It has been 50 years since Okinawa returned to the mainland in 15 days.


A commemorative ceremony jointly held by the government and Okinawa Prefecture will be held simultaneously at two venues, Okinawa and Tokyo, from 2:00 pm, and Governor Tamaki will appeal for solutions to Okinawa's problems.

The ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Okinawa's return to the mainland on May 15, 1972 was co-sponsored by the government and the prefecture from 2:00 pm on the 15th, in Ginowan City, Okinawa Prefecture and 2 in Tokyo. It will be held at two venues at the same time.



Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress will attend the ceremony online, with more than 1,700 people including Prime Minister Kishida and Governor Tamaki at the Okinawa venue and Ambassador Emmanuel of the United States to Japan at the Tokyo venue.



After the ceremony, a reception will be held to showcase traditional Okinawan performing arts.



At the Okinawa Convention Center at the Okinawa venue, preparations were underway, such as checking the flow of the ceremony on the stage on the morning of the 15th.



In Okinawa, 70% of the facilities dedicated to the U.S. military in Japan are still concentrated, and in terms of economy, the prefectural income is only 75% of the whole country, and in order to realize the "mainland level" that people expected at the time of return. Many challenges remain.



At the ceremony, Governor Tamaki will appeal for the solution of these issues.

At the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, the last fierce battlefield

At the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman City, which was the final battleground of the Battle of Okinawa, people were seen early in the morning mourning the war dead and praying for peace.



In the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, 77 years ago, more than 200,000 people died in the ground battle involving residents, and one in four people in the prefecture died.



The Peace Memorial Park in Mabuni, Itoman City, which was the last fierce battlefield, was raining occasionally on the 15th, the same as on the day of its return.

In front of the cornerstone of peace engraved with the names of the war dead, we saw people offering flowers and holding hands early in the morning.



Among them, a 70-year-old woman who lost her uncle in the Battle of Okinawa said, "Today is 50 years since I returned, so I came along with it. I want a peaceful world to continue."


A 63-year-old man from Itoman said, "Although the economy has developed, there are many issues in Okinawa, so it is a complicated feeling whether it was good or bad to return."

Around the memorial ceremony venue 50 years ago

Fifty years ago, on May 15, 1972, a government-sponsored commemorative ceremony was held at the Naha Civic Hall, which is currently closed due to deterioration, and the park next door remains an American base. A demonstration was held to protest the return.



On the morning of the 15th, various voices were heard about the return to the mainland around the venue at that time.

A woman in her 70s in Naha said, "Okinawa was an isolated island, so I was able to move freely to and from Tokyo, and I'm glad I returned to the mainland."



Another woman in her 70s in Naha said, "Don't think about it as a person other than Okinawa, but think deeply about 70% of the US military facilities nationwide in a small area. I felt pain. I want to understand the importance of living in peace while thinking about the feelings of our predecessors. "



A woman in her 80s in Naha said, "I'm glad I returned because I can go to and from the mainland without a passport. However, even after 50 years, I think the difference in income from the mainland remains severe. I think people don't know about Okinawa yet, so I want them to know about Okinawa a little deeper. "



An 18-year-old female university student in Naha said, "I haven't experienced the war, and there are many things I can't understand just by looking at and hearing. I want to learn a lot about Okinawa from now on."

Camp Zukeran Today also raises the flags of both Japan and the United States

At the Camp Zukeran in Kitanakagusuku Village, where the base headquarters of the US Marine Corps stationed in Okinawa is located, the flags of both Japan and the United States were raised on the 15th.



While the national anthems of both countries were playing after 8 am on the 15th, Marines and Japanese base employees raised the Star-Spangled Banner and the Hinomaru flag, respectively.



Of these, the Star-Spangled Banner was a half-mast to express condolences to the Marine Corps officials who died this month.