News記事

The Battle of Okinawa was one of the bloodiest land battles in the Pacific, with historians calling it a “war of attrition” by the Imperial Japanese Army to prevent the U.S. from reaching the Japanese mainland. In Okinawa, a memorial day known as Irei no Hi (慰霊の日) is observed annually on June 23 with messages of peace from the Governor and local students. This date is officially documented as the end of the battle in 1945, although Okinawa’s suffering continued long after.

Special guest speaker Kazuyuki Nakazato, the Director of the Okinawa Prefecture Government Washington D.C. Office, will outline key points of the battle and introduce the unwavering efforts of the Okinawan government as well as nongovernmental groups to promote and perpetuate peace through the preservation of wartime and postwar history; establishment of educational facilities, memorial sites, and guided tours; Governor Denny Tamaki’s recent formation of the Peace and Subnational Diplomacy Promotion Division (平和・地域外交推進課); and more.