A woman prays at the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman on Tuesday morning in this image taken from TV.

Okinawa marks 64th anniversary of WWII battle

Tuesday 23rd June, 01:21 PM JST

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jacqueshellacque at 10:37 PM JST - 23rd June

The traditional start of the mawkish season. TV will be full of war documentaries, always about how badly Japanese suffered, culminating on August 6, the day Japanese Suffered More Than Sentient Being Have Ever Suffered In The History Of The Universe.
bampaku at 11:44 PM JST - 23rd June

This oft-heard line from Japanese politicians, that "Japan's current prosperity was built on the sacrifices of the war dead," rings very hollow. What did their deaths win for Japan? Only one thing in the end - retention of the emperor system.

The war completely destroyed the Japanese economy; it's current wealth was built entirely AFTER the war, starting with U.S. loans and a super-human effort by the survivors.

I think the politicians are trying to emulate the American mantra that "our current freedom was won by those who died," etc.
But since Japan's war dead did not win freedom for the Japanese (it was given to them by MacArthur), and Japanese don't value freedom anyway, the only thing the politicians can do is claim that all those soldiers died for everyone's "economic prosperity," even though there is obviously no connection between the two.

Though I have great respect for the majority of Japanese soldiers, the tragic truth is they died for nothing, and that's just too much for many people to admit.
LIBERTAS at 11:45 PM JST - 23rd June

timorborder What a tragic situation to find themselves in. Something tells me that (a) economically Okinawa is almost a basket-case supported by subsidies, government services and tourism, and (b) that their plight will get a lot worse (in the event of a firefight over resources with the neighbours), before it gets any better. Talk about paradise lost.
OssanAmerica at 12:24 AM JST - 24th June

Know that thousands of Okinawans died by suicide as demanded by the >Japanese troops who felt the Okinawans should die in the best interests >of the Emperor

True many did die that way. And so did many IJA soldiers. But many Okinawan civilians believed they would be killed by the invading Americans anyway. And there are instances of allied forces, not just US Marines, taking an unofficial no-prisoner policy on their own.
usaexpat at 12:50 AM JST - 24th June

bampaku: their sacrifices indirectly did lead to postwar prosperity. It is the destrcution of the war, the re-writing of the constitution and the fortitude of that generation that brought about Japan's riches today. Had the empire not been torn down it would never be where it is today. You stated it yourself but drew a different conclusion.
OssanAmerica at 04:22 AM JST - 24th June

This oft-heard line from Japanese politicians, that "Japan's current >prosperity was built on the sacrifices of the war dead," rings very >hollow. What did their deaths win for Japan? Only one thing in the end - >retention of the emperor system.

Disagree with your last comment. The Emperor System was not retained in that the State and the Emperor were now constitutionally separated, and the Emperor was reduced to a Symbol, unlike pre-WWII when the Emperor WAS the State. This may not mean much to you but it's the difference between a car with an engine and without.
YuriOtani at 05:56 AM JST - 24th June

So sorry the Japanese are not the only ones to blame for the civilian dead in Okinawa (wonders about the stories and there was the absent Japanese side of the story). One must remember killing civilians was nothing to the US military. Remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as the firebombing of Tokyo, the bombings of Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, etc. The Americans says the atomic bombs saved American military lives by the deliberate killings of civilians. Killing millions of Japanese nationals was nothing as long as it saved "American" lives. I like the lie they had to kill Japanese nations to save them. Now our island is still under military occupation. When will the Americans leave our peaceful island?
OssanAmerica at 06:09 AM JST - 24th June

When will the Americans leave our peaceful island?

When the Japanese Govt asks us to. But before that the constitution needs to revamped so that Japan defend herself. If you really want US troops to leave get to work.
WMD at 06:50 AM JST - 24th June

When will the Americans leave our peaceful island?

