The Peace Zone
This area is comprised of the Peace Memorial Museum, the Peace Memorial Hall, the Cornerstone of Peace, and the Flame of Peace.

Peace Memorial Museum
Focused largely on the impact of the battle on the lives of Okinawan civilians, the Peace Memorial Museum is intended to teach the public about the horrors of war. Permanent exhibits explain the history of the battle from beginning to end and include audiovisual aids such as films, historical objects, 3-D maps, and even a replica cave. Particularly notable is Room 4, in which audio and written testimonies from battle survivors are displayed. The final exhibit chronicles the post-war occupation and struggle for reversion.

Admission is ¥300 for adults and ¥150 for children. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except December 29-January 3).

Peace Memorial Hall
Peace Memorial Hall is best known as the home of the largest lacquered Buddha in Japan. Standing 12 meters high, spanning eight meters across, and comprised of 3.5 tons of lacquer, the Buddha is the magnum opus of renowned Okinawan artist Shinzan Yamada. Prior to World War II, Yamada left Okinawa to study art in Tokyo. Though he returned in 1940 and survived the horrors of the "Typhoon of Steel," he lost two sons during the battle. He constructed the Buddha statue to commemorate the souls of the war dead and espouse hope that such a tragedy would never again occur.

Yamada began constructing the Buddha using tsuikin lacquer techniques in 1957 at the age of 72. The enormous statue took more than 18 years to complete, with work stopping several times due to a lack of funding and twice because Yamada sustained serious injuries in falls from scaffolding. According to literature from the Peace Memorial Hall, the Buddha statue "differs from the usual Buddha in its basic concept. The traditional Buddha is usually placed on a lotus-shaped pedestal, symbolizing the future life, while the pedestal of this non-religious peace statue is decorated with a flower whose six petals represent the six continents. Thus this represents human harmony and world peace."

In the hall, Buddha is surrounded by seven pillars, each representing one of the seven seas. A series of 20 paintings themed "War and Peace" hang on the walls. The paintings took seven years to complete and are the work of Keiyu Nishimura, who wished to "portray the unique culture, the beautiful nature, and the cordiality of Okinawans in contrast to their tragic war experiences." Also in the hall is a small table with paper and acrylic boxes containing hundred of folded cranes. Visitors are invited to fold origami cranes of peace, known as tsuru or orizuru, and place them in the box. On the platform surrounding the Buddha are thousands of cranes and crane collages folded by the children of Okinawa.

Located in a room beneath the hall is the Sacred Stone Chamber. Sacred stones from throughout Japan and the world were collected by Okinawans and placed beneath the statue to act as its foundation.

Outside of the hall on the right is the Peace Bell. Dignitaries toll the bell during peace ceremonies, most notably during Irei no Hi (Day of Remembrance) each year on June 23. Behind the bell is the Peace Monument; when the hall was opened in 1978, organizers collected 1,258 compositions on the subject of peace. The best three are inscribed on the Peace Monument.

Behind the Peace Monument is an art museum that opened in 1981 and houses the works of contemporary Okinawan artists. To the rear of that is the Meditation Forest and a notable bronze statue. When excavation was done for the hall, the bones and shoes of a young boy were found along with three rusty grenades. The statue was placed in the location to console the souls of the children who died during the battle. It also commemorates the tenth anniversary of the reversion of Okinawa to Japan.

Admission to the Peace Memorial Hall is ¥450 for adults, and ¥350 for junior and senior high school students. Group rates are available. The museum is open daily (except December 29-January 3). From April 1 to October 15, hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. From October 16 to March 31, hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Cornerstone of Peace
Though its name makes it sound as though it is a singular mass of stone, the Cornerstone of Peace is a series of zig-zag, black granite monuments that stretch across the low area of Peace Prayer Park and are dedicated to those--American, Japanese, and Okinawan military and civilians--who died in the battle. As you stand at the Flame of Peace and walk down the center aisle, the foreign (American, British, Irish) casualties are listed in a small section on the immediate left. The American casualties are divided by their branch of service, though the branches are not listed on the monuments. (Americans familiar with the military bases on Okinawa need only look for the names of the camps. If you see the last name Lester (Camp Lester, a Navy installation and home of the United States Naval Hospital Okinawa), you'll know you're in the Navy section. The name Buckner (Fort Buckner, one of Okinawa's two Army installations and home of the 58th Signal Battalion) will indicate the Army section. Seeing the names Kinser, Foster, Courtney, McTureous, Hansen, Schwab, and Gonsalves (all Marine Congressional Medal of Honor winners from the Battle of Okinawa) will indicate the Marine Corps section.) Names in each service's section are listed A-Z. Okinawan casualties are also located to the left of the center aisle, and the names are organized by village. Japanese casualties are to the right of the center aisle, and those names are broken down by prefecture.

Anchoring the Cornerstone of Peace is the Flame of Peace, which has been burning continuously since June 23, 1995. It was started from other flames of peace throughout Japan, including one from Zamami Village on Aka Island in the Keramas (the first landing place of U.S. forces during the Battle of Okinawa), one from the Light of Peace at Hiroshima, and another from the Flame of Affirmation in Nagasaki.

Many incorrectly assume that Peace Prayer Park is where the Battle of Okinawa ended in June 1945. The many cliffs on this portion of the southern coast are often known as Suicide Cliffs. While Generals Ushijima and Cho did commit ritual suicide in the area, they were only one of a handful who did so. Looking toward the water from the Cornerstone of Peace, there is a cliff face to the left. Some individuals committed suicide by jumping off that cliff. Others jumped at Cape Kyan. The area was not a massive field of suicide.

The Prayer Area
The Prayer Area is composed of the National War Dead Peace Mausoleum and the Memorial Path.

The National War Dead Peace Mausoleum
After World War II, Okinawans began the enormous task of collecting the bodies of their friends and families and cremating them according to local custom. In 1945, the government collected the ashes of the deceased and placed them in the mausoleum on Mabuni Hill. More than 180,000 are at rest there.

Memorial Path
Prefectures throughout Japan have donated monuments to the memories of their soldiers that perished during the Battle of Okinawa. Approximately 50 such memorials line this path.

The Peace Ceremony Zone
This large expanse is used annually on June 23 for Irei no Hi. Thousands flock to the site--Okinawan, Japanese, and American--to honor the lives lost. At noon, a moment of silence is observed across the island. A large granite monument anchors the ritual service area used for these ceremonies.

The Recreation Zone
Peace Prayer Park also contains several multi-purpose recreation fields used for gateball, badminton, and other sports. There are several jogging trails, a picnic grove area, and a children's playground. Every year, this area is the half-way point of the Naha Marathon.

Peace Prayer Park Photos

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written by kinume , March 19, 2008

gorgeous crystal-clear photo collection.
gorgeous.

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written by Jeebsion , March 26, 2008

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