Since there are cases where memorial services and peace studies have been canceled in various parts of the prefecture, it is more difficult than ever to retain the memory of war.

On the other hand, about 70% of the facilities dedicated to the US military in Japan built after the war are still concentrated in Okinawa, and the Okinawa government, which opposes the relocation of the U.S. military Futenma base to Henoko, Nago city, opposes the relocation. The landfill is progressing while the conflict continues.

The "Memorial Day" 75 years after the Battle of Okinawa will renew the vow to peace and re-examine the heavy base burden in Okinawa.

1/5 of the war remains could not be confirmed

About one-fifth of the war remains such as a cave called Gama and a trench made by the former Japanese army that residents evacuated during the Battle of Okinawa 75 years ago were found to be unidentifiable. Experts say, "We should proceed with the discussion on preservation and utilization, including the designation of cultural assets."

In Okinawa Prefecture, there are war ruins and battlefields that keep the traces of the ground battles of the Okinawa battle.

NHK interviewed all 41 municipalities in Okinawa this month and found that there are at least 1563 battlefields in the prefecture, and about one-fifth of them, 296, cannot be confirmed.

If the existence cannot be confirmed, it is unavoidably destroyed or buried due to the construction of residential land and road construction, and there are cases where war survivors have witnessed their existence in the past but are now unknown. ..

In addition, multiple local governments responded, “I don't know because they haven't been conducting a survey recently,” and it is expected that the number of battlefields whose existence cannot be confirmed will increase.

Shinobu Yoshihama, a former professor at Okinawa International University who is familiar with battlefields in Okinawa, said, ``We have re-examined what happened to the battlefields we investigated in the past to inherit the memories of the war in Okinawa, and to save and utilize important battlefields Therefore, we have to discuss the matter, including the designation of cultural assets by the government."

Memory of the Battle of Okinawa

In a questionnaire survey on peace education for high school students in Okinawa Prefecture, 52.2% answered "No" to the question "Do you have any family members or relatives who can talk about the Battle of Okinawa?" Compared to 10 years ago, it increased by more than 17 points, and it became clear that it is becoming more difficult to pass on the memories of war from those who have experienced it each year.

This questionnaire survey has been conducted once every five years for 25 years from a group made up of history teachers, and this time from November last year to March this year, 1653 second year high school students in Okinawa prefecture got answers. It was

As a result, 95.5% of students answered “very important” or “it is important” about learning about the Battle of Okinawa, the highest number since the start of the survey.

On the other hand, 52.2% answered “No” and 30.3% answered “Yes” when asked “Is there any family or relatives who can talk about the Battle of Okinawa?”.

Compared to 10 years ago when this question was asked for the first time, the number of "not" increased by 17 points or more and "existence" decreased by 10 points or more, and the present situation that the narration of the war is decreasing due to aging I will.

According to the Okinawa History Education Study Group, which conducted a questionnaire survey, "It is unavoidable that the memories of the Battle of Okinawa have not been inherited at home. At the same time, we have to think about ways to convey the actual situation of the tragic Okinawan battle."