Imperial family mourns WWII victims in two-day visit to Okinawa

Japan Times

2 days ago

Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter, Princess Aiko, on Thursday wrapped up their two-day visit to Okinawa Prefecture to mourn those killed in the Battle of Okinawa 80 years ago during the closing months of World War II.
It was Princess Aiko's first visit to Okinawa Prefecture, which reflected the imperial couple's wish that memories of the war be passed onto the next generation, according to a close aide.
On Thursday morning, the family visited a monument in Naha for the victims of the 1944 sinking of the Tsushima Maru evacuation ship, and laid bouquets of white flowers as they bowed deeply. They later visited the Tsushima-maru Memorial Museum.
In August 1944, the Tsushima Maru, carrying about 1,800 people, including schoolchildren and other evacuees from Okinawa, was sunk in a U.S. torpedo attack. According to the operator of the museum, at least 1,484 people were killed in the incident.
After arriving at Naha Airport on Wednesday, the imperial family traveled to the city of Itoman, a site of fierce ground battles, and laid flowers at the National War Dead Peace Mausoleum. The three bowed deeply in front of an ossuary holding remains.
At Itoman, the family also visited the Cornerstone of Peace, on which the names of some 240,000 war victims are engraved.
Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter, Princess Aiko, visit a monument for the victims of the 1944 sinking of the Tsushima Maru evacuation ship in Naha on Thursday. |
Jiji
They then viewed a permanent exhibition at the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum, looking closely at photographs and testimonies from the war.
The family also spoke with 10 individuals, including survivors and those who lost family members. The imperial couple offered words of comfort to them and the princess said she felt the importance of peace and of hearing about experiences directly from people in Okinawa.
Among the 10 was Rieko Tamaki, 91, from Naha, who lost eight of her 10 family members, including her father, brothers and grandparents, during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.
Tamaki told the imperial family that she had escaped alone through shellfire and that her father was a military doctor. The imperial family members expressed their sympathy as they listened to the story.
Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter, Princess Aiko, visit the Cornerstone of Peace, on which the names of some 240,000 war victims are engraved, in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, on Wednesday. |
pool / via Jiji
After the session, Tamaki told reporters, "I have complicated feelings about the emperor's family, but I felt their willingness to learn and understand."
In Okinawa, more than 200,000 people were killed in fierce ground battles in the final stages of World War II.
It was Emperor Naruhito's seventh visit to Okinawa and his third with Empress Masako. Their last visit took place in October 2022.
On Thursday afternoon, the family inspected restoration efforts for the main hall of Shuri Castle, which was destroyed by a fire in 2019, before returning to Tokyo on a special aircraft Thursday night.