Okinawa | Peace Memorial Park and Himeyuri Peace Museum

Apr 13, 20224 min read

Updated: Sep 18, 2022

Date I went: 03/29/2020

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Okinawa has a tragic past regarding its role in World War 2. I learned more about this history at the Peace Memorial Park. The Peace Memorial Park is located on the Southern coast of Okinawa in an area called Itoman.

Memorial Park: https://heiwa-irei-okinawa.jp/aboutthepark/

Battle of Okinawa: https://www.jahitchcock.com/mabuni.html

Zoom Out Peace Memorial Park (平和祈念公園)

Close Up Peace Memorial Park

It's located right off the main road going around the coast so it's not hard to find.

The park is a memorial to the Okinawans who died in the Battle of Okinawa towards the end of World War 2. I don't want to go into too much of the war history so please do your own research on the topic. Today I want to focus on the park and museum.

Hiking trails around the park

The memorial park is very wide open and gives you a sense of how important this event was to the island of Okinawa. More than half the population at the time was lost in this battle and the weight of the tragedy is definitely not understated in the park and around other areas in Okinawa. I found it interesting that there were playground areas in the park for children to invite them into this sacred space. I would imagine it is so they can learn more about this history as well just from being in the area.

Coastal views on the hiking trails

The park offers some serene coastal views on the hiking trails going around. The trails are numerous and very well marked. There were many wooden paths leading through the coastal routes so that anyone could enjoy the scenery and take in the depth of what this area means to Okinawa.

Views of the Peace Memorial Park and Okinawa Peace Hall

It's easy to see from this observation deck in the park how large the park is.

Various memorials/monuments around the park

Around the park there are countless memorials in all different shapes and sizes, and with various inscriptions that I could not read as they were in Japanese.

Some more views on the trails around the park

You can really get lost walking around the various trails and paths in the park. One could spend a few hours here just exploring.

Kondei Memorial Tower (沖縄師範健児之塔)

The memorials are scattered all around the park and continually remind any park goers about the history of what happened during the battle in Okinawa.

Kenji no Tou no Hama (健児之塔の浜)

If you walk towards the west end of the park trails you can find a path leading down to the coast and take in the tranquil tide pools and dynamic rock formations of Okinawa.

Michinoku Tower (Aomori Prefecture) みちのくの塔（青森県）

There are 32 prefectures in Japan which have distinguished memorials. The one pictured here is from Aomori prefecture in the North of Japan. Memorial services are held each year at these specific memorials.

Coastal views from the Peace Memorial Park

The Okinawans fled to these Southern coasts towards the end of the battle as they were pushed back by the American army. There are natural limestone caves embedded in the cliffs that they hid in and some are open for the public to tour in.

Wide shot of the Peace Memorial Park and Cornerstone of Peace

Other curious paths around the park

Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum (沖縄県平和祈念資料館)

You can learn more about the history of the battle at the museum here.

Cornerstone of Peace (平和の礎)

The most tragic memorial at the park was definitely the cornerstone of peace. Over 240,000 names are inscribed on the plaques.

Hill of Peace (平和の丘)

The dome like shape of this memorial was created to symbolize the caves the Okinawans hid in during the battle.

Multipurpose Open Space (平和祈念公園多目的広場)

Okinawans can use this wide open green space for relaxing and for communal activities.

Okinawa Peace Hall (沖縄平和祈念堂)

The Peace Hall has a buddha inside for people to give their prayers and thoughts to. It overlooks the park and is visible from far around the area as a symbol of peace in Okinawa.

The Himeyuri Peace Museum (ひめゆり平和祈念資料館)

The Himeyuri Peace Museum is another place where I learned of the tragedies in World War 2. You can learn more about the history of the museum here.

Himeyuri Peace Museum: https://www.himeyuri.or.jp/JP/top.html

Drive from the Peace Memorial Park to Himeyuri Museum (Only about 7 minutes by car)

The Himeyuri Peace Museum and the Peace Memorial Park are very interconnected. Many students around Okinawa were mobilized into the Japanese military at the start of the battle in Okinawa. 240 students and teachers from the "The Okinawa Female Normal School" and "The Okinawa First Girls' High School" were conscripted. They mostly worked as nurses in the army field hospitals, but as the war situation grew worse for Japan the Okinawans retreated further south to the Itoman district where many ended up perishing towards the end of the battle. The Himeyuri Peace Museum is located where these two schools used to be; the two schools were destroyed during the battle.

In Japanese the names of the schools are 沖縄師範学校女子部 (The Okinawa Female Normal School) and 沖縄県立第一高等女学校 (The Okinawa First Girls' High School)

Himeyuri Memorial Tower (ひめゆりの塔)

Located next to the museum is the Himeyuri Memorial Tower. Many flowers adorn the memorial as tokens of remembrance to the Himeyuri students.

In Japan there is a legend that if you fold 1,000 paper cranes your wish will be granted. I would imagine the wishes that people made for the folded cranes at the Himeyuri museum are for peace in Okinawa.

Inside the museum you can learn more about the tragedy that occurred with the Himeyuri students. It felt like a lot of the message being presented in the museum was that it was very unnecessary for them to die in this battle and that future generations need to remember that

war brings so much tragedy.