Photographing the command bunker in the basement of Shuri Castle Deep memory of the Pacific War

A photo of the command bunker in the basement of Shuri Castle is remembered for the Pacific War 20:43 on August 2

k10012547051_202008022031_202008022040.mp4

I used to work inside the command bunker that was built in the basement of Shuri Castle by the former Japanese army during the Battle of Okinawa at the end of the Pacific War. It has a strong memory of the war, such as the trace that it was said to have bombed the inside when the former Japanese army withdrew, and experts saved it as "the most valuable place to know the battle of Okinawa" And seeking public disclosure.

The filming was approved for the "32nd Army Command Headquarters" of the former Japanese Army, which remains in the basement of Shuri Castle in Naha City.

During the Battle of Okinawa 75 years ago, when more than 200,000 people died, the former Japanese army built about 1 km underground about 30 meters deep and withdrew to the southern part of the main island of Okinawa as the war situation worsened. , Was in command of the battle.

Because of the high risk of collapse, entry has been strictly restricted, but this time, I got into the interior deep inside and photographed only after special permission was obtained from the managing Okinawa prefecture.

Inside the trench, a room is set up along the aisle, equipment such as guns and helmets are still left, and the wall is marked with a mark that seems to have been dug with a pickaxe.

At 150 meters from the entrance, the wall collapsed and it was impossible to proceed further, and it is said to have been a blast when the former Japanese army withdrew.

Due to the withdrawal of the former Japanese army to the southern part of the main island of Okinawa, residents became involved in the battlefield.According to the records of Okinawa prefecture, it is about half of the victims of residents excluding military personnel and military affiliations. It is said that 46,000 people lost their lives in the month following their withdrawal.

Shinobu Yoshihama, a former professor at Okinawa International University who is familiar with battlefields, said, “The tragedy of the Battle of Okinawa is concentrated in the month after the withdrawal to the south. The most valuable place to learn about the Battle of Okinawa. Then, without seeing both sides of Shuri Castle on the ground and the command bunker below, it will not lead to a correct understanding of history."

Outstanding obsolete guns and helmets are left behind...

The entrance and exit of the command bunker is locked and locked by iron doors, and I took the picture this time in the presence of Okinawa.

It is kept at about 23 degrees even in hot Okinawa, but in some places it is only high enough to hit your head if you do not crouch.

What is noticeable is the deterioration of the interior, and the rocks that have collapsed are falling here and there.

In the room that was described as a kitchen by the records of the former Japanese army, a large rock about 2 meters in diameter collapsed and the ceiling was cracked.

There was a gun, a helmet, and a machine like a radio in the room about 6 tatami.

In order to prevent the collapse, steel pillars and beams were installed in 189 places inside, and foam polystyrene was laid between the beams and the ceiling.

Further 100 meters from the entrance, it was so muddy that my feet were buried in the mud due to groundwater.

If you look closely at the mud-like ground, you can see a tree about 60 cm long that seems to have been used as a trolley sleeper.

When I reached 150 meters from the entrance, I was blocked by the earth and sand that filled the passage.

It is said to have been an internal bomb when the former Japanese army withdrew.

It was not possible to enter the center of the staff room and the operation room, which were allegedly ahead, and the entire picture of the command bunker has not been revealed even 75 years after the war.

Commanding center for the Battle of Okinawa "32nd Army Headquarters"

The "32nd Army Headquarters" was built to traverse the basement of Shuri Castle from north to south.

It is said that this place was chosen because there was an underground ground that could withstand US military gun fire and other reasons, and it was on a hill.

At the time, it was the center of battle command for the Battle of Okinawa, which was said to have had about 1,000 people, and a violent battle with the US Army was carried out in the vicinity.

Of the five confirmed entrances, the entrance on the north side near Shureimon is closed due to the collapse, and the entrance about 300 meters southwest of Shurijo Shrine is the only one at that time. It is left.

Saving and public movement

In Okinawa, the historical value of the "32nd Army Headquarters" is attracting attention.

In May 1945, the 32nd Army withdrew its headquarters to Mabuni in Itoman City as the US Army proceeded to siege Shuri, and decided to hold an endurance battle in the southern part of the main island.

As a result, residents who were evacuated to the south were caught up in the battlefield, and it is important to know the actual situation of the Battle of Okinawa. Is coming out.

Those who experienced the Battle of Okinawa will form a citizen group this March, and will carry out activities to request disclosure through SNS and other means.

In addition, the governor of Okinawa Prefecture, Tamaki, has set up a review committee consisting of experts in June this year, and has indicated that he will consider how to save and disclose the information.

On the other hand, according to Okinawa Prefecture, there is a high risk that the inside will be lost due to weathering, and there are many technical issues regarding how to maintain safety while preserving the appearance of the time.

Asami Takayama, vice-chairman of the civic group, said, "I would like to rebuild the Shurijo Castle, which is a symbol of Okinawa, and to develop and expose the bunker of the headquarters, which has a negative history. You can learn more about history."