Yes the Americans should leave right away and leave little japan to defend itself against a nuclear North Korea, Russia and China. As the second biggest economy, at the moment for a short while, it's just ridiculous that daddy USA is always holding the child's hand.
veilside at 06:56 AM JST - 24th June

So sorry the Japanese are not the only ones to blame for the civilian dead in Okinawa (wonders about the stories and there was the absent Japanese side of the story). One must remember killing civilians was nothing to the US military. Remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as the firebombing of Tokyo, the bombings of Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, etc. The Americans says the atomic bombs saved American military lives by the deliberate killings of civilians. Killing millions of Japanese nationals was nothing as long as it saved "American" lives. I like the lie they had to kill Japanese nations to save them. Now our island is still under military occupation. When will the Americans leave our peaceful island?

I do not know how old you are, YuriOtani, but it is not for us living today to judge on those who lived - and died - 64 years ago. Whatever we have today - frozen foods to genetically engineered crops - is on account of those who lived, survived or perished during those turbulent times.

And if you did live in that time, I submit your reading focus needs to be expanded to a global perspective. I disagree with your views and tone, especially towards the "deliberate killings of civilians".
sfjp330 at 07:20 AM JST - 24th June

Yuri Otani,

Are you really serious about your article on the 24th? You offend me and all the U.S. citizens. You stated "one must remember killing civilians was nothing to US military". Well what was the behavior of the Japanese military in Manchuria, Nanking, Manila, South East Asia, Korea, etc, etc, to the civilians? I imagine you are a supporter of Japanese military during the WW2. The Japanese military was more brutal to the civilians as Nazi Germany. I don't have to defend U.S. Military. Ask the Chinese and Koreans if Japanese military was so nice.
YuriOtani at 07:31 AM JST - 24th June

veilside, I think about my dead family many of some of them were killed out of hand. So sorry it is hard for me to support the American view. Then again they won the war thus might makes right.

sfjp330, be offended I could care less. My family of Okinawa just did what they were told to do. Getting conscripted to work for the military and getting shot by the Americans who could not tell between the uniforms of a labor gang and a soldier. It was prejudge that drove the US military to kill. The mainlanders killed a lot of Okinawa people but what of the carpet bombing done by the Americans?
amerijap at 08:31 AM JST - 24th June

The Americans says the atomic bombs saved American military lives by the deliberate killings of civilians. Killing millions of Japanese nationals was nothing as long as it saved "American" lives.

No one denies that what the US did upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki is an unjustifiable act of crime against humanity. However, I find the word "Americans" in your sentence troublesome. Your fiery tone of accusation that rests on your target agent is problematic, because you identify the US servicemen in the Okinawa military base with American soldiers during WWII(your presumed antagonist). Even though some servicemen at the military base have some troubles with local residents(sexual assaults or any other misconducts), they ARE still different from the "Americans" who justify the deliberate killings of civilians through the means of nuclear bombs.

I agree that the US military base in Okinawa has serious problems with their ordinary discipline of soldiers. Neither the US nor the Japanese government is getting down to the brass tacks regarding the issues that might deeply rooted in historical/cultural conflicts. However, for the sake of the argument, I have to say it is not fair to generalize the US servicemen in Okinawa as tactical and hypocritical and demonize them in your use of "Americans".

There's no argument in the authenticity of the tragic memories of Okinawa. Their precious lives were ruined by the US soldiers as well as Japanese army in the scourge of war. Please keep in mind that what "Americans" believed in WWII does not reflect what "Americans" are now believing in the 21st century. Not all of them are following Truman's rhetoric. Most Americans residing in Japan, I reckon, are generally understanding and sympathetic to the tragic memories of Japan's wartime.
medievaltimes at 12:06 AM JST - 25th June

I think about my dead family many of some of them were killed out of hand. So sorry it is hard for me to support the American view.

You (like anybody else) are entitled to have your feeling and to feel the way you do. Its all good.

But I do have a question for you. Do you think that the bushido code of "never surrender" and "fight to the last person" are at all responsible for the battle of Okinawa, firebombings, Hiroshima and Nagasaki etc?
medievaltimes at 12:27 AM JST - 25th June

No one denies that what the US did upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki is an unjustifiable act of crime against humanity.

Ahhh...not quite. Both sides make interesting points. Check it out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DebateovertheatomicbombingsofHiroshimaandNagasaki