When you read the guide books about the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, it’s all about he beautiful islands, the tropical beaches, the snorkelling and diving.
But there’s a darker side to Okinawan history. Okinawa was the site for one of the last, and fiercest battles of the Second World War, with American forces invading the island, facing desperate defences from the Japanese defenders.
Their final stand was a hastily built network of underground tunnels, dug into the sandstone beneath Okinawa’s capital city, Naha. Twenty metres down and 450 metres long, the complex was built to withstand bombing from the American forces and provide a base for around 4000 soldiers.
The Americans landed in Okinawa on April 1st 1945 and this site marks where the desperate last stand wastaken by the Japanese Navy with their leader, Rear Admiral Minoru Ota. Rear Admiral Ota famously sent a telegraph to the vice minister of the navy in which he paid tribute to the people of Okinawa. He reserved particular praise for the young women of Okinawa who, in the midst of the chaos and carnage, volunteered to be nurses and cooks. He described how “they continue to help the seriously injured soldiers left behind after the military movement and medics are no longer available. The dedication of these nurses is very serious and I do not believe it is driven by an ephemeral feeling of sympathy.”
He concluded:
Despite consistent heavy burden of labor service and lack of goods all the time since the Imperial Navy and Army proceeded to establish the front line in Okinawa, (despite some bad rumors of a few parties) the local citizens devoted themselves to the loyal service as Japanese (illegible) without giving (illegible) Okinawa Islands will become scorched land where no single plant will remain unburned.
When all was lost, he and his men committed suicide, on June 13, 1945.
In 1970, Okinawa opened the underground tunnels to the public hoping that future generations would see the futility of war and instead pursue world peace. You descend down a long staircase, and follow a route taking you to various parts of the complex. Today, it’s brightly lit but it’s not hard to imagine the terrible conditions the original occupants would have suffered. In one area, there are poles where personnel, already exhausted, had to sleep standing up, leaning against the poles.
In places there are shrapnel holes in the walls of the tunnels, the result of grenade explosions during the final battles – a grim reminder of the realities of war.
The emphasis of the site is very much on peace. The photographic exhibition in the lobby area documents what happened – but from both sides, not just the Japanese one.
Getting to the site isn’t particularly easy – but Google maps is a great help in getting you on the right bus and then winding through the back streets to the site. Buses 98, 88 and 55 from Asahibashi bus station get you to the western end of the park surrounding the tunnels with the shortest walk – the buses that take you to the eastern side involve a hilly walk through narrow suburban streets.
Details
Former Japanese Naval Underground Headquarters, 236 Tomigusuku, Tomigusuku City
Phone: 098-850-4055
Open Every day, 09:00-17:00 (Last admission 16:30)
Admission: Adults ¥600, ages 6-15 ¥300 (as of September 2024
