Japan commemorates the Battle of Okinawa in World War II.
Okinawa (Jiji Press) - A memorial service was held in Okinawa on Thursday to mourn the nearly 200,000 people, including civilians, who died in a fierce ground battle in Japan's southernmost prefecture 77 years ago, near the end of the World War II.
The ceremony, which was held at the Peace Memorial Park in Autumn, the last battlefield of the Battle of Okinawa, observed a minute's silence at noon.
June 23 is the last day of organized fighting for the Japanese army. Every year, the prefecture holds a ceremony at the Peace Memorial Park in Ituman on this date to commemorate the dead.
Among the participants was Prime Minister Kishida Fumio. Guests from outside the province were invited to the annual party after two years of absence due to the Corona pandemic.
In his peace declaration at the ceremony, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki pledged to "make all efforts to make Okinawa a peaceful and prosperous place where all the people feel happy."
He also said the prefectural government would "strongly advocate the unification and downsizing of US military bases in Okinawa, a radical revision of the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement, and the cancellation of a plan to build a new military base in Henoko."