Okinawa Peace Memorial Museum

Okinawa Peace Memorial Museum Review

Several monuments including a memorial flame and long walls inscribed with every name of the thousands of lives lost in the fighting dot the rolling, peaceful green hills around this excellent, sophisticated museum complex. Inside, several exhibits designed specifically for children provide a rare opportunity to focus on global issues education, while other areas explore and document the various facets of the momentous Battle of Okinawa. Interesting exhibits highlighting each side's tactical perspective and the progress of the fighting are offset by more personal displays of what life was like on the ground during the chaos and testimonies of survivors (unfortunately, only a few of these are translated). A diorama showing what life in American-occupied postwar Okinawa offers further insight into local history. It is 80 minutes from Naha via bus; change from 89 to 82 at Itoman Terminal. The total cost is ¥900.