Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum

Opened in June 1975, the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum commemorates the casualties and deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians. In educating the next generation about the human destruction caused by warfare, this museum casts our eyes on the violent past while pointing us toward a more peaceful future.

Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum

Photo by: PIXTA/ t.nehala

Divided into five rooms, the museum’s permanent exhibition traces the history of Okinawa from before Japanese colonization to the present day.

In the first room, visitors will explore the Ryukyu Kingdom and its eventual colonization by the Japanese Empire. Setting the stage for the Second World War, the exhibition examines Japan’s militarization and escalating conflicts with Western colonial powers.

In the second room, visitors will learn about the Battle of Okinawa, waged during the final months of the war. Drawing on photographs, maps and artifacts, this space documents the island’s devastation, particularly in the south.

Zooming in on the horrors Okinawans faced at the hands of invading powers and the Japanese military, the next room captures the terrible civilian cost of the war which far outnumbered military casualties and deaths.

Personal Stories

Photo by: PIXTA/ Morisot

With the historical background, the fourth room turns the spotlight on the personal testimonies of Okinawan survivors. Sharing firsthand experiences of the battle, narrators offer visitors glimpses into their everyday lives in a world at war. Those with children may want to check out the special children’s exhibition room, which aims to deliver the museum’s messages about war and peace.

Using the premise of shared humanity, children can expect to see themselves in the lives of youth living around the world, regardless of nationality, with the hope of viewing the global community through commonality rather than difference.

While the bulk of the museum focuses on the Battle of Okinawa, the last room focuses on the postwar period to the present day. Detailing the American occupation of Okinawa through to 1972 and the ongoing struggles against the expansion of American military bases on the island, this room highlights Okinawan activism in the face of militarism.