Okinawa Memorial Day

What Is Okinawa Memorial Day?

June 23 is "Irei no Hi" (Okinawa Memorial Day) in Okinawa Prefecture. It marks the day in 1945 when organized fighting by the Japanese military in the Battle of Okinawa is considered to have ended. It is a day to console the spirits of all those who died in the Battle of Okinawa and other wartime events, and to pray for lasting world peace. It is set by an Okinawa prefectural ordinance, and prefectural offices and schools are closed.

The End of the Battle of Okinawa and Memorial Day

The Battle of Okinawa began in earnest with the U.S. landing on Okinawa Island on April 1, 1945, and became a fierce ground battle that engulfed local residents.

• End of organized fighting: On June 23, 1945, the Japanese commander Mitsuru Ushijima and others took their own lives, and organized fighting is considered to have ended. However, fighting continued in various places afterward, and the surrender document was not signed until September 7.
• The Cornerstone of Peace (Heiwa no Ishiji): In 1995, the Cornerstone of Peace was erected in Peace Memorial Park in Mabuni, Itoman City. It bears the names of those who died in the Battle of Okinawa and related events, regardless of nationality or whether they were soldiers or civilians.

When Memorial Day Was June 22

Memorial Day was first established in 1961, under U.S. administration, by the Ryukyu Government's law on residents' holidays. It was originally set on June 22, based on the view that Ushijima and others died on the 22nd, but as testimony pointing to the 23rd gained weight, it was changed to June 23 in 1965. After Okinawa's reversion to Japan in 1972, the prefecture enacted the "Ordinance Establishing Okinawa Prefecture Memorial Day" in 1974, and June 23 remains Memorial Day today.

Things to Know About Memorial Day

• An Okinawa-only holiday: Memorial Day is not a national holiday but a holiday under Okinawa prefectural ordinance. After reversion, its status as a holiday was debated at one point, but it has continued as a prefectural holiday.
• Mabuni: Mabuni in Itoman City, in the southern part of Okinawa Island, was the site of the battle's final fierce fighting and is now Peace Memorial Park.
• The Himeyuri Student Corps: The experiences of female students mobilized as nursing aides are passed on at places such as the Himeyuri Peace Museum.
• A moment of silence at noon: The Okinawa Memorial Service for All War Dead is held at Peace Memorial Park, with a moment of silence at noon.
• The Peace Poem: Each year, a student representative from the prefecture reads a "Peace Poem" at the memorial service.

Ways to Mark Memorial Day

• Observe a minute of silence at noon.
• Read a book or collection of testimonies about the Battle of Okinawa.
• Listen to the "Peace Poem" read at the memorial service on the news.
• If you have a chance to visit Okinawa, stop by Peace Memorial Park or the museums.

A Day When Okinawa Asks What Peace Means

June 23 is a day to mourn the many lives lost in the Battle of Okinawa and to pray for peace. Take even a few moments to learn about events of more than 80 years ago and to consider that today's everyday life rests on peace